The man who designed the Côte d'Azur

A landscape architect and garden poet, Jean Mus is above all a romantic man from the Alpes-Maritimes who composes images of the South to be felt and admired. A creative genius, he makes the botanical heritage of the Côte d’Azur vibrate. We invite you to discover his #CotedAzurFrance portrait!

WHY IS THE CÔTE D’AZUR SO GREEN?

It is the extraordinary mood of this place that gently and musically renders it green and virtuous. The generous cuisine that sizzles, the sea that sings and the wind that blows, all in a search for excellence, but really simply. Man intuitively changed to share with nature. The English in particular, who came to cleverly make our Mediterranean ark bloom, had this sense of adaptation, this attention to plants, to create a harmonious whole. There remains this attention to happiness rather than beauty, this exceptional mix that means we have the most beautiful parks in the world.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE A MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN?

By its multicultural nature. Here, the plants tell stories that are centuries old, impregnated with transitions and encounters. Visitors have come from all 4 corners of the world to add an exotic touch, effervescence and nobility to the people of the county of Nice, which was very poor in the beginning, to our skin colours, our temperament and our words, and to our gentle soul. Eastern Provence is a mix of plants and originality. Consequently, the real gardens are the continental Mercantour, tropical Monaco, the Pays de Grasse with its Tuscan feel, and the Estérel, a truly Roman country…

WHERE DOES JEAN MUS’ HEART STROLL?

In the hinterland, the source of truth. When I walk up there, I tell the story of my land through encounters with birds, mushrooms, panoramas and scents. Our gentle climate makes us love life, gives us the chance to learn to protect this extraordinary diversity around us. The villages, the communities cultivate respect for this green heritage in the hills, old stones and olive groves. It is in this way of living together, this meeting of sun and moon, that we understand what is essential: earth is a garden that we must be able to honour and defend.