Glog
March... (March 18, 2010)
In
the month of March, the gardens begin to show signs of life. The ice in the bay
at the mouth of the Mitis River departs and the songbirds return. Our gardeners
prune the crabapples and flowering trees and the greenhouses begin to hum with
activity and come to life as the first seeds sprout their shoots.
March
is also the time that we take to the road to promote the gardens and to meet
future visitors. This March is particularly busy, with three events in three
consecutive weeks.
From
March 17 to March 21, the Gardens will return to Canada Blooms to promote the
gardens and exhibit Oursins, the
installation created by NIPpaysage in 2009 for display at the Place de la
Dauversière in Montréal. Our chef Pierre-Olivier Ferry and marketing
co-ordinator, Mélanie Gauthier, will be on hand to help visitors plan their
visit to the Gaspésie this summer.
On
Friday, March 26, the International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) will
present the première of the new film by Philippe Baylaucq, Il était deux fois un jardin. The première will be held at the Canadian
Centre for Architecture (1920 Baile St., Montréal). The
showing of this 53-minute documentary will be followed by a discussion moderated
by Claude Paquin, editor of Formes magazine, with the film’s director, Philippe Baylaucq and myself, designers of
A4, artist David Ross and Marie-Claude Robert, director of the Association des
architectes paysagistes. Tickets
are available for purchase from the FIFA through their web site (www.artfifa.com) or their ticket office at the
Place des Arts. Copies of the film will be available for purchase after the
showing and through the gardens on-line boutique. The
film will be also shown on Saturday, March 27 at 1:30 pm at the Canadian Centre
for Architecture (English version) and on Sunday, March 28 at 1:30 pm at the
Montréal Museum of Fine Arts (French version).
In
April, I will be speaking to the Hudson Garden Club (April 20 at 7.30 pm). And
those interested in obtaining blue poppies are invited to visit our booth at
the Montreal Botanical Gardens at the annual Rendez-vous horticole (May 28 to
May 30). Watch
this space for the unveiling of the 2010 lineup of designers and their gardens
and for further information on our program of events and activities at the
gardens for the coming summer.
Alexander Reford
