Few gardens have been built under such adverse atmospheric conditions. Located 300 km North-East of Quebec City, the gardens created by Elsie Reford are amongst the most northern in North America.
A new book by the Reford Gardens
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)
Grand-Métis (Québec, Canada), October 1, 2019 – The International Garden Festival, presented at the Jardins de Métis / Reford Gardens in the Gaspésie region of Q ... (View the event)
Built from 1926 to 1958 by a forward-thinking horticulturist called Elsie Reford, the Reford Gardens are one of Canada’s national historic sites. Some 3000 species and plant varieties, including the famous Himalayan blue poppy, are spread out over 15 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. Located hundreds of kilometers away from the nearest nursery, she faced challenges that are difficult to conceive of 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.
As 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.
Deeply rooted in its community, the Reford Gardens are one the region’s inescapable cultural poles. Literary tea parties, outdoor concerts, conferences, training, happy hour, culinary events, outdoor hikes and environmental chores… there truly is something for everyone.
Rooted in its history yet looking to the future, the Garden’s restaurant, bar and café serve as a showcase for creative local cuisine. Chef Frédérick Boucher and his crew work with our gardeners to develop innovative dishes that adapt and evolve alongside the harvest.
During the construction of Les Jardins de Métis, Elsie Reford kept a detailed record of everything that happened in her garden through 30 gardening notebooks. In order to make them more readable and accessible, Judith Webster, a passionate volunteer, has been hard at work transcribing them.
For Earth Day this year we are celebrating Louise Tanguay – photographer, environmentalist and ecologist.
The year 2022 is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Elsie Reford. Les Amis des Jardins de Métis is celebrating this anniversary with a series of exhibitions, publications, concerts, lectures and special events. Among the special events is the restoration of her 17th century violin – to bring Elsie Reford’s instrument back to life so that it can be played for the first time in a century