Francois Catroux courtyard in Laurmarine, France.  The provencal garden has ancient fortified stone walls with shutters on the windows, the floor is in gravel and the green throughout is planted in terracotta pots.
European Country or Provencal gardens are informal with a more laid back atmosphere.  When more European formal gardens are meticulously planned and focused on symmetry, many countryside gardens share a common thread that reflects their slower pace of life and unpretentious approach to design.  As in many of their choices in life, Europeans first priority when it comes to designing their garden is about creating the space to celebrate the pleasures of life among friends and family.  What an inspiring way of living, taking what you have and working with it, instead of falsely inventing what's not there.  Of course not all of us have the perfect surroundings of the South of France but there is something to be learned from this realistic low maintenance approach to design.  Europeans have an innate sense of style and even though their country gardens are casual they sure are stunning and charming settings where we can linger and never get tired of them.  One main element I constantly see in these gardens is gravel, typically used in patios and pathways as well as partitions between boxwood.  These country side gardens in Europe may be full of harmony, but make no mistake, these lush outdoor spaces are full o...