Every year the gardens of chateau Chaumont-sur-Loire play host to the annual ‘Festival des Jardins’, a garden festival with up to 30 themed gardens. These gardens are created by different landscape architects, designers and artists around a theme, which changes every year. This brings the chateau surroundings to life with the colour and fragrances of the many plants and flowers on display.

 

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The 2010 theme is 'Body and Soul' . From over 300 proposals 20 gardens have been selected for inclusion in this years festival. Included are contributions from the UK, Japan, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy. The displays will be illuminated under the 'Gardens of Light' theme allowing  visitors the chance to explore the gardens by night.  From 29/04/2010 to 17/10/2010 from 09h30 to 19h00

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The kids will love it here from the unique  hollowed-out tree entrance, to the metal wire bridge and the walk through the tropical valley where multicoloured carp laze in the main pool and the foot of the valley lies quietly in a cloud of mist.

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There are normally quite a few of the exhibits that will be of interest to them as they are interactive in a variety of ways.

 

With the theme changing every year you'll always find something different.

 

 

Taking a picnic along will add to the experience even though there are a few options for eating on the site.

 

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We enjoyed the colour of last year's (2009) Festival with our favourite being 'Laundry in bloom' (below) with the clothes being the same colour as the flowers underneath.