Gardens in the Loire Valley: highlights in spring

Check out the entire programme at  www.jardinsvaldeloire.com  

Chaumont International Garden Festival

Domaine Régional de Chaumont-sur-Loire is hosting the International Garden Festival between 20 April and 31 October 2017. This is the 26th edition, centred around the theme "Flower Power - Le Pouvoir des Fleurs". 

Designers coming from Great Britain, China, Germany, Luxembourg, Korea, France, Belgium and Italy invite the Domaine's visitors to admire their garden creations. 

Edouard André at Valençay

Château de Valençay unveiled a new garden on the flat plot of land by the West wing of the building. Laid out in 2016, this space, called "La Grande Perspective" (the Grand Avenue) draws inspiration from one of Gaignères' engravings of the château and this year, for the first time, it will be completely finished. 

In order to celebrate the master French landscaper Edouard André, who designed a garden there during the 19th century, the château is holding an exhibition between 12 April and 12 November 2017. 

Roses taking pride of place

Château du Rivau is offering an entire programme around roses between 20 May and 2 July. Sunday 21 May should be a date for your diary: you can explore the garden with Patricia Laigneau, the designer of the Rivau gardens –the visit will focus on 'designing a rose garden'. 

On the weekend of 27 and 28 May, the Roses Festival will take place on the streets of Chédigny, the only village to be certified as a "Jardin Remarquable" (Remarkable Garden) in France. The official opening of the new Jardin de Curé (Parish Priest's Garden) situated in the Presbytère de Chédigny (Chédigny Presbytery) will take place to celebrate the occasion. 

Rendez-vous aux Jardins. Exceptional opening!

Set up by the Ministry for Culture and Communication, "Rendez-vous aux Jardins" are the major annual springtime event of the sector, open to people from all walks of life. All of the stakeholders involved in the season factor it in. 

But that's not all, on the initiative of associations such as APJPL (Pays de la Loire Region Parks and Gardens Association) and stakeholders in showcasing heritage such as Pays d’Art et d’Histoire de la Vallée du Loir (Loir Valley Region of Art and History), several owners of gardens – which are usually closed to the public – will exceptionally open their garden gates this year. 

Check out the entire programme at  www.jardinsvaldeloire.com