n°5 La Blanche Maison

Urville-Nacqueville

418 varieties of hydrangeas in a coastal environment

On the north side, above and behind the magnificent old stone house,  the Cotentin annexe of Corinne Mallet’s prestigious Shamrock Collection (at  Varengeville-sur-Mer (Seine-Maritime) proffers 463 hydrangeas (418 different varieties) flourishing on the side of a steep hill with a  wonderful view of the sea.

Below the house a sheltered site is home to a lush collection of choice plants notably Abutilons, Palms, Daturas and Acacias (mimosas) amongst a profusion of Echiums, and the imposing Geraniums from Madeira and the Canaries.  A small but remarkable medicinal herb garden contains even more rarities.

Simply put this is a stunning collection started by Isabelle and Michael Potel 20 years ago, meaning that there are plenty of mature specimens amongst the constant new arrivals.

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Collections

• 320 hydrangeas, macrophylla, serrata, involucrata, arborescens … and some rare non-hardy  specimens from Vietnam, Taiwan and Japan
• Mimosas (Acacia): A. baileyana purpurea, A. longifolia, A hamburyana, A. retinodes …
• Abutilons: Abutilon x hybridum, A. megapotamicum, A. milleri, A. pictum …
• Numerous Hebe (veronicas): H. longacre, H. albicans, H. diosmifolia

Outstanding plants

• Chile FireTree (Embotrium coccineum) with its crimson flowers
• Bringelier (Solanum mauritianum) from the Réunion
• Sichuan Pepper (Zanthoxyllum piperitum)
• Red flowering Datura (Brugmansia sanguinea)
• Rice Paper plant (Tetrapanax papyrifer) from Taiwan
• Chilean Myrtle (Luma apiculata) with its white fragrant flowers in summer…

Surface

• 2.5 acres