Flower Power, 26th International Garden Festival

From 20 April to 5 November 2017 Domain Chaumont in the Loire valley in France is hosting the 26th Festival International des Jardins with a promising title: “Flower Power / Le Pouvoir des Fleurs”. An all-round exploration of the essential role that flowers play in our collective imagination.


A few days ago, the 26th international garden festival, titled “Flower Power / Le Pouvoir des Fleurs” opened in Chaumont-sur-Loire, 185 km west of Paris, in the Domaine Chaumont  owned by the Centre-Val de Loire region and as the title suggests, it is dedicated to flowers and their power and how they are considered in 21st century gardens. 
The diversity, perfection and beauty of flowers, their scent and their mystery have never lost their charm from antiquity to now. In all cultures, in art, in literature, whether they're wildflowers or cultivated flowers the part that flowers play in our imagination - both collective and individual -  is fundamental. How many fables do we know where the power of flowers has been essential to the story? How many times have we given flowers to someone we love, using them as the symbol of our own hopes?
These are all aspects that the invited artists and designers will be covering in their unusual and totally contemporary garden settings, where they have used the technologies available in 2017 to provide new, engaging perspectives on the world of flowers. The artists' creations have names that whet your curiosity, like “La fleur du mal” (the flower of evil), “Le pouvoir des sorcières” (the power of sorcerers), “Au pied du mur” (At the foot of the wall), “Phoenix”, just to mention some.
At the same time as “Flower Power / Le Pouvoir des Fleurs”, the “Centre d'Arts e de Nature” is hosting the 9th season of art and the “Le Grand Velum” restaurant, open from 20 April to 30 September has lots of festival-themed dishes on its menu.

Christiane Bürklein

“Flower Power / Le Pouvoir des Fleurs”
26th International Garden Festival
20 April to 05 November 2017
Chaumont-sur-Loire, France
Images: Courtesy of Domain Chaumont, © Eric Sander
Find out more: http://www.domaine-chaumont.fr/