Uncovering Our Sphinx | French Chateau DIY

/ thebeauchateau
TikTok: @thebeauchateau
Instagram: @chateaudelesigny
Thanks to our growing Patreon community, we are able to aid in the electrical repairs we are having installed in the chateau!
Patreon funding goes directly toward renovating the historical Chateau de Lesigny!
Special thanks to our dear Patrons: Andrea, Jesse, Bernadette, Theo, and Morgan for your outstanding support of this Beau Chateau!
You can help support our renovation projects by joining our Patreon Community and gain access to exclusive videos, updates and more!
Join us, Daphne and Ian, as we embark on our new chateau renovation projects! This week, Daphne and her father test a resin project on the bathroom tile. Ian cleans out the moat dock and our sphinx statue. We discover something has been eating our new garden trees, so we give them protection. Daphne, her father and sister flew back to California, so it's just Ian and Archaea tending to the chateau this week.
Our "beau chateau" (The 500-year-old, Chateau De Lesigny), is located near Paris, France. Most of the structures around the chateau domain need a full restoration, so we are investing everything we have into making the property thrive! We are learning more about french culture and developing new skills along the way!
As a French/American UC Berkeley graduate in Agriculture (Daphne), and a U.S. Air Force Tactical Response Force Veteran/ Kinesiologist (Ian), we share a love for challenges and adventure. We have a long road ahead of us and we are excited to share the experience with you!
You can support our renovation projects by joining our Patreon Community, where you can also gain access to exclusive videos and behind the scene access with Daphne and Ian! All patron funding is used to renovate this historical French Chateau. Every patron is paramount to our chateau renovations and we thank you all tremendously!
Produced by Daphne and Ian
Videography & Editing by Ian
All music tracks used in this video are licensed by Artlist:

[@PieterBreda]

That dog running away the camera was priceless.

[@TheBeauChateau]

360 camera + dog bone + duct tape = priceless 👌

[@suzieq111-sq]

😂❤

[@boessheila50]

Camera in d🤣😄😃dogs mouth. Just running away...

[@marshawargo7238]

@@TheBeauChateau Ian McGiver!

[@HabitualButtonPusher]

Yep, looks like it’s a thing lol

[@Marykguise]

Lol 🤣 You are funny Ian! Great job on all the work, filming, editing and carrying ridiculously heavy tiles!! Love Daphne’s input!! 🤣 Love from Mary in Southern California 💗

[@TheBeauChateau]

Thank you so much! I was lucky to have some good random footage of Daphne being silly 😄

[@karinbergman1646]

Such good senses of humor! The Chateau is so beautiful. I love your doggie!

[@TheBeauChateau]

Thank you! It’s always good to have fun when making these videos 😄

[@Ana-Maria-Sierra]

I suggest you consult a landscape designer because you will need to plant a large variety of flowering shrubs, perennials and bulbs. The soil should be tested to ensure that it’s suitable to support your investment and efforts. Good soil is the basis of a successful garden. You have an amazing area to plant an exquisite garden that has both historic and personal significance.

[@jdrew5367]

Peppermint or rosemary, essential oils, put in a spray bottle with vinegar. Shake up your spray, bottle and spray on bush and at the base to keep the deer away. I use this for my tulips, which deer absolutely love to eat mine . If you don’t want to do that collect your egg shells and crunch up and drop at the bottom of your cypress trees and it will keep deer away. Deer hate the smell of eggs. I don’t know what works with wild boar. I love your inserts of Daphne when you’re talking to her she’s not there.😂 Great sense of humor! Thank your hard work is appreciated.

[@darlenewebber7706]

The Sphinx and the cement around would be beautiful if you pressure washed them lightly.🤍

[@TheBeauChateau]

Thank you for your advice! Daphne will definitely use essential oils around the garden after we plant some more flowers and trees. We will also fence off the whole garden in the coming months, so we hope a combination of protective measures will keep our garden happy 😄

[@jen43072]

Essential oils will need reapplication fairly often, as they will degrade and lose effectiveness, so keep an eye (or nose) out fairly often in the beginning to see when the oils are losing their 'punch'.

