Landscape & Urban Design Issue 21 2016 | Page 44

Reford Gardens Carbone by Coache Lacaille Paysagistes, Nantes, France Photo credit: Louise Tanguay Each new project is inspired by the context and by those for whom the project is intended to be used; it is also the pretext for new experiments. A special mention was made by the jury to DRESS UP!by Ran Hwang, artist, Sangmok Kim, architect, Sungwoo Kim, architect, Shin Hee Park, fashion designers from Seoul, South Korea / Beijing, China / New York, USA. The garden will be presented at special events throughout the summer. About the International Garden Festival The International Garden Festival is the leading contemporary garden festival in North America. Since its inception in 2000, more than 150 gardens have been exhibited at Grand-Métis and as extra-mural projects in Canada and around the world. Presented at Les Jardins de Métis, at the gateway to the Gaspé Peninsula, the Festival is held on a site adjacent to the historic gardens created by Elsie Reford, thereby establishing a bridge between history and modernity, and a dialogue between conservation, tradition and innovation. Each year the Festival exhibits conceptual gardens created by more than seventy architects, landscape architects and designers from various disciplines in a pristine environment on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. The International Garden Festival is presented with the financial assistance of many public and private partners: Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage, Canada Summer Jobs, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and Emploi-Québec. HydroQuébec has been the lead 44 Landscape & Urban Design Issue 21 sponsor of the Reford Gardens since 1999. About the Reford Gardens / Jardins de Métis A National Historic Site and Québec heritage site, the Reford Gardens / Jardins de Métis are an obligatory stop for all those visiting eastern Québec. Cultural space and tourist destination for over 50 years, the Reford Gardens is one of the most popular attractions in the Gaspésie region, providing visitors with experiences for every sense. Located on the banks of the St. Lawrence and Mitis rivers, they were created between 1926 and 1958 by avid gardener and plant collector, Elsie Reford. The Gardens are open every day until October 2, 2016. Children 13 and under are admitted free of charge. Season’s Passes are available. www.refordgardens.com