Latour-Marliac Gardens, Parks in Le Temple-sur-Lot

Latour-Marliac is above all a nursery which was founded in 1875 by Joseph Bory Latour-Marliac for propagation, cultivation and marketing of hardy water lilies. Before setting up his nursery, Latour-Marliac had figured out how to hybridize water lilies by a process that has remained a mystery. The need existed, because at that time the only hardy water lily in Europe was the white water lily, Nymphaea alba. By crossing this variety with tropical water lilies, and then with other wild varieties from America and elsewhere, Latour-Marliac was able to create a collection of water lilies whose palette ranged from delicate yellow with fuchsia, up to intense red.

• In 1889, Latour-Marliac presented his hybrids at the Universal Exhibition in Paris; thus his plants of a new kind were unveiled at the same time as the Eiffel Tower. Installed in the water gardens in front of the Trocadéro, the hybrid water lilies caused a sensation and won the first prize in their category. More importantly, they caught the eye of the painter Claude Monet who was amazed and fell under their spell.

• In 1894, once the Giverny pond was completed, Claude Monet ordered a large quantity of water lilies from Latour-Marliac; invoices are still in our archives. These same water lilies were to become the subject of his famous murals, Les Nymphéas, now on display at the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris, and more than 200 paintings.

• Ultimately, it is thanks to Latour-Marliac and Monet that the rustic water lily is part of French heritage today.

• In 2007 the property was acquired by Robert Sheldon, who has extensive experience with water lilies and water gardens.