Serre de la Madone

Serre de la Madone was created by Lawrence Johnston, the English-American garden designer better known for Hidcote Manor in Gloucestershire. Johnston bought the property in 1919 and spent two decades developing its terraces, walls, and water features, importing rare species from around the world.

Menton's microclimate allowed him to grow plants that could not survive a normal French winter, and the result is one of the most unusual private gardens in Europe. The Conservatoire du Littoral acquired and restored it in the early 2000s. Open by guided tour most of the year; book ahead. The walk up through the old town to reach it is worthwhile in itself.

things to do sight
A story
Lawrence Johnston, the creator of Hidcote Manor Garden in the Cotswolds, built Serre de la Madone as his winter garden between 1919 and 1939. He filled it with rare plants collected on expeditions to South Africa, China, and the mountains of Morocco — many of them species new to cultivation at the time. Johnston eventually preferred Menton to Hidcote and spent his last years here.