Discover ‘Life in a French Country House’ by Cordelia de Castellane

“These are my maternal grandfather’s chairs against a backdrop of very old fabric.” © Matthieu Salvaing

“This winter table in the boudoir is another expression of my love for setting plates against dark-colored tablecloths.” © Matthieu Salvaing

FALL PLANTING SEASON MY GARDEN

Most of the work in my garden is done in the fall. I follow advice from my gardener friends, as well as other English gardeners, such as the lovely Willow Crossley, from whom I’m still learning a lot on Instagram. If we want it to look pretty in spring, it all depends on our efforts in October. I don’t miss a weekend here during this period. I plan everything. Post-it notes intentionally scatter the ground so I can adjust the flowers by season and color (for coherence). This is when I plant my tulips, which come from the Netherlands, and many other seeds and bulbs either in the vegetable garden or in pots that I then cultivate in the greenhouse. I trim the hedges and give them a neat line for the winter. When the plants get too big, I split them, leaving me with a feeling that Christmas has come early, knowing that in the spring I’ll have two of each plant. I finish planting in February, and I can’t wait to see the results of this laborious work. Gardening reconciled me—as someone who only wanted to live up in the air—with the earth. Putting my hands in the soil brings me a certain comfort. Then there are those Indian summer days, when the sun shines and makes the air warmer. On one such day, I decided to celebrate a birthday in the forest, and there we were in the middle of nature with the pick-up truck, setting up a table. We covered our folding tables with overlapping white tablecloths and decorated them with forest leaves. When the flowers are hiding, fruit will always do. I often use ferns because they add a lot of character. It is always these unexpected moments that create so many memories.

An excerpt from Life in a French Country House by Cordelia de Castellane (Rizzoli)

“Setting up tables in different places breaks the monotony of dining. This was a very mild Sunday and we decided to have lunch in the woods.” © Matthieu Salvaing

“The house was built in three parts between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries. On the left is a little guest house. In this part of the garden, I went for a very French, quite classical look, whereas the garden in the back is very English, more Bohemian.” © Matthieu Salvaing

© Matthieu Salvaing

“I often mix the colors of pink and green. I combine this Dior Milly-la-Forêtdinner service with Indian patterned tablecloths. The little ladybird lucky charm is inside the glass (Dior of course).” © Oleg Covian