once-captive plants burst free to transform abandoned greenhouses in romain veillon’s series

romain veillon points his lens toward abandoned greenhouses

French photographer Romain Veillon unveils his series Secret Gardens, a body of work that turns its lens on abandoned greenhouses across the world. Once designed to shelter delicate plants from harsh climates and protect them from external threats, these structures now tell a different story. Veillon’s images reveal glasshouses overtaken by the very vegetation they were built to contain, their iron frameworks wrapped in vines and their stained glass surfaces veiled by layers of leaves.

The greenhouses, often associated with luxury estates or public winter gardens, were built as carefully controlled environments, places where humans could cultivate life under glass. Today, stripped of caretakers, the once-captive plants have burst free, transforming sites of confinement into sprawling canvases of greenery. In Veillon’s lens, the combination of architecture and vegetation recalls impressionist paintings. The absence of people in these scenes does not erase their presence, reminding us of the impermanence of human intervention.

all images by Romain Veillon

secret gardens series exposes Humanity’s Fragile Legacy

What would happen if people suddenly disappeared? Romain Veillon’s photographs imagine this possible future while keeping us grounded in the present. They show that even abandoned, these places reflect centuries of industry, yet at the same time they reveal how quickly nature can return.

The series suggests that human activity has often been more damaging than disaster itself. The images caution us against ignoring this truth while also showing nature’s resilience. They encourage us to think about how quickly the balance could shift and how uncertain humanity’s place on Earth really is.

Romain Veillon unveils his series Secret Gardens