The 13th edition of the International Garden Festival, Reford Gardens, 200 Route 132, Grand-Métis, Québec, Canada (map), will feature 24 gardens (the largest number ever) by designers from Montréal, Toronto and Winnipeg in Canada, and from the United States, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

The Festival is also presenting “extra-mural” gardens in London, England, as part of the inaugural edition of the Chelsea Fringe festival, and on selected sites in the nearby communities of Ste-Flavie and Mont-Joli.

Launched in 2000, the International Garden Festival takes place on a site adjacent to the Reford Gardens on the shores of the St. Lawrence and Mitis rivers at the gateway to the Gaspé Peninsula. A national historic site, the gardens were created by Elsie Reford over a period of 30 years. Today, her great-grandson, Alexander Reford, leads a team committed to preserving this unique horticultural heritage. During the summer of 2012, the gardens will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the opening of the gardens to the public and the 125th anniversary of Estevan Lodge, the historic fishing camp at the heart of the gardens.

Les Jardins de Métis/Reford Gardens are open from June 2, 2012, to September 30, 2012. The International Garden Festival is open from June 23, 2012 to September 30, 2012.

(Photo courtesy of Les Jardins de Métis/Reford Gardens)