The International Garden Festival at Chaumont-sur-Loire has become one of the largest and most respected garden festivals- inspiring numerous festivals worldwide. It was the vision of Jean-Paul Pigeat, who intended it to be a temporary part of a larger nationwide educational program on landscape architecture. Now in its 16th year, the Garden Festival at Chaumont-sur-Loire is a showcase for innovative design, intellectual inquiry, and practical exploration.
From its inception Chaumont has attracted leading names in landscape architecture and it teaches young talent from universities around the world through its associated international Conservatory. Each year a new set of designers are invited to create and install a thematic garden at the festival site located on the grounds of the Chaumont Chateau. “Everyone works hard and has a lot of fun” to make it a place where “conceptual garden design meets dirt gardening.” Indeed, Chaumont-sur-Loire has brought about fascinating inquiry into garden form, expression, and meaning, while exploring new technologies and materials.