Two International Garden Festivals Join Forces

On the eve of the inauguration of its anniversary edition, which will run from June 22 to October 6, 2024, on the theme The Ecology of Possibilities, the Reford Gardens International Garden Festival announces that it will partner for the first time with the Festival International des Jardins, the emblematic event of the Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire, in France.

"FolkFlore"
Photo credit: LNpaysage and Champ Libre, studio créatif

International Garden Festival organizers first reached out to Chantal Colleu-Dumond, director of the prestigious Domaine, in 2022, eventually leading to a reciprocal invitation to participate in the festivals’ 33rd and 25th editions, respectively. An all-female team from Québec will represent the Reford Gardens International Garden Festival at the 2024 edition of the Festival International des Jardins of the Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire, which will be held from April 24 to November 3, 2024, on the theme Jardin source de vie [The Life-Source Garden]. Festival and Reford Gardens Director Alexander Reford, and Festival Artistic Director Ève De Garie-Lamanque will join the designers for the inauguration ceremony at Chaumont-sur-Loire on Friday, May 3. The following month, the French delegation will travel to Grand-Métis to complete the installation of their unique garden and to take part in the opening ceremony and the Journées de réflexion on June 21, 22 and 23. The keynote speech will be given by our guest of honour, Chantal Colleu-Dumond, on Saturday, June 22, at 10:30 a.m. EDT.

An important partnership

The partnership between these two flagship events in the world of contemporary gardens—both of which favour an interdisciplinary, eco-responsible approach—will undoubtedly contribute to the sharing and pooling of expertise, not to mention visibility on both sides of the Atlantic for the innovative work of the landscape professionals from Québec and France.

About Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire

Since 2008, the Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire has been owned by the Centre-Val de Loire region, which created a new Établissement public de coopération culturelle [Public cultural cooperation establishment] (EPCC) to spearhead an ambitious artistic project. The mission of this public establishment is to protect and enhance the estate’s buildings and heritage, including the Château, the stables, the outbuildings, the park and the collections, and to develop a range of contemporary nature-themed activities in both the Château and the park, including the Festival International des Jardins, created in 1992, and a contemporary art season, which will celebrate its 17th edition in 2024.

Château du Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire
Photo credit: Eric Sander

About the International Garden Festival

The International Garden Festival is recognized as one of the most important events of its kind in North America and one of the leading annual garden festivals in the world. Since its inception in 2000, more than 180 contemporary gardens have been exhibited at Grand-Métis and as extra-mural projects in Canada and around the world. Each year the Festival exhibits over twenty conceptual gardens created by more than seventy architects, landscape architects and designers from various disciplines.

"Bruissement d'ailes", 3D rendering
Photo credit: Bernard Chapuis and Georges Vafias

About the Les Jardins de Métis / Reford Gardens

A National Historic Site of Canada and a Quebec heritage site, Les Jardins de Métis / Reford Gardens is a must-see stop for anyone visiting the Gaspé and the Lower St. Lawrence. A cultural space and tourist destination for 60 years, the gardens are an iconic landscape that offers visitors experiences for all of the senses and opportunities to connect to nature.

Birdview of the International Garden Festival and of the Reford Gardens, 2023

Festival International des Jardins Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire

33rd Edition - Jardin source de vie

• Venu : 41150 CHAUMONT-SUR-LOIRE FRANCE
• Days : April 24 - November 3, 2024
• URL : https://tinyurl.com/yyd9sy4s

Reford Gardens International Garden Festival

25th Edition - The Ecology of Possibility

• Venu : 200, route 132 Grand-Métis (Québec), G0J 1Z0 CANADA
• Days : June 22 - October 6, 2024
• URL : https://tinyurl.com/yf3rsknp