Garden Festival at Domaine de Chaumont-Sur-Loire Part I

About 2 1/2 hours from Paris is an enchanted garden in the Loire Valley.

Every year since 1992 on the grounds of the Chaumont-Sur-Loire Chateau there is a garden festival starting in April and continuing through October that has a specific them. For the 2012 edition the theme is Gardens of Delight and Delirium with the focal point being harmony and fertility being linked to Eden and landscapes of Arcadia. Twenty-eight garden and landscape designers have been invited to present their vision of the intended theme. In another area of the chateau in the historic gardens, there are sculptures by international artists including Patrick Dougherty, Tadashi Kawamata, Giuseppe Penone, Dominque Bailly, and Michel Blazy.

I went to the festival last Sunday with my friends Blair, Laurie, and Rosemary. We thought we would outsmart the rainy forecast, but in a rare feat the forecast was accurate and we slogged through the rain and soggy grass. Nonetheless we enjoyed the beautiful grounds and clever garden designs immensely. Since Blair, Laurie, and Rosemary are painters, the landscapes really spoke to them. There are several restaurants on the premises and Rosemary made reservations at the haute cuisine one. They offered a two-course menu for 32 euros and we were very impressed with the caliber of the food, presentation, and service. After our satisfying lunch we explored the rest of the gardens delighting in the enchanting garden sets.

Domaine de Chaumont-Sur-Loire is a UNESCO world heritage site and dates back to the 10th century when it was built as a fortress. Louis XII set it on fire in 1465 and it was rebuilt from 1468 to 1510. Queen Catherine de Medici bought the chateau in 1550 and later sold it to Diane de Poitiers upon the death of King Henri II. It had a long line of successors after that and the estate was taken over by the Centre Region France in February 2007.

Today I am featuring photos of the sculptures and landscapes of the historic gardens. Tomorrow I will present the photos from the Garden Festival.

Garden Festival at Domaine de Chaumont-Sur-Loire
Till October 21
Open 10AM to 5:30PM, daily
http://www.domaine-chaumont.fr/index-en.php?page=accueil&cat=1

 

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Comments

[Cheryl]

What fun! Thanks for sharing!