The Blue Stick Garden — originally created in 2000 by Claude Cormier (now CCxA) for the first edition of the International Garden Festival — is reborn as the Blue Stick Forest at Jardins de Métis after 25 years of journeying across Canada and England. The public will be able to discover this new iteration starting on the opening day of the 26th edition of the Festival, on Saturday, June 21.
The project permanently showcases the Blue Stick Garden, a pixelated metamorphosis of the famous Himalayan blue poppy, carefully acclimatized and cultivated in Métis by Elsie Reford, within a new ecosystem: a microforest composed of plant species from warmer climatic zones that encircle and permeate the 2,500 blue and orange sticks.
A Unique Hybrid of Nature, Science and Culture
This distinctive installation juxtaposes two fascinating temporalities: the annual blooming of the blue poppy, symbolized by the striking color change of the sticks, and the life rhythms of forest ecosystems, which must adapt to climate change.
Inspired by the innovative planting methods developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, the forest comprises 1,800 densely planted trees, shrubs, and perennials ready to amplify their symbiotic properties and grow at an astonishing rate.
Reflecting recent observations of shifting hardiness zones in North America (a quarter to half a zone per decade), today's native plant families are joined by species suited to future conditions (sugar maple, oak, honey locust, etc.), capturing the genealogical portrait of an emerging forest in Eastern Quebec. Assisted migration of these plant species embodies the garden’s heightened resilience and optimism, underscoring our collective responsibility to act for our increasingly fragile environment.
“ These trees which he plants, and under whose shade he shall never sit ”
Located near Elsie’s Vegetable Garden — Elsie Reford’s original site for horticultural exploration and experimentation — the Blue Stick Forest stands as a tribute to CCxA’s founder, Claude Cormier, celebrating his practice rooted in innovation, experimentation, learning, and Serious Fun — a playful yet rigorous approach defining all his work.
Larger than life, the Blue Stick Forest invites visitors into a ritual of annual visits to witness the transformation of the installation into a new experimental "garden," commemorating the ardor, passion, and patience of visionary pioneers who have shaped Jardins de Métis and advanced landscape architecture practice. Simultaneously, it symbolizes the commitment of new generations towards the future.
This project is made possible through the generous participation of our partners
Hydro-Québec, partner of Les Jardins de Métis since 1999 CCxA International Garden Festival TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts Association forestière bas-laurentienne Pépinière Casse-Noisette Arbre-Évolution Gervais Pineau
About Les Jardins de Métis — A National Historic Site of Canada and a designated Quebec heritage site, Les Jardins de Métis (Reford Gardens) are an essential stop for anyone visiting the Gaspésie and Bas-Saint-Laurent regions. For nearly 100 years, the Jardins de Métis have cultivated wonder, offering immersive experiences for all the senses and unique moments of connection with nature. Designed by the visionary gardener Elsie Reford from 1926 to 1958, the gardens are celebrated among the most beautiful in North America and ranked among the world’s great gardens.
About CCxA — Founded in 1994 by Claude Cormier, CCxA is a landscape architecture and urban design firm internationally recognized for its unique vision developed over more than 30 years in the creation of meaningful urban spaces. The firm has an innovative approach and a singular spirit – a specific touch marked by humor, hope, beauty, optimism, commitment and rigor. The firm has worked on large-scale projects in Montreal, Toronto and the United States and has won more than 115 awards and mentions.
About the International Garden Festival — The International Garden Festival is recognized as one of the most important events of its kind in North America and one of the leading annual garden festivals in the world. Since its inception in 2000, more than 180 contemporary gardens have been exhibited at Grand-Métis and as extra-mural projects in Canada and around the world. Presented at Les Jardins de Métis / Reford Gardens, at the gateway to the Gaspé Peninsula, the Festival is held on a site adjacent to the historic gardens created by Elsie Reford, thereby establishing a bridge between history and modernity, and a dialogue between conservation, tradition and innovation. Each year the Festival exhibits over 20 conceptual gardens created by more than 70 architects, landscape architects and designers from various disciplines. The event acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, as well as of friends of the Festival and donors.