LA MATINALE'S LIST
From spring onwards, garden lovers can look forward to festivals of greenery and flowers at the Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire near Blois, in the Amiens Hortillonnages, the Saline Royale at Arc-et-Senans (Doubs) and the Parc de Wesserling (Haut-Rhin), as well as at the Cité Internationale Universitaire in Paris.
The Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire boasts an exceptional heritage, with its Renaissance château remodeled in the 19th century, its stables, numerous outbuildings and park overlooking the river. Since 1992, the various parts of the park have played host to a renowned annual garden festival. A jury led by the estate's director, Chantal Colleu-Dumond, selects the projects of the 30 or so teams of architects, landscape designers and artists who work with the "Chaumont" gardeners every year. These include "green cards," entrusted to landscape gardeners with established reputations, and new gardens, which have been added to the range of permanent gardens that can be visited in the Goualoup meadows.
This year, dry garden stars Arnaud Maurières and Eric Ossart present their Emotional Garden, inspired by the famous Mexican architect Luis Barragan. The Fondation d'Entreprise Hermès has allowed the stone "microlandscape" of its Académie des Savoir-Faire to be installed at the heart of La Forêt du Futur by Belgian landscape architect Bas Smets. As for the (young) teams selected by the jury, they have worked creatively to illustrate the theme of the 2024 edition: garden, source of life. Their creations include Bois Sacré, Carcasse and Eau Fil de l'Eau, on display until November 3. The Art Season presents contemporary works in the château, its outbuildings and gardens, including Bernar Venet's spectacular weathered steel sculptures. "Conversations Under the Tree" also offer enthusiasts the chance to undertake a themed reflection on nature or gardens during their visit.
Festival International des Jardins at Chaumont-sur-Loire, "garden, source of life," until November 3. Practical information at domaine-chaumont.fr.
The Amiens Hortillonnages (floating gardens) are a vast natural area of land, islets, ponds and canals with a centuries-old agricultural past. From the Middle Ages, the hortillons were market gardeners who supplied the capital of Picardy by boat with their produce of vegetables, fruit and flowers. Although there are only a few left today, the Festival des Jardins – created in 2010 by former Amiens Maison de la Culture director Gilbert Fillinger – pays tribute to them in its own way. Maintenance of banks bordering the plots, replanting trees and shrubs, the use of willow, artists and landscape gardeners' creation of productive and ornamental vegetable gardens, and the preservation of environments conducive to life are all part of a long tradition.
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