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Few gardens have been created in such difficult weather conditions. Located 300 km northeast of Quebec City, the Reford Gardens, created by Elsie Reford, is one of the most northern gardens in North America.

Few gardens have been created in such difficult weather conditions. Located 300 km northeast of Quebec City, the Reford Gardens, created by Elsie Reford, is one of the most northern gardens in North America.

The Pépinière du littoral is open !

Buy your lymegrass

ELSIE REFORD : 150 Objects of Passion

A New Book by the Reford Gardens

Discover the book

News

Celebrating a Quebec Woman of Importance | Launch of Elsie Reford 150 Objects of Passion

Grand-Métis, March 6, 2023 – Les Jardins de Métis is launching a new publication that celebrates the life and contributions of Elsie Reford. The book is being launched at Montreal& ... (View the event)

The International Garden Festival Unveils the Designers Selected for its 24th Edition on the Theme ROOTS

Grand-Métis, Quebec, Canada, January 11, 2023 – The International Garden Festival is pleased to announce the projects selected for its 24th edition, titled ROOTS, which will run from June ... (View the event)

PIERRE BOURGAULT | 2022 Winner of the Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts (GGArts) - Artistic Achievement Award

Grand-Métis, November 9, 2022 - The International Garden Festival congratulates sculptor Pierre Bourgault, who took part in our 2005 edition, on winning a Governor General’s Award in Visu ... (View the event)

CALL FOR PROPOSALS | RBC Residencies at La Maison d'Ariane

Métis-sur-Mer, November 8, 2022. The International Garden Festival is pleased to launch its third call for proposals for the RBC Residencies at La Maison d'Ariane, in the picturesque villag ... (View the event)

CALL FOR PROPOSALS - 24th INTERNATIONAL GARDEN FESTIVAL: ROOTS

Grand-Métis, Québec, Canada, October 3, 2022 – The International Garden Festival is launching a call for proposals to select designers to create the new temporary gardens for the F ... (View the event)

Camille Paré-Poirier and Geneviève Marois-Lefebvre: artists of the RBC fall residencies at the Maison d'Ariane

Grand-Métis, September 21, 2022 - The International Garden Festival of the Reford Gardens welcomes, from September 5 to October 2, 2022, actress and playwright Camille Paré-Poirier and v ... (View the event)

The International Garden Festival announces the appointment of Ms. Ève De Garie-Lamanque as artistic director

Grand-Métis, September 8, 2022 - Ms. Lise Gagné and Mr. Alexander Reford, respectively Chair of the Board of Directors and Executive Director of the International Garden Festival of the ... (View the event)

After a Century of Silence, Elsie's Violon to Play Elsie, by Composer Mathieu David Gagnon

Grand-Métis, August 28, 2022 - Silent for a century, Elsie Reford’s violin will be played for the first time at a concert on Sunday, August 28 at 1.30 pm at Les Jardins de Métis. C ... (View the event)

Chef Ricardo Performs Shares his Culinary Magic at the Jardins de Métis / Reford Gardens

Grand-Métis, August 11, 2022 – Celebrity chef Ricardo Larrivée will be at Les Jardins de Métis on Wednesday, August 17 to share his culinary magic. To celebrate Queen Elizab ... (View the event)

The Reford Gardens Unveil a Celebration of Salmon

Grand-Métis, July 13, 2022 – The Reford Gardens invite you to join us for several special events and exhibitions to celebrate the Atlantic salmon, part of the Elsie 150 celebrations Disco ... (View the event)

Inauguration of the 23rd International Garden Festival of Les Jardins de Métis

Grand-Métis, June 23, 2022. The five new gardens of the International Garden Festival, presented at the Jardins de Métis from June 24 to October 2, are inspired by the theme "Adaptation" ... (View the event)

A New Book about the Reford Gardens

Grand-Métis, June 20, 2022 – Les Jardins de Métis / Reford Gardens is pleased to announce the publication of a new book by photographer Louise Tanguay. Published by Flammarion Qu&e ... (View the event)

Elsie 150 - Year Long Celebrations at Les Jardins de Métis

Elsie 150 is the title given the project piloted by Les Amis des Jardins de Métis to commemorate and celebrate the 150th anniversary of Elsie Reford.  Les Jardins de Métis are th ... (View the event)

The International Garden Festival Unveils the Designers Selected for its 23rd Edition on the Theme ADAPTATION

Grand-Métis, Monday February 14, 2022 – The International Garden Festival today announced the designers selected for its 23rdedition, with the theme ADAPTATION. The Reford Gardens opens o ... (View the event)

Call for Proposals for the 23rd Edition of the International Garden Festival

The International Garden Festival is launching its call for applications for Canadian and international landscape architects, artists, and multidisciplinary teams to participate in its 23rd editio ... (View the event)

