As part of its reports in the most beautiful and remarkable gardens in France, NewsJardinTV invites you today to the heart of the Massif Central, in Haute-Corrèze in the small village of Neuvic to discover a magnificent property planted with exceptional trees. Patrick Mioulane, the editor-in-chief of NewsJardinTV is welcomed by Béatrix d'Ussel, the owner of the castle of Neuvic-d'Ussel which is surrounded by the arboretum that we will visit together. Covering approximately 65,000 m2, this arboretum was created in the 1830s/1840s by Jean-Hyacinthe d'Ussel (1809-1891) who after a trip to England, Scotland and Ireland had become imbued with many landscaping ideas. He then created a "landscaped agricultural park", where ornamental plants were associated with livestock, first cows, then Shetland sheep. All the plantations and water features are human creations which led to enormous earth movements which represented a considerable amount of work at the time. Passionate about the plant world, Jean-Hyacinthe d'Ussel followed the botanical discoveries of the time and he planted, without seeking to create a special collection, plants, particularly of American origin, which were then new. The earth which was extracted during the digging of the large pond was gathered to form a mound on which is planted a magnificent lime tree which is decorated at its base by a triple crown of carefully trimmed boxwood (250 feet). The number, dimensions and beauty of the almost bicentennial trees which adorn the arboretum of the Château de Neuvic-d'Ussel have earned the entire property the unique classification "remarkable tree of France" which was awarded to it by the ARBRES association (Remarkable Trees: Assessment, Research, Studies and Safeguarding). Patrick and Béatrix present a tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) 36 m high with a trunk 5.70 m in circumference (1.30 m from the ground). The explanation for the magnificence of the trees in the arboretum of the Château de Neuvic-d'Ussel comes from the fact that there are many springs on the property and that the region is generously watered by fairly regular rainfall. Our two guides then present a large American red oak (Quercus rubra) which takes on flamboyant colors in the fall. It rubs shoulders with a bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), one of the rare conifers with deciduous foliage. The two trees are planted at the edge of the large body of water. The visit continues at the foot of a grove of false cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana). It is in fact a single subject that has naturally layered itself to develop up to 9 trunks (one was broken during the great storm of 1999). It is a 35 m high plant cathedral. Botanically speaking, this tree constitutes a clonal colony that currently covers a little over 300 m2! The "centerpiece" of the arboretum is a giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) that measures 45 m high (the equivalent of a 15-story building) and 10.70 m in circumference (at 1.30 m from the ground). After rubbing shoulders with the majesty of the giants, the visit to the property takes on a more intimate tone with the "real" priest's garden that accompanies a small chapel. Béatrix d'Ussel explains that there are 7 essential elements in a priest's garden: water to water the plants and fill the vases on the altars; vines for the mass wine; fruits and vegetables to feed the priest and his governess; flowers for decoration; a box tree for immortality and the branches before Easter and a chaste lamb (Vitex agnus-castus) plant reputed to be anaphrodisiac. The priest's garden is punctuated with ollas (oyas) these porous earthenware containers that are buried among the plants and which constitute regular distributors of water, while avoiding any waste through evaporation. The Neuvic-d'Ussel castle arboretum is open to the public during the "Rendez-vous aux jardins" in June, then from July 15 to August 31, during the European Heritage Days (mid-September) and for groups, by appointment from June 1 to October 31. For more information: www.larboretum-neuvicdussel.com This report was produced in collaboration with Corrèze tourisme, whom we thank for their invaluable help: • VISIT TO A MID-MOUNTAIN GARDEN...