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 !
A New Book by the Reford Gardens
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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 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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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. Canada Economic Development’s support for Les Amis des Jardins de Métis a turning p ... (View the event)
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)
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Click on the picture to enlarge it
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.
This year, for Earth Day, we pay tribute to Louise Tanguay, photographer, environmentalist and ecologist.
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.