[@corricatt]

most wildlife can't stand the smell of Marigold flowers. They are the best organic and natural garden border/ wildlife deterrent. Plant a circle around each chicken wire cage for now, then after you've fenced in the entire garden (which saddens me) you can remove the cages and if you like, continue to keep marigolds around each tree for contrast and color 😍

[@sherrig2338]

Yeah essential oils will be completely impractical. Too expensive, too much to cover, they wash/wear off really quickly. Here in California we can get a spray made from eggs and garlic. Deer absolutely HATE bad smells. It smells bad enough to make you gag when wet, but when it dries only the animals can smell it. Still have to reapply after rain. Also if that were boar damage there would be no tree left lol.

[@MarieClaude]

Anybody else check multiple times a day to see if they posted? Thanks for your video!!!

[@stephjezo6470]

Lol, I was checking just minutes before the notification came up! 🤣

[@ZaphodsPlanet]

I wasn't as quick as you but stumbled upon it 18 minutes after Ian posted it... LOL

[@TheBeauChateau]

That is so sweet to hear! It means a lot to us knowing that we have people who look forward to our videos 🥰

[@kathywillis7459]

That was SUCH an entertaining video. Love Daphne’s cameos.😂😂😂 The colors in the bathroom are beautiful; organic and serene.

[@juliecooper6285]

I've said it before, but I love watching your vlogs. I love your senses of humour, and look forward to seeing what you achieve at the chateau.

[@TheBeauChateau]

Thank you Julie! I’m so glad to hear that from you 😊 We appreciate your support and it really keeps us motivated. We have a never ending list of renovations and projects, so stay tuned for much more 😉

[@MariaAparecida-dh6ty]

I Love Beau chateau ❤

[@TheBeauChateau]

Thank you! 🥰

[@peterwhite9261]

Ian, I am loving the added humor. You got so much garden work done.

[@TheBeauChateau]

Awesome! Thank you 👍

[@karldierks2873]

the green tiles look great in combination with the travertine and the wooden floor, I totally agree with you! 👍🏾😍😍

[@TheBeauChateau]

Thank you! We wanted to maintain a natural palette in the hunters lodge since the facade has limestone and there are a lot of large wooden beams. I think it will all work well together 😊

[@loladenis4100]

Bonjour, A tout hasard, connaissez-vous la référence de votre carrelage vert ? Il est sublime, l’harmonie que vous avez choisi ira tellement bien dans cette salle de bain. Belle journée à vous, Lola

[@Archerandtrove]

I love the snippets of Daphne with the funny faces and noises-too cute🥰

[@lorassorkin]

Ian, i adore your sense of humor! I also love watching the garden being restored bit by bit. Every video is a treat, thanks for that!

[@monalingan9523]

Great video! Loved the inserts of Daphne.😊

[@TheBeauChateau]

Thank you! I hope she likes them too 🤞😆

[@pamkullman8839]

I love your channel! The opening shots of the chateau are stunning! The dog and the camera was crazy! Like giving a camera to a small kid! The cat inspecting your work along the wall and on the sphinx made me laugh. Our cat walks around after we mow the yard or rake leaves. Thanks for sharing! ❤

[@hollargirl-w1e]

Since you have a wedding venue I would research what are the most popular cut flowers for weddings and plant those. Definitely lots of roses, hydrangeas, peony and baby's breath.

[@janinebleecker4372]

I love seeing the gardens being revealed! Lavender running the entire length of the 4 long beds. Dahlias would be amazing to have in a cutting garden;good for event flowers. They are a lot of work though. (have to be dug up every year and replanted in spring). It would be worth getting a Landscape Designer to create a planting plan. It would give you the big picture and then you can implement it yourself over time .

[@Sparkle.Dammit]

OMG this was so feckin hilarious, your editing is *chef's kiss

[@shortsweettoo]

Lesson this week? Don't leave town, or else, lol. Another great video.

[@TheBeauChateau]

Another lesson is that Archaea cannot be trusted with a camera😜

[@tarnjeal328]

Wonderful you are protecting young trees. I can see the plant Yarrow , which has so many benefits for all on earth,growing well and Calendula for your own best health , love your vids❤

[@EmilyBoltz]

Love your humor! Wow you sure did a great job on the moat! Your Chateau exterior has more color and design which would be perfect framed in an all white flower garden. Just a thought - whatever you do will end up stunning!

[@shannonstone2690]

Totally cracked up several times Ian! Great editing- loved the Daphne cameos though once again, the dog stole the show😂😂😂

[@largok1255]

Appreciating your comedic editing! Loved when Archaea took off with camera!

