Les Jardins de Giverny: The Healing Power of Flowers
A floral journey through Monet’s garden — where beauty restores and nature becomes medicine.
There’s a reason people travel from all corners of the world to walk through Claude Monet’s garden in Giverny, France. On the surface, they’re seeking beauty — the same enchanting colors that inspired his world-famous water lilies. But if you slow down, breathe deeply, and truly listen, you begin to sense what Monet himself experienced: the garden as sanctuary, as spirit medicine, as natural art capable of soothing what life frays.
Last week, I walked those same pathways through swaying irises, fragrant roses, lavender hues and reflective lilies. And I realized: the flowers aren’t just there to be looked at. They’re there to heal.
A Garden of Remedies – Ancient Roots, Timeless Wisdom
Long before Giverny became Monet’s muse, the people of France relied on fleurs et herbes (flowers and herbs) for wellness. Apothecaries would dry lavender for calm, distill rosewater for heart-opening rituals and steep chamomile for sleep and digestion.
Gardens were living pharmacies, and every bloom had a purpose.
Monet’s garden revitalizes this ancient link between floral beauty and botanical healing.
Flower Medicine in Giverny: A Walk Through the Garden
Here’s a look at how the flowers you meet in Giverny offer more than aesthetic delight — they offer emotional and spiritual restoration.
💜 Lavender
Healing Property: Soothing the nervous system
Lavender lines the walking paths like soft guardians of serenity. Brush your hand along their stems and breathe deeply — instant calm.
It’s no surprise the French once used lavender in sleep satchels, teas, oils and even perfumes for emotional balance.
🌹 Roses
Healing Property: Heart softening & emotional nourishment
Roses in Giverny aren’t merely decorative — they radiate warmth. They remind us that softness is strength. Ancient apothecaries used rose elixirs not just for skincare, but for grief, heartbreak and soulful renewal. In the garden, they’re like floral reflections of self-love.
💧 Water Lilies
Healing Property: Restoring stillness & reflection
The lilies that float across the pond like whispered prayers offer gentle repose. As if trusting the water to carry what we cannot hold. These blossoms mirror the importance of stillness in healing. They are also a reminder that water, too, is a healer.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to personally see the water lilies in person while in France but they are beautifully represented in Claude Monet’s famous "Water Lilies" (Nymphéas) — a series of approximately 250 oil paintings created over the last 30 years of his life, depicting his water garden at Giverny.
🌼 Daisies & Wildflowers
Healing Property: Joy, purity & innocence
Clusters of daisies & wildflowers peek from corners of the garden, teaching us that healing doesn’t always need to be grand — sometimes, it’s playful, light and spirited.
🕊️ Personal Reflection: What the Flowers Whispered
At Giverny, beauty was never just seen — it was inhaled, infused, and felt. The garden itself was an apothecary.
✨ Modern Takeaway: Your Giverny-Inspired Floral Ritual
You don’t have to cross the ocean to experience floral medicine.
Bring the garden home:
Put a few drops of lavender oil in your evening bath
Use rosewater spray for morning heart activation
Place lilies or lotus flowers near your journaling nook
Carry a flower essence blend for emotional balance
Let nature be an ancient ally in your wellness rituals!
🌷 Closing
Giverny is more than a destination — it's a doorway back to the healing power of flowers. To remind us that we are, like the garden, beings with seasons. And that even in the chaos, nature holds space for peace, stillness and beauty.
If you listen closely, the flowers always have something to say.
