..:: Events ::..

More than a random flower fair, a garden of happenings :
Since its launch in 1994, the Garden festival “Week-end des Jardiniers” has been held every year on the first week-end of June. It is dedicated to the art and practice of gardening.

Not only a festival of plants, the Week-end des Jardiniers is also a demonstration of work in the garden.

Nurseries, plant collectors and gardeners, chosen for the quality and diversity of their plants, come to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with visitors. A series of workshops are also held, on all kinds of gardening subjects.

Le Lude has been chosen to be the leading setting in France where the 250th anniversary of world famous painter Pierre Joseph Redouté will be celebrated. There is a good reason for that: every year since 2000, the P.J. Redouté prize, founded by the Gardens Association of the Maine, with the Institut Jardiland’s support, is awarded to the best garden book of the year, in the presence of the authors.

The P.J. Redouté Prize

Saturday june 6 :

10th award of the P.J.Redouté prize, for the best garden book of the year. Lectures and signatures will take place at the kiosk of the Redouté Prize.

Baptem of the rose “Prix P.J. Redouté”

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Redouté prize, a rose created by the Guillot nurseries is baptized on sathurday june 6 afternoon in the gardens of Le Lude. Due to the Belgian origin of painter Redouté, the rose will have Princess Astrid of Belgium as prestigious godmother.

This charming scented light pink rose will immediately be planted in le Lude’s rose garden.

Exhibitions

Redouté roses, yesterday and today

During the gardenfestival, Phillipe Viton and Michel Gagneux nurseries show the ancient roses (most of them gallica’s, alba’s and botanics) illustrated by Redouté in his famous book “Les roses” and still existing today.

Redouté’s table !

June 6 to 28

A gigantic breakfast table is presented in the Renaissance gallery of the château, with the elegant bone china reproducing some of Redouté’s roses. The models are created by Roy Kirkham.

Founded over 35 years ago in Staffordshire, England, Roy Kirkham Tableware offers a wide range of beautiful dining, kitchen and gift items in exclusive designs. Roy Kirkham, being a classically trained artist himself, had always admired Redouté’s work as the finest rose painter in the world and was inspired to recreate this beautiful artwork on the ceramics. Many hours of research were spent in choosing the most beautiful roses and then the task was undertaken to re-create them in a style and scale that would compliment the original paintings in full.

Land Art

June 6 to September 30

Painter Guy de Malherbe makes a “Rose itinerary” in the gardens of Le Lude. A pink path leads to several follies builded on strategic spots of the garden, each one hosting a mini exhibition. The formal gardens of the chateau will witness the empowerment of contemporary art scenes integrated in a 19th century setting. In contrast with the former depiction of floral scenes, the artist uses the given natural environment as a frame to express his personal vision of the rose and Redouté.

Ancient roses watercolours

June 6 to September 30

Contemporary watercolours painted by Florence d’Ersu will be presented in the ancient library, amongst others, the collection established for the Minier nurseries. The artist will be animating a floral watercolour workshop during the gardenfestival.

Conferences

Sathurday June 6 - Sunday June 7

Two conferences are dedicated to the famous painter:

“The flow of exotic plants at the time of Pierre-Joseph Redouté” y Alain Durnerin, ancient associate director of the Versailles Horticulture School.

“Redouté’s influence in the history of botanic painting”, by Claudia Salvi, art historian.

Workshops

During the whole Garden Week-end visitors will enjoy gardening workshops and expert advice: pruning vines, roses, fruit trees, lawn maintenance, grafting, taking cuttings, gardening for children. The stoves in the old kitchens of the chateau will be revived, inviting the gourmet amateurs to taste and assist the jam-making process of rose petals jam.