The Reford Gardens congratulate their Director, Alexander Reford, for his appointment to the Order of Canada

Grand-Métis, December 29, 2021 – Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon today announced the appointment of Alexander Reford, Director of Les Jardins de Métis (Reford Garden ... (View the event)

Call for Proposals - 2022 RBC Artists Residencies at La Maison d'Ariane

Métis-sur-Mer, December 17, 2021. The International Garden Festival, presented since 2000 on the site of the Jardins de Métis / Reford Gardens in Gaspésie, is pleased to launc ... (View the event)

Call for proposals CLOSED - RBC artists residencies 2021, Maison d'Ariane

photo : JC Lemay The call for proposals 2021 is now closed. The International Garden Festival, presented since 2000 on the site of the Jardins de Métis / Reford Gardens in Gaspési ... (View the event)

Reford Gardens celebrates $1,899,375 investment from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.

Reford Gardens celebrates $1,899,375 investment from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. Canada Economic Development’s support for Les Amis des Jardins de Métis a turning p ... (View the event)

The Gardens respond to COVID-19

Like other cultural organizations and tourism attractions, Les Jardins de Métis is complying with government regulations and public health directives as they are made public. Our operations are ... (View the event)

Two amazing homes available for rent at Reford Gardens until May 2020

EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO THE REFORD GARDENS  TWO AWARD-WINING HOMES FOR RENT UNTIL MAY 2020 Ideal for a romantic getaways, a family reunions, a group of friends and work colleagues ... (View the event)

Fantastic Gardens

Created from 1926 to 1958 by pioneering horticulturist Elsie Reford, the Reford Gardens are a National Historic Site of Canada. Some 3,000 species and varieties of plants, including the famous Himalayan blue poppy, are spread over fifteen gardens.

Explore our gardens

A Fascinating Story

It’s in the summer of 1926 that Elsie Reford (1872-1967) began transforming her fishing camp on the Metis River into a garden. Hundreds of miles from the nearest nursery, Elsie Reford is faced with challenges that would be difficult to imagine today. Where experienced specialists had failed, she succeeded in turning her spruce forest into a gigantic garden that would become one of the largest plant collections of its time. Elsie hired and trained people from the region like farmers and fishing guides in order to turn them into master gardeners. Over three decades, they’ve built a magnificent garden together.

Arts of All Kinds

An innovative cultural space, the Reford Gardens welcome a large number of artists each year and present an array of exhibitions scattered throughout the gardens and beyond its grounds.

Browse our exhibits

The Collection

The Amis des Jardins collection is based on memories and physical traces gathered by the estate owners throughout their lives, as well as on the development of a collection of contemporary works related to the historic and contemporary gardens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gw13PjVHM8&t=

Our Activities

Well established in its community, Les Jardins de Métis is a cultural hub in the region. Literary tea, outdoor concerts, conferences, training sessions, happy hours, culinary events, outdoor hikes, environmental chores… in short, a program for all tastes.

Our Restaurants

Rooted in history, but definitely looking to the future, the restaurant and the Bistro feature inspired local cuisine. Our chef Frédérick Boucher and his brigade work with our gardeners to develop innovative dishes that evolve with the harvest.

Discover our restaurants
THE NUMBERS

THE GARDENS
SINCE 1962

550+

Outdoor
installations

3500+

variety of
plants and species

30+

historical and contemporary
gardens

5M+

millions of
visitors

Blooming Calendar

End of August

Hosta-Hosta
Rosier hybride- Hybrid Rose
Héliopsis- Heliopsis
Sidalcée- Prairie Mallow
Orpin- Stonecrop
Aconit- Monkshood
Aster japonais- Japanese Aster
Hydrangée- Hydrangea
Scabieuse- Pincushion Flower
Phlox -Perennial Phlox
Gentiane- Gentian
Monarde- Bergamot
Échinops- Globe Thistle
Hémérocalle- Day Lily

Click on the picture to enlarge it

RECENT ARTICLES

Judith Webster and Elsie’s Garden Journals

A Notebook by Daphne Moss

During the construction of Les Jardins de Métis, Elsie Reford kept a detailed record of everything that happened in her garden through 30 gardening journals. In order to make them more readable and accessible, Judith Webster, a passionate volunteer, set about transcribing them.

Louise Tanguay – Our Earth Day Heroine

A Notebook by Alexander Reford

This year, for Earth Day, we pay tribute to Louise Tanguay, photographer, environmentalist and ecologist.

NOTEBOOK | JC Lemay

A Notebook by Charlotte Garneau

For the inhabitants of Rimouski and the surroundings, JC Lemay is a name that many know. Jean-Christophe Girard-Lemay, his full name, is a photographer. Everyone recognizes his style of photography, with the animal world as his main subject, and his compositions of images that seem to tell stories.