A French Garden

Today I'm sharing a layout featuring one of my favorite spots in Epcot at Walt Disney World!

Late afternoon was a gorgeous time of day for us to enjoy the scenery of the France Pavilion. The walkways, shops, and gardens, modeled after those of Paris, during La Belle Epoque (Beautiful Age) of France, were bathed in a gently fading sunlight. 

What a beautiful time, and Scraptastic's Heart It Races kits had the perfect papers and embellishments. I used gorgeous papers from Teresa Collins, Shimelle, and Chickaniddy Crafts, a pretty yellow doily, stickers, die-cuts, chipboard letters, and, of course, the piece de resistance---a fox wood veneer! 

Jack Spence described this period's garden technique in his blog article, Landscaping The World: 

Jardin à la française (French formal garden) is a style of landscaping based on balance and symmetry. The idea is to impose “order” into nature. This style of gardening reached its apex in the 17th century when landscape architect André Le Nôtre used his talents at Versailles. In the decades that followed, this style was widely copied by other courts of Europe. 

I believe the France pavilion, including this hedge maze, is one of the most picturesque areas on the World Showcase. It beckons one to stop, look around, sample some delicacies (crepes for me!), and imagine yourself in Paris during the late 1800s.