The Prince has turned his Château de la Bourdaisière in Touraine into a high-end destination with its National Conservatory of Tomatoes (650 varieties) and historical vegetable and medicinal gardens.

The Prince Gardener Louis Albert de Broglie
Monday, May 2 at 7pm, 2011
Part of a series “Art de Vivre: Gardens for Gourmets”
by the French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF)

Founder of the luxury garden brand Le Prince Jardinier and owner of the renowned natural science institution Deyrolle, de Broglie will discuss the rise of garden tourism and biodiversity in 21st-century gardens. He will appear in conversation with Roger Doiron, head of Kitchen Gardeners International and a lead activist behind Michelle Obama’s kitchen garden at the White House. FIAF Members, $20, Non-Members $25.

Excerpt about the Prince:

The recent story of Louis Albert de Broglie is very much linked with his interaction with the Château de la Bourdaisière that he bought with his brother in 1991.

After a 7 year career in banking that took him from London, to a couple of years in India and long trips to Latin America, it was stepping in La Bourdaisière’s XIX° vegetable garden of this Loire valley (*) Estate that inspired him to change the course of his commitments.

Immediately he was interested in growing ancient vegetables and fruits that led friends to call him ‘Le Prince Jardinier’. In 1995, he launched a collection of elegant garden tools and accessories called after his nickname !. Using natural material, fibres, he redesigned old vintage objects which became the state of the art of a ‘gardening art de vivre collection’ that was sold worldwide from Bergdorf & Goodman in NY to Harrods in London, to Takashimaya in Tokyo.

From clothes, the Prince and his Princess (the extremely beautiful Françoise) also design garden furniture and a whole line of food products, perfumes and candles….

In 1995, the Tomato collection went to 300 varieties and was listed by the CCVS (Conservatoire Français des Collections Végétales Spécialisées), to later become the National Conservatory with today 650 varieties being cultivated and display to the public. As Louis Albert de Broglie likes to stress to visitors, it is the expression of biodiversity that needs to be scrutinized, learnt in order to be protected and transmitted to the future generations.

Link to more about the Prince here.

Art de Vivre Garden series, Gardens for Gourmets

FIAF is thrilled to celebrate the spring with a new Art de Vivre Garden series, Gardens for Gourmets, welcoming luminary chefs, authors, entrepreneurs, and pioneers in sustainable living to explore how our relationships with gardens and gardening influence the way we cook and live today:

- For the American launch of her new cookbook Salad as a Meal, Patricia Wells will talk with popular cookbook author and television personality Ina Garten on Wednesday, April 13, followed by a cooking demonstration and book signing.

- Prince Louis Albert de Broglie has turned his Château de la Bourdaisière in Touraine into a high-end destination with its National Conservatory of Tomatoes (650 varieties) and historical and medicinal gardens. Founder of the luxury garden brand Le Prince Jardinier and owner of the renowned natural science institution Deyrolle, he will discuss biodiversity and the rise of garden tourism with Roger Doiron, head of Kitchen Gardens International and a lead activist behind Michelle Obama’s kitchen garden at the White House on Monday, May 2.

- Leading New York food impresario Eli Zabar comes to New York June 1 to discuss the vegetables he grows on his Upper East Side rooftop and on top of his Vinegar Factory food emporium, his passion for fresh produce and how the food markets of France have influenced his vision.

- Finally, Marie-Dominique Deniau Sorman, former garden columnist for Madame Figaro, will curate a daylong visit of some of New York’s most elegant private rooftop gardens on June 16.

Find out more here.