Island gardens taking part in French visitor event

5 hours ago

Zhara SimpsonChannel Islands

News image — The Permaculture Garden at Stocks Hotel Sark is among 12 places across the bailiwick set to take part in the 2026 event

Stocks Hotel HQ The image shows a view of the Stocks Hotel HQ garden. There is a manor house in the distance, with a long grass area and flowers surrounding it. — The Permaculture Garden at Stocks Hotel Sark is among 12 places across the bailiwick set to take part in the 2026 event

More than 10 private and public gardens across the Bailiwick of Guernsey are set to open to visitors as part of the Normandy programme of the French Rendez-vous aux Jardins event.

The theme for the 2026 event, organised by the French Ministry of Culture, is the "Five Senses in the Garden: The View".

The States of Guernsey said more than 2,800 parks and gardens across Europe would be showcased, including nine in Guernsey, two in Sark and one in Alderney.

It said the gardens would be open from the 5-7 June.

Saumarez Park The image shows a man gardening in front of a small brick building with a green wooden door and green window frames. The man is wearing a hat and is looking to the left as he tends a section of the garden, which has pink and red flowers. — The Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden at Saumarez Park is participating in the event

Owner of participating Charente private garden in the Vale Paul Buckle said it had been an exciting year of "reshaping and developing" its spaces 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," he said.

Buckle said it was a "privilege" to take part and welcome visitors to its subtropical garden.

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The States said this year marked the 23th edition of the event, which celebrates the "richness and diversity" of parks across France and in more than 20 participating European countries.

It said the theme this year, chosen by the National Commission for Heritage and Architecture, focuses on the sense of sight.

The States said visitors were invited to explore how gardens were "designed to frame landscapes, perspectives and visual experiences".

Candie Gardens The image shows a garden with a flowerbed full of brightly coloured flowers in the foreground. There is a path and grass in the distance, with further flowerbeds. — Guernsey's Candie Gardens will be participating in the event this summer

President of the Committee for Economic Development, Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller said the launch of the Normandy programme of the Europe-wide event in Guernsey "highlights the closer cultural and economic ties we continue to develop with our French neighbours".

She added it provided "an opportunity to showcase to the wider the continent our island's tremendous horticultural expertise and heritage".

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