The gardens of the Claude Monet house in Giverny

Claude Monet is in the spotlight more than ever this year. With a Monet-Mitchell exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton and the opening of Monet's new Impressionist house in Argenteuil, there's plenty more to come.

We're taking advantage of the mild autumn weather to visit the famous Maison de Claude Monet in Giverny, whose gardens were such an inspiration to the artist. Note that they are still open until November 1. So make the most of the All Saints' vacation to take in this sublime discovery, which is sure to delight garden lovers and culture enthusiasts alike.

Video of Claude Monet's Gardens at Giverny in autumn:

In September and October, you'd be forgiven for thinking that gardens are less beautiful to visit at this time of year, but you'd be wrong. In fact, there's no shortage of flowers, quite the contrary, and the lovely hues of autumn trees and leaves bring incomparable beauty to the historic site.

The gardens of Claude Monet's house are divided into two parts: on one side, the Clos Normand, the flower garden facing the house and overlooked from the house, and on the other side of the underpass, the Japanese-inspired Water Garden, where water lilies and bridges are revealed.

The approximately one-hectare Clos Normand is made up of beautiful perspective paths. Symmetries and colors await you. At this time of year, amaranths, asters, nasturtiums, chrysanthemums, dahlias, snapdragons, roses, geraniums, lavenders, clematis and other colchicums, sunflowers and cosmos make up the decor of these luxuriant alleys.

The house, which we warmly recommend you visit to immerse yourself in the painter's world and his inspiration, is adorned in pretty red hues with the vine winding along the façade, providing a lovely contrast with the famous green hue so dear to Monet.

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We then move on to the Jardin d'Eau, the garden that was the source of most of Monet's inspiration in his final years. It was in 1893, 10 years after his arrival in Giverny, that Monet bought the land next to his property, on the other side of the railway line. It is crossed by a small stream, the Ru, a derivation of the Epte. He had his first ponds dug there, where he installed plants that were, to say the least, exotic for the time.

In a letter to the prefect at the time, following complaints from local residents afraid of poisoning the watercourses, he declared:"This is only a matter of pleasure for the eyes, and also a motive for painting; in this basin I grow only plants such as water lilies, reeds and irises of different varieties, which generally grow spontaneously along our river, and there can be no question of poisoning the water.

He then had a Japanese bridge built which, contrary to tradition, is distinguished by its famous green color. In this garden, oriental inspiration is evident in the choice of plants: bamboos, gingkos biloba, maples, Japanese peonies, lilies and weeping willows form the decor around the water feature, where water lilies and reeds proliferate.

In 1897, he began painting the water lilies, inspired by the site's changing colors at different times of the day and year. The result today is one of his greatest masterpieces, which can be admired at the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris or at the Fondation Vuitton.

At this time of year, we enjoy admiring the few remaining water lilies, which combine wonderfully with the red and gold hues of the autumn leaves. We're almost tempted to paint while admiring this magical setting.

So, why not treat yourself to an autumn visit before waiting for the spring bloom? Don't forget to book your tickets. Online booking is not compulsory, but is recommended at weekends and on public holidays.