International Garden Festival – Chaumont-sur-Loire (France)
The life-source garden
There’s no doubt about it, the garden is a wonderful, condensed representation of the sheer powers of the living world. You could even go as far to say it is the ultimate living environment.
At the core of a nature that nurtures, heals, soothes and revitalises, gardens are key to pollination, propagation and the exponential development of plants in all their diversity. But they also offer sanctuary to the creatures that are its allies: bees, butterflies, beetles, ants, worms, birds and other related animals. Insects in particular are essential in creating a balance for life on Earth, and play a key role in human food sources. Even so, we know that in thirty years, more than 75% of flying insects have disappeared in Europe.
As a result, we have a duty to protect the garden and its associated creatures with determination and in every way we possibly can, as this fragile place is essential for our survival, provides us with the shaded, fresh and revitalising atmosphere we need, and also produces our food, particularly fruit and vegetables. We therefore have to protect trees and flowers. Of course, water, which is key for the survival of plants, must be safeguarded, and we must also consider the garden as a whole, a complex ecosystem in which the elements interact with one another. The garden as a source of life is key in ensuring vitality, vibrancy and energy.
The challenge given to the 2024 garden designers was to illustrate this concept, and their proposals have taken all these factors into account.
Domaine régional de Chaumont-sur-Loire
41150 Chaumont-sur-Loire
