In June 2000, Jardins de Métis/Reford Gardens opened the first edition of the International Garden Festival, the culmination of several years of intense effort to transform an unused part of the Gardens' property into a venue for the annual display of temporary gardens conceived by designers from Canada and abroad.

Once a family estate belonging to Elsie Reford, Les Jardins de Métis/Reford Gardens have been open to the public since 1962. In 1995, Les Amis des Jardins de Métis assumed responsibility for developing the Gardens. The Festival evolved as one of the organization's three objectives: the restoration of the historic gardens (tradition), the exhibition of temporary gardens by leading contemporary designers (innovation), and the preservation of the shoreline along the St. Lawrence and Mitis rivers (conservation).

Since 2000, over 50 gardens created by approximately 100 designers living in eight countries have been presented, in addition to temporary installations in gardens, parks, and flower shows in Montréal, Amqui, New Richmond, Toronto, England, France, and Italy. This selection of images, representing each of the gardens created for the Festival, allows readers to appreciate the diversity and creativity of the designs, all of which have contributed to establishing the Festival's reputation as a unique venue for the display of work by a new generation of landscape architects, architects, and visual artists.

The site

The International Garden Festival takes place on a site expressly created for the event by the architects Atelier in situ (Annie Lebel and Stéphane Pratte) and the landscape architects Vlan Paysages (Julie Saint-Arnault and Micheline Clouard). The site is laid out on two axes. The north-south axis comprises a geometric grid of spaces, each identical in size. The grid creates a framework of open and landscaped spaces, with viewing points on all sides. Interspersed between the gardens are rectangles of grass or gravel and glades of ash, birch, and maple trees.

The east-west axis consists of a series of "garden rooms." These spaces, variable in size and of irregular configurations, are the vestiges of the previous occupation of the site. Where local residents once had erected rustic cabins, we have now created gardens. Although the chalets were demolished decades ago, their presence remains. The spruce and poplar trees planted between each of these verdant chambers have grown to maturity. Each space enjoys views, sometimes filtered, sometimes direct, of the St. Lawrence River.

The inspiration

The inspiration for the International Garden Festival came from the festival held at Chaumont-sur-Loire in France, which was initiated by Jean-Paul Pigeat in 1992. A delegation from Métis visited Chaumont in 1998 and began the process of developing the present Festival, whose aim is to invigorate the practice of garden design, and challenge both the profession and the public by introducing new landscapes, new materials, and new visions of the garden.

Although Chaumont was the inspiration, the Festival wished to establish its own identity. Rather than working with an assigned theme, designers were at liberty to develop their own ideas. International partnerships were forged with France in 2001, the United Kingdom in 2002, and the Mediterranean (Italy, Morocco, and Catalonia) in 2003. In 2004, the Festival invited Canadian designers who had participated in earlier editions to create new gardens on different sites for its fifth anniversary. The 2005 edition included designers from Australia, France and the United-States, as well as five gardens by Canadian designers.

The event

The Festival's objective is to present cutting-edge design and to contribute to the reflection and renewal of the art of gardens. After being selected by a jury, designers work in collaboration with the artistic and technical director. Although given complete freedom to create and construct the products of their imaginations, they must compose with the characteristics of the site accorded them. Whether digging down or building up, designers are asked to respect the natural environment and existing vegetation.

Beginning with the departure of snow in early May, a team of workers builds the gardens, which allows only seven weeks before the Festival's opening in the third week of June. Over the course of the summer, the Festival also hosts events and activities, making the site a destination for residents, tourists, and those interested in innovative design from around the world. More than 500,000 visitors have made the Gardens and the Festival their destination since its first edition, and the Festival itself has been the subject of innumerable articles, publications, and mentions in the international media.

The experience

Most visitors begin their tour of the Reford Gardens by strolling along the winding pathways that constitute the charm of Elsie Reford's historic gardens. After admiring some of the 3,000 species and varieties of native and exotic plants, visitors traverse a woodland walk and enter the Festival site. Here there is a change of both materials and perspective: a grid of compacted gravel along a large esplanade replaces the soft gravel pathways, tight spaces, and colourful flowerbeds, and the view culminates in vistas of the St. Lawrence River.

Rather than simply strolling and admiring, visitors are encouraged, even compelled, to interact, participate, exchange, and reflect. The dialogue between visitor and space is direct, the responses immediate. In contrast to the contemplative experience of admiring the flowerbeds in "Elsie's Paradise," visiting the Festival gardens demands participation as much as admiration. Guides are on hand to provide information and conduct tours.

Métis extra-muros

The gardens of the International Garden Festival are not confined to the site of Les Jardins de Métis/Reford Gardens. Ever since the inaugural edition, the Festival has initiated collaborative projects with partners throughout Québec and around the world. These projects have evolved in a variety of ways, some with designs juried by the Festival for a specific site, others with the presentation of gardens previously exhibited as part of the Festival.

These extra-mural projects have provided an international platform for both the Festival and its designers. They have also established links with partners in various countries that continue to develop. The Festival in Métis is one of several such events taking place around the world, including the Festival international des jardins at Chaumont-sur-Loire, the Cornerstone Festival of Gardens in Sonoma, California, and the Westonbirt Garden Festival in the United Kingdom. While there is no formal collaboration between these events, many of the designers have presented work in Métis and one or other of the festivals.

About the International Garden Festival

The International Garden Festival is administered by La Fondation des Jardins de Métis, a not-for-profit corporation with charitable status. Its mission is to stimulate artistic creation, research, and experimentation in the art of the garden. The Fondation organizes the International Garden Festival, as well as lectures, colloquia, educational programs, and publications. The mission of the Foundation also includes the promotion, education and interpretation of contemporary garden creations and increasing the visibility, both nationally and internationally, of the designers who take part in its work. The principal venue for the Fondation's activities is Les Jardins de Métis / Reford Gardens, but its program is not limited to this site.

Board of Directors
Renée Daoust
Carl Johnson
Susan McArthur
Alexander Reford
Stuart Webster

Directors
Denis Lemieux (2000-2003)
Alexander Reford (2003- )

Artistic Director
Lesley Johnstone (2004- )

Technical Director
Yvan Maltais (2000- )

Founders
Marie-Josée Lacroix
Denis Lemieux
Philippe Poullaouec-Gonidec
Alexander Reford

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