Written by Natalie Aldridge.
For years, I’ve longed to visit Giverny. Each time I found myself in Paris, the stars just didn’t align—whether the house was closed for the season or my schedule was simply too tight. Now, with London as my new home base, the opportunity finally presented itself. A few weeks ago, I hopped on the Eurostar, determined to make this dream a reality. A metro, a train, and a car ride later, I arrived. And there it was—the chance to explore Monet’s world. Join me as I share the magic of Giverny through my photographs, alongside Monet’s incredible story of creating these mesmerizing and iconic home and gardens.
Imagine stepping into one of impressionist painter Claude Monet’s Nympheas paintings, surrounded by water lilies and dappled light. This is the experience of visiting Monet’s home and studio in Giverny, France. From the moment you arrive, the connection between the artist, his home, and his surroundings is undeniable.
From a young age, Monet had an undeniable passion for the outdoors. His youth was spent drifting from one town to the next along the Seine, but no matter where he landed, flowers always followed. Over the years, his flowers became steadfast companions and muses, offering solace during emotional rough patches, artistic ruts, and the occasional financial disaster.
In May 1883, Monet and his family made their way to Giverny, a charming village about fifty miles west of Paris. The house he rented had a sprawling garden with cypresses lining the paths and orchards bursting with fruit trees. However, the garden was hardly up to Monet’s impeccable standards.
With plenty of help from his family, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work, transforming what was essentially a glorified farmyard into the lush, flowering oasis he envisioned. Around the house, he planted his favorite annuals: poppies, sunflowers, and nasturtiums. Springtime saw him busy planting daffodil bulbs, primroses, and willowherbs, adding bursts of color to every corner.
His gardening buddy, fellow Impressionist painter Gustave Caillebotte, was never far away; the two swapped seeds, cuttings, and the occasional bit of floral wisdom. Together, they turned garden maintenance into an artistic collaboration, flower by flower.
By the late 1880s, Monet’s fame had spread across Europe and the United States, and in November 1890, he finally purchased his Giverny home. With home ownership came grander plans. He hired two full-time gardeners—eventually expanding to six—built a greenhouse for propagating rare plants, and rented a nearby plot to relocate the fruits and vegetables, reserving his main garden for flowers.
Monet’s collection grew into an extravagant display of irises, peonies, delphiniums, Oriental poppies, asters, and countless sunflowers. His garden became a living extension of his artistry, every bloom as thoughtfully chosen as a brushstroke, transforming nature into an evolving masterpiece.
Once content with his very English-style garden, he set his gaze on the plot of land behind his property. Across the road lay a marshy area with a small pond, once used by local farmers to water their cattle. To him, it was the perfect canvas for his vision of an Oriental-inspired floating garden, later known to the masses as his water-lily pond.
After years of negotiating with the town for the plot of land and the rights to divert a river to fill his pond, he gradually saw his dream come to life. He even dug a tunnel under the road for easy access between his garden and the pond. For the remaining thirty years of his life, he devoted himself to creating nearly 250 panels depicting the serene surface of his water-lily pond.
The house itself is a vivid extension of the gardens. Inside, every room echoes the lushness outside, filled with Monet’s vast art collection, intriguing objects, textiles, and richly textured furniture. Thoughtfully curated, the home blends seamlessly with the land, as if it had grown from the garden itself.
Every corner of the estate, from the vibrant, meticulously cultivated gardens to the tranquil pond, reveals the living inspiration behind Monet’s iconic brushstrokes. It is here, in this serene sanctuary, that Monet immersed himself in the natural beauty that shaped his creative vision. Giverny is a window into the world that gave rise to one of the greatest artistic legacies of all time. If you ever have the chance, Monet’s Giverny is an absolute must-see. It’s a living masterpiece.
To visit Monet’s home and gardens, information can be found here.
As if that weren’t enough, Maria de la Orden has also launched a limited-edition collection of playful clothing to accompany the collaboration, which you can shop 
