I'm a plant lover and daily gardener, so I was excited to see a new country and the very different landscaping style it hosts. Our tour guide, Marie, described French-style gardens as "the total domination of nature." I didn't understand what she meant until we began our journey around the city, and I saw immaculate geometric hedges, sculpted trees, and spherical boxwoods - it was marvelous! Not a leaf was out of place; the gardens were more inspirational than I had imagined. I was stunned to see decorative garland created from living ivy in Luxembourg Gardens and perfect tree hedgerows in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Not every French garden was filled with botanical sculpture. On one of our side trips, we had the chance to visit Monet's home and garden at Giverny. This garden was almost the opposite, bursting with three-dimensional layers of abundance! There were so many layers of flowering plants there was no soil in sight. Even in early spring, with frost on the ground, there were enough flowers to decorate several royal weddings!

I also enjoyed the many garden rooms at Versailles, which felt like a treasure hunt as many contained intriguing statues, topiaries, or fountains. I was so glad that Bill rented the golf cart because we could see many different areas of the grounds in a short time. I enjoyed it so much that when I returned home, I read "The Gardener of Versailles," an autobiography by the palace's gardener-in-chief, Alain Baraton, to learn more about what it's like to care for such a massive space.

During our free time, we strolled through garden supply shops near the Île de la Cité and popped into the famous Le Prince Jardinier on the lower floor of Deyrolle on Rue du Bac. It's so fun to incorporate my hobby into the trip, and I came away with fresh inspiration!