Guernsey to launch Normandy programme for Europe-wide garden festival
- Guernsey will launch the Normandy programme of the 2026 Rendez-vous aux Jardins, a European garden festival running 5th-7th June
- More than 10 gardens from across the Bailiwick will participate, including nine in Guernsey, two in Sark, and one in Alderney
- This year's theme 'The Five Senses in the Garden: The View' focuses on sight and how gardens frame landscapes and perspectives
- Participating venues include Victor Hugo's Garden, Government House's Victorian Walled Garden, and Sausmarez Manor's subtropical gardens
- The festival showcases over 2,800 parks and gardens across Europe and highlights cultural ties between Guernsey and France
Guernsey is set to launch the Normandy programme of the 2026 Rendez-vous aux Jardins, a European garden festival organised by the French Ministry of Culture, which takes place from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th June.
The 23rd edition of the annual festival will showcase more than 2,800 parks and gardens across Europe, with over 10 gardens from across the Bailiwick participating—nine in Guernsey, two in Sark, and one event in Alderney.
This year's theme, 'The Five Senses in the Garden: The View', invites visitors to discover gardens through the experience of sight and the perspectives they offer. The theme builds on the broader 'The Five Senses in the Garden' concept introduced in 2024, focusing specifically on how gardens are designed to frame landscapes, perspectives and visual experiences.
Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, President of the Committee for Economic Development, said: "It's exciting to be launching the Normandy programme of this Europe-wide event right here in Guernsey. Such an occasion highlights the closer cultural and economic ties we continue to develop with our French neighbours, and provides an opportunity to showcase to the wider the continent our island's tremendous horticultural expertise and heritage."
Among the participating venues is the Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden at Saumarez Park, which opens on 6th June from 10:00-16:00 with free entry. The restored Victorian garden features 170-foot period greenhouses and over 300 planted heritage fruit, flowers and vegetables available during Queen Victoria's reign from 1837-1901. Members of the St Peter Port Sketch Club will gather in the garden from 2:00pm for an 'en plein air' session.
Victor Hugo's Garden at Hauteville House will be open throughout the three-day festival from 10:00-16:00 with free entry. The garden was reimagined by the French author as a living work of art, inspired by the romantic gardens of his childhood and drawing on memories of the Feuillantines.
Candie Gardens will host a self-led wellbeing walking trail created in collaboration with Guernsey Trees for Life, running from 10:00-17:00 daily. The museum will also feature 'Lost in Nature', an art installation including nature-inspired artworks, a bespoke soundscape by local composer Flexagon, and a video installation by SkyWave Media.
The Hidden Gardens of St Pierre du Bois & La Forêt event on 6th-7th June will offer access to more than 20 private gardens for £8 per adult, with children under 16 admitted free. The event includes artists painting in the gardens, a view art exhibition at the Rectory, barbecue facilities, and tea and cake services.
Government House will open its Victorian Walled Garden on 5th June from 10:00-15:00, offering a rare opportunity to explore what organisers describe as one of the finest examples of its kind in the British Isles. The garden spans over 1,700 square metres and produces fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers.
Paul Buckle, owner of the Charente private garden in the Vale, said: "It's an absolute privilege to be taking part in this year's Rendez-vous aux Jardins and to welcome visitors into our subtropical garden. It's been an exciting year of reshaping and developing the space, especially following Storm Goretti, but the garden is now stronger than ever and we're looking forward very much to sharing our extensive collection of subtropical and tropical plants. We always enjoy chatting with visitors and hope they find plenty of inspiration and surprises as they explore and experience the diversity of nature."
Other participating venues include Fermain Valley Hotel Garden with sweeping views over Fermain Bay, the Bridget Ozanne Orchid Fields nature reserve managed by La Société Guernesiaise, and Sausmarez Manor's subtropical gardens and sculpture park, which is recognised as a Royal Horticultural Society Partner Garden.
In Alderney, the 17th annual Bloomin' Alderney garden festival takes place on 7th June from 10:00-17:00, with several private gardens opening their doors to visitors.
Sark contributes two venues: the Permaculture Garden at Stocks Hotel, created in 2013 as an extension of the hotel's vegetable gardens and winner of horticultural awards, and The Gardens at Le Grand Dixcart, a 4-acre space surrounding a farmhouse dating back to 1565.
The Rendez-vous aux Jardins has been running since 2003, celebrating the richness and diversity of parks and gardens across France and more than twenty participating European countries. The event is organised around an annual theme chosen by the National Commission for Heritage and Architecture.
Background and history
The Rendez-vous aux Jardins festival was created in 2003 by the French Ministry of Culture, initially as a French-only event to promote and valorize public and private gardens. The festival began with 930 gardens participating in its first edition in 2003, growing to nearly 2,000 in 2008 and more than 2,300 by 2017. In 2018, during its 15th edition, the festival became a European-wide event as part of the European Year of Cultural Heritage, with 18 European countries participating by 2019 and more than 600 gardens beyond France taking part. The festival runs annually during the first weekend of June, with Friday dedicated to school groups and Saturday-Sunday open to all public. Each year features a different theme chosen by the National Commission for Heritage and Architecture, with past themes including 'the gardeners', 'perfume', 'water', 'voyage of plants', 'the child in the garden', and 'transmission of knowledge'. Meanwhile, Guernsey's own garden heritage has deep historical roots: Candie Gardens were established in 1894 in the grounds of Candie House as a Victorian Public Flower Garden, restored in 1998-99, and feature a historic greenhouse dating to c. 1792/93. The 2026 event represents Guernsey's first documented participation in this European-wide garden celebration.
Q&A
Q: When does the 2026 Rendez-vous aux Jardins take place?
A: The festival runs from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th June 2026.
Q: How many gardens from the Bailiwick are participating?
A: More than 10 gardens are taking part - nine in Guernsey, two in Sark, and one event in Alderney.
Q: What is this year's theme for the garden festival?
A: The theme is 'The Five Senses in the Garden: The View', focusing on sight and how gardens are designed to frame landscapes and perspectives.
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