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Provençal Garden Pots — Part 1: Vases d'Anduze

A Provençal Daydream

I miss France — Provence in particular. Traveling in the footsteps of Van Gogh and Cézanne to discover the unexpected, stopping for a picnic lunch and a glass of rosé along the roadside, snapping selfies in a field of sunflowers with the hot yellow sun beating down — it all sounds dreamy right now. Summertime in Provence is beautiful. The gardens, meadows, and even the forests —  all pop with color. But there’s something especially magical about the gardens. Classic or contemporary, cottage or formal, they're filled with the sounds of babbling brooks and bubbling fountains, scents of fragrant lavender and citrus, and sights of manicured hedges and mazes. Layered with pea gravel or crushed limestone and lined with vases d’Anduze and jarres de Biot, these fairytale-like gardens seamlessly connect the inside to the outside, blurring the lines between utility and beauty.

 

Provençal pots that function both as garden and decorative accessories have long been considered iconic symbols of French garden decor. Beautifully glazed Anduze pots and the more utilitarian unglazed Biot jars are both elegant and charming additions to any garden or home.

 


At Château Mireille near St. Rémy de Provence, vases d’Anduze bloom amid sunlit parterres — a fairytale garden in the heart of Provence.
 

What is a Vase d'Anduze?

Named for the picturesque medieval village of Anduze in the Cévennes mountains of southern France, the vase d’Anduze first appeared in 1610. According to legend, a local French potter named Boisset was so inspired by the elegant Italian Medici vases he saw while visiting the Beaucaire fair near Avignon that he reimagined the form as a grand inverted bell-shaped pot glazed in streaks of green, brown, and straw yellow. Unlike most garden pots, Anduze planters were true showpieces — embellished with garlands, stamped medallions, and the potter’s own signature — details that gave each pot a distinctive Provençal identity. Still today, artisans in the Languedoc-Roussillon region craft vases d’Anduze using traditional methods passed down through centuries.

 

 

Classic vase d’Anduze design — an inverted bell-shaped planter embellished with floral garlands, stamped medallions, and the potter’s signature — making it the belle of the parterre.

 

Royal Roots 

In the 17th and 18th centuries, these majestic pots graced the estates of aristocrats, nobles, and, of course, the grand gardens of Versailles. Once Marie Antoinette began lining terraces with Anduze planters and filling the orangerie with hundreds of them, the pots became an instant sensation, popping up in manor gardens all over France. Their grand scale made them perfect for orange, lemon, and olive trees, often underplanted with lavender, thyme, or herbs. It’s fair to say Marie helped spark one of the very first “container garden” trends.

 

 

Marie Antoinette’s garden trend — vases d’Anduze lined with citrus, lavender, and herbs, making Versailles the chicest container garden of them all.

 

Revolution and Rarity

Production of the pots almost became a thing of the past during the French Revolution (1789–1799), forcing most of the factories in Anduze to close permanently. With only a handful of potters left to continue the tradition, 18th and 19th century vases d’Anduze are now scarce and highly collectible — making these crusty terracotta planters some of the most sought after garden antiques in France. If you wish for your gardens to echo the French countryside, be warned: these Anduze beauties command a king’s ransom.

 

A Symbol of Provençal Gardens

After the Revolution, the nouveau riche silk merchants of the Anduze region helped revive the tradition, designing elaborate private gardens and parks filled with Anduze pots. Over the centuries, their popularity has never really waned, and today these stately planters remain a defining feature of French gardens. From Versailles to village courtyards, the vase d’Anduze still embodies Provençal charm, craftsmanship, and the timeless elegance.

 

Whether brimming with citrus trees, clipped boxwood, or fragrant lavender, they’ve become more than planters — they’re icons. And let’s be honest: no Provençal garden feels quite complete without at least one of these beauties — pretty and pricey, but oh-so worth it.

 


Anduze pots instantly transform a garden — layering in centuries of history and a hint of Versailles grandeur.
 

Potted French Flair

Thankfully, you don’t have to be Marie Antoinette (or Louis Seize) to enjoy these fabulous pots. Long a fixture at Versailles, vases d’Anduze look just as chic today on a city terrace or in a suburban garden, brimming with citrus, clipped boxwood, or lavender.

 

And don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Just as the French love to mix antiques of every style in their homes, they blend formal with informal in the garden — pairing stately Anduze pots with wild herbs, roses, or even vegetables. It’s that mix of beauty and utility that makes Provençal gardens so irresistible.

 

So go ahead — add a little French flair to your patio or garden. After all, when it comes to vases d’Anduze, a touch of Provence is always en saison. 

 

Up Next: Provençal Garden Pots — Part 2: Jarres de Biot

If the vase d’Anduze was the aristocrat of the French garden, the jarres de Biot were its hardworking cousins. These utilitarian jars weren’t made for showy garlands or medallions, but for storing oil — and later found new life as timeless garden accents. Stay tuned as we dig into their history next.


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Mimi Montgomery

When this self-described Francophile is not reading or writing about all things French, she's dreaming up charming new ways to showcase Lolo French Antiques et More or traveling to France with Lolo to buy delightful treasures for their store. Mimi, Lolo, and their French Bulldog, Duke, live in Birmingham, AL.

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