[@nancyjohnson50]

That was an amazing amount of work you got done by yourself! I love your humor!

[@bookoo5046]

Best edits of all the videos I’ve seen so far. The “what do you think daphne” moments were hilarious love your channel.

[@ludovica8221]

So happy to see you :) Earthworms are good! :). Living in the New Forest I have to say that I doubt your chicken wire will deter deer. They are strong, determined and relentless but something is definitely better than nothing. You must miss Daphne a lot and Sabrina is such a darling Hope you arent too lonely what with posting videos between 4-5 am I guess you are .. The dock looks great xxx

[@TheBeauChateau]

Thank you! The chicken wire is a temporary solution until we fully fence off the garden in the coming months. I definitely miss Daphne and Sabrina is the cutest! Thankfully she will be back soon 👍 Unfortunately, the weather here has been crazy and messing with our internet. This video should have posted several hours earlier but the internet decided otherwise 😆

[@ludovica8221]

@@TheBeauChateau Thanks for the reply 😀 Have a great day Ian😀

[@susannoonan1]

Unfortunately, even the tallest fence won't deter deer. Needs to be over 8 foot There are plants, many that flowers that can be placed in the garden that might help. Lavender and peonies are two. I haven't had them harm my orchard trees, but they do help clean up fallen rotting fruit in the fall off the ground.

[@nattersar77]

We’ve done this exact thing to our arbor vitaes that we planted a couple years ago. The chicken wire will keep the deer from rubbing their antlers on the trees and tearing them up. For some reason deer have a keen ability to choose gorgeous new trees to destroy rather than using the ones in the forest. 🧐. It’s frustrating. Another thing we did was to tie some reflective tape on the chicle wire to spook the deer. It seems to have worked so far. Good luck!

[@talesfromtuscany]

This was so much fun ☺😄Love the tiles and yes, they look incredibly heavy, so kudos to you for getting them inside without breaking them! The grounds are looking incredible and it's a such a massive job to upkeep trees and plants when there's so much wildlife about. We have a lot of wild boar and deer in our area too, so I know how much damage they do. The moat is looking awesome and I love your Sphinx as well!. Just so much to love about your wonderful home...thank you so much for sharing it with us! 🥰😍🤗💚🌳🌺

[@TheBeauChateau]

Thank you Marisa! We have had our oar year into the backside of the chateau for a few years until we built an electric fence, so we plan on hooking up to that and extending it to surround the garden. 👍

[@talesfromtuscany]

@@TheBeauChateau oh that sounds perfect! You're so well organised! :D

[@lindamitman4538]

Ok that was pretty funny with the cut always to Daphne. Hopefully she’s home soon - bet you miss her. Your dog sounds like our German shepherd when he wants attention - the nose whistling can be intense 😂

[@Wxcvbnmlk]

C est si agréable de voir des objectifs qui se construisent ...hum des pétales de fleurs dans le traversin ou le marbre qu'elle idée creative. J'adore votre vidéo jeune homme!!! Merci

[@TheBeauChateau]

Merci beaucoup! Nous avons bien d'autres objectifs à atteindre d'ici l'été 😁

[@mickilicyes5399]

Keep it up Daphne, great insight! Your not too bad yourself Ian. Loved the video!

[@henna696]

Brilliant how you spliced Daphne into this video. Well done. She must be proud of you, you work so hard.

[@tazchillin]

I love the resin idea! Lavender would look amazing.

[@jas4opines]

In your potential Formal Garden Feature Lily Pond, you have a stepped side which allows for Nelumbo plants (8-10) in large submerged baskets. The Nelumbo plants need to be closer to the surface of the water to get light to their emerging leaves which are magnificent. Hydroponic feeding with tablets monthly is your big maintanance chore (but wait, you've got waders). Don't bother with fancy koi, choose a hardy fish able to withstand your milder winters, maybe Shubunkins or Comets which come in lovely bright colors perfect as a backdrop to the lotus. There are fish safe water dyes if your pond needs to become more sky-reflective instead of seeing the mechanics of the plant baskets early in the season. Solar or electric, you will need power to aerate the water both for the plant health and for the fish yearround. Best wishes from a cold hardy New England gardener who had all of the above.

[@deidrespencer5467]

Love your sense of humour, Ian. 👌 You've done a great job filming & editing it all by yourself. 👏

[@loribragg2947]

Love the comic editing! 😂 Fascinated by the sphinx and wondering if you will do restoration on it. Love the tile combo--the green tile is gorgeous! 😍

[@cynthiastewart4500]

Thanks for making me laugh! Loved your clever editing with the Daphne inserts.

[@lucyyoung5307]

I didn’t realize you are such a comedian, Daphne may not think so after viewing this video. 😂 But funny none the less.

[@TheBeauChateau]

Thanks! She will either love it or I will get to share Archaea’s bed for a few days haha

[@terrieanderson6836]

Great job Ian. I adore your family. Big hugs

[@minahernandez1906]

I just wanted to say Ian and Daphne is such a blessing to have you show that you are so normal and luv the hard work you both do to make me feel so welcome. And regards your flowerbeds large roses multitude colors would look so beautiful and you can use some of the rose petals for hot tea. Thank you again for the great videos and time you have taken to make your Chanel luv it. Texas

[@barney1287]

I love the green tile, great choice!

[@MarieClaude]

I love the before and after shot!

[@louisegatti9262]

Glad to see ya, you did good on the editing. Flower ideas would be endless. Dahlias, roses of course, peonies, Irises, Lavendar, Russian sage, tulips, Bee Balm, Clematis, crocuses, lilacs, impatience, wildflowers to attract the bees and butterflies. Guess I am thinking, of the flowers planted around my house and a few extra I don't remember their names.

[@patoshea5351]

Roses require watering...next fall plant spring bulbs..which will return each year

[@TheBeauChateau]

Glad to have you hear Louise! Thank you for the flower suggestions. They sound like a lovely variety 😊

[@sarahmiller5632]

It’s good to see your sense of humour coming out. You could also plant vegetables in the garden as well as perennials and annual flowers. How about some fruit trees?😀🇨🇦

[@Nicolesxm68]

Ha ha ha ha hilarious the “ conversations”! 😂 I would plant roses in the garden

[@laughterismymedicine-]

Tulips & star jasmine!! But obviously Roses makes the most sense to me.. if you could obtain some antique varieties too

[@czarinamascarinas3579]

Such a big difference already in this part of your grounds💙💙💙😊

[@paulamoore133]

Hello Ian and Daphne hope you both are well. Ian your wonderful sense of humor always makes me smile. I love your videos. The content, the cinematography, the editing and the vast amounts of work you get through are always a pleasure to see. I hope it's not too long before dear little Sabrina is back at the Chateau. She is such a cutie.

[@EllEss331]

Loved watching this video! Gonna have to watch it a few more times!

[@TheBeauChateau]

You are more than welcome to watch our videos as many times as you can handle 😄 I will try to get the next video out faster so you can have something new 👍

[@kellyhawes9293]

Oh Ian! Great job filming and editing on your own, very entertaining.😊

[@laurakitten5996]

I think a variety of wildflowers would look awesome in the flower beds!

[@scott32570]

For the resin in the tile after you pour the resin hit the top lightly with a small torch. The heat from the flame will remove all the bubbles and give you a clearer end product to see the flowers better.

[@esraalrasheed7675]

Woow Ian thats A LOT OF WORK God bless these hands 🙌🏽💪🏽💪🏽

[@melissahalbert9455]

Great vlog! Dahalias, lillies, roses, all kinds of flowers!

[@boopshki6736]

Totally go with pollinator friendly flowering plants. Herbs like Borage, sages, verbena, lavender, mints, thyme, most herbs when in flower attract the pollinators. Flowers like zinnias, cosmos, coreopsis, sweet peas, are just a few of bees, hummingbird and butterfly favorites. I have found one sure fire way of discovering plants that the pollinators love is to go to your local nursery and watch where the bees are landing. A hint….you will never see bees on pansies! You both are wonderful and I can’t wait to see what you plant where!

[@lynn8307]

Ian you did a fine job. Love watching the progress of the chateau,but your killing me making me wait.

[@kathyvick2710]

Love the back and forth shots between you and Daphne. Her eye rolling is hysterical!! 🤪 The ties are gorgeous. Can’t wait to see the bathroom come together. 💙🍷🥰🙏

[@TheBeauChateau]

Thank you! I am sure Daphne will appreciate her goofy shots too 😆 Otherwise I’ll be sleeping in Archaea’s bed when she gets back haha

[@elainejoyce3990]

I like your vlogs its was fun Daphne dropping in hahaha everything is looking great

[@tompincelli6179]

I still can't smiling!!! Great Vlog Ian.....

[@angelicavictoriano4172]

It was very funny to see the dog run with the camera, 🤣 ...very good video

[@nativetexson]

The travertine, green marble, and wood-look floor tile is a good combo. It is exactly what I used for the master bath in my house in Austin. I also added clear resin to the larger openings in the travertine which created a unique look that people liked. I may do something similar to my new house here in France. Cheers-

[@TheBeauChateau]

Great minds think alike 👍

[@natanyawait6072]

1. Picnic area - yes! 2. Flowers -tulips - definately!

[@busymom3116]

I love how acadea constantly wanted to get head scratched

[@kjarneson655]

This one was hilarious...I love all your funny editing work! You obviously kept yourself busy while missing her ;)

[@tiffanyenloe3893]

I would make the flower bed colorful. All flowers. It would look beautiful

[@glennmcgee1729]

Use a compass saw for the tree limbs wrapped around the fence.

[@TheBeauChateau]

Good idea! I’ll pick one up today 👍

[@dashaway1460]

Enchanting! Love the Chateau and what you are accomplishing!

[@hillsideurbangarden1380]

I would suggest, Lavender and Hydrangeas for sure. Mix in some bulbs, both Tulips and Daffodils for some early color. The bulbs will self multiply over the years, so some extra to transplant elsewhere if you wish. Planting some Rosemary plants would also be a good permanent choice as well. Both the Rosemary and the Lavender plants detour Gophers as well. Since I am also from NoCal, bring a bit of home to your Chateau, throw out a bunch of California Poppy seeds, I bought some at the Jardin store when we were at our French Farmhouse last year. The California Poppies will bloom most of the year and will self seed for new plants for the next season. Have fun! 😎 Enjoying your Videos.

[@laurielonning4037]

Im glad Daphne got a little get away. Hope all is well. You kids are adorable!!

[@kimberlywaegaert8220]

For flowers maybe Peonies, Dahlias, Lavender and of course some Roses. I know for sure all of those grow well in France. There are just so many to choose from.

[@Tawadeb]

Climbing roses. Cosmos violas violets. Lavenders. Borage

[@jamesromaine4321]

Ian What a great video. Love the greens tiles. Daphne I think Ian had a great sense of humor. Can’t wait to see more James

[@ibosquez5238]

Model the garden with beautiful flowers inspired by your favorite garden but on a smaller scale.

[@jasminelouisefarrall]

Great job guy’s 👍 the garden is looking lovely 🥰

[@christina-yp6jy]

Ian that was fun and thank you.

[@teepeeX]

Flowers of daffodils, chrysanthemums, a lot of bulbs so they come up in summer ... colour ones .. great clean up of the sphinx

[@LA-jf1zn]

Great editing, nice to add the humor in. 🦋

[@thewilliamseswonderfulworld]

Hilarious! I loved the bits inserted with Daphne. 😂❤

[@victoriagroenewald2124]

Wow, incredible difference 👏

[@grammasgardenofideas5081]

the marble looks greyish on camera and it looks great with the travertine and wood. lovely natural subtle

[@brucen4719]

Love the humor Ian!

[@debraa.pimentel4151]

I love the Olive color on the shades.

[@ArtisticallyArranged]

I came to your channel some months ago, with a deep passion for France and its history. I definitely can say that I stayed for your wonderfully entertaining content. Ian, you and Daphné have to be two of the hardest working people on the planet, but you still have a load of fun doing it. Thank you for the respect you show to this incredible piece of history, that you both own, but mostly for the humour that goes along with it. Sending hugs to you both and Arkaia, from New Zealand. 🤗💜

[@TheBeauChateau]

Thank you very much! We appreciate you supporting our channel and encouraging our progress. We know there is a never ending list of what to do next, but if we can make it a fun process then it’s worth it 🤗💕

[@ArtisticallyArranged]

@@TheBeauChateau It's definitely a huge job for you both, but it's amazing to see what you have achieved already! How incredible to discover that garden layout too, it's going to be really beautiful when it's restored to its former glory. 🙂💗

[@stephjezo6470]

I was actually looking for a new video from you two just minutes before it posted and viola! This was another absolute treasure of a video with great laughs, your editing was hilariously awesome! Love the new tile, we know not to mess with you now that you moved them all yourself! Escape to Rural France has a great tree guy - maybe get a hold of him and ask him how to deal with the tree in the fence? If anyone has the experience to give pointers it is him. Tree guy's name is escaping me but Dan has the EtRF channel.

[@karinbergman1646]

Nick, last name ? Excellent tree man

[@ThatsJustPeachy1871]

Yes, NICK!!!!

[@TheBeauChateau]

I must be psychic 😉 or our internet took the struggle bus and delayed the posting by several hours 😜 I appreciate your encouraging feedback! Thank you very much for keeping an eye out for our new videos. That really means a lot 🙏

[@iu.5146]

The guy is called Nick. Stephanie from Chateau LaLande uses him too. Contact her or Dan from “Escape to rural France”

[@justinevans677]

Such a great and funny video today! Was laughing at all the edits made!

[@narelleharley340]

Your dad is very cool! Also very funny episode. Love your stories.

[@dianesmith5254]

Dahlias , roses and lavender are my favourite.

[@careybrown3776]

You can use an osculating saw to get the trees cut from the fence. I’ve used these many times

[@TheBeauChateau]

Thanks for the tip! We’ve had a few other viewers recommend that as well, so it must be time to buy one 👍

[@careybrown3776]

@@TheBeauChateau Your welcome, there are all kinds of attachments for these and are great for getting stubborn tile off the wall and floors too. It’s a very versatile tool to have. If you already have dewalt 20 volt tools u can pick up one for under $100 & not have to buy batteries. I really enjoy y’all’s videos.

[@DavidS5118]

Loving the humor.

[@unframedarts5378]

I have just finished binging your channel. Added it to my ever growing list of chateau. 😁 really enjoying it. The two words I get from your channel aesthetic are beauty and calm. Thankyou 🥰

[@TheBeauChateau]

We love that aesthetic 🥰 Thank you for watching our channel!

[@paulgribble]

The best thing I have found for branches where they should not be is to use a reciprocating saw. As the blades are not too expensive I also use them for cutting out routs, especially where access is an issue.

[@TheBeauChateau]

Good tip! We are just starting to buy power tools so that will be a good addition 👍

[@danamoss67]

Love the editing. Daphne and the worm business made me LOL.

[@stephaniegaromon3244]

Daphne doesn’t look very interested in what you’re doing. You are very funny Ian! The deer are a nightmare with those types of trees. Hopefully your chicken wire works. I love the combo of the stones and floor. The chateau and grounds are magical. I would definitely plant lavender, and whatever might be deer resistant but deer aren’t very selective anymore. great video once again. xx

[@deenaorrsnest9272]

Love the improv Daphne. I hope she is not getting this crazy weather we have in Shasta County. 5 inches of snow on the valley floor this afternoon since 1 pm and still falling at 5 pm. Great job with holding down the fort Ian!

[@Fuggybugs]

Wild flower beds low maintenance attracts lots of Bees and have bee hives etc x

[@rubberdc]

wow what a huge effort you have made to clear this and what a difference too Ian. I have to admit to you that you are a very fit man , i think you would have to be to climb up those walls like spiderman (lol) and I do admire you greatly .

[@joannapolowy4647]

Actually wait to see your videos

[@lindathelander406]

Plant some hardy roses, they would look good in the garden. As for deer… they hate mint. We plant a lot in Missouri (USA ) to keep them from eating our veggies. Love the show!!

[@suzannestubbins]

Ian, you are so funny! Great editing! 👍

[@HabitualButtonPusher]

I would find an uneven part in the dungeon and do a test patch of the self leveling concrete so you can gain some confidence in it. A heater will help it cure.

[@karenkrypner9154]

Newby here.. Thoroughly enjoyed..loving your humour and your Chateau

[@TheBeauChateau]

Thank you! We are happy you have found our channel! 😊

[@Mindy-s-channel]

Zinnias are the easiest to grow from seed AND they are beautiful And very cheap. As soon as you are, passed your last spring frost, you just plant them directly into the ground about 3 mm deep and a foot apart, and you will be rewarded with an amazing show. The blooms show up 3-4 weeks later and last all summer. Benary giants are my favorite