2021 Festival presentation

The Département of the Alpes-Maritimes has been able to preserve a natural heritage of an exceptional richness and diversity with 80 gardens open to the public including 13 labeled « Jardin remarquable », several landscape companies and a world-renowned know-how on the perfume flower.  

To highlight this remarkable heritage, the Département of the Alpes-Maritimes has been organizing since 2017 a biennial event dedicated to the gardens, the « Côte d’Azur Gardens Festival », whose 3^rd edition will be held from Saturday 27 March 2021 to Wednesday 28 April 2021.

Aimed at lovers of nature, gardens and botany, residents of the Alpes-Maritimes, visitors from all over the world, schoolchildren, students in landscape, architecture, design or horticulture schools, artists as well as professionals in the sector.

For the 3^rd edition of the Festival, the theme chosen is: " ARTISTS’ GARDENS "

Gardens have always been a source of inspiration for the greatest artists in the fields of literature, sculpture, painting, cinema or photography. The artist and the garden are connected in multiple ways.

Some artists are passionate gardeners that love their plants as much as their works. While linking gardening and art, the plant is incorporated into their work and their garden is infused with their creative mind.

As nature lovers they sometimes become garden designers to recreate landscape in their image. Some others see gardens as a source of inspiration or contemplation.

A garden designer creates shapes and perspectives and plays with shade and light. While sublimating nature he becomes a full-fledged artist.

A painter with sensitivity to shapes and colours as much as a poete that brings dream, fantasy and imagination to his creation.

The artist’s garden is an inspiring place making art the centre of his creation.

As part of the "Côte d’Azur Gardens Festival", the Alpes-Maritimes Department organizes a competition of ephemeral landscape creations open from 7^th February to 10^th July 2020.

The competition is managed by the Europe and Tourism Department, in partnership with the municipalities hosting the creations and aims to reward the landscape creation elected winner by the members of the jury. For the 2021 edition, the creations of national and international teams will be spread over five municipalities of the department and Monaco.

The selected sites will each host 2 or 3 ephemeral gardens, free to the public during the day, during the Festival. Thus the 2021 competition will propose 17 creations on the French Riviera.

The gardens presented will feature a studied layout, precise finishes to delight visitors. The creations will also take into account the challenges of sustainable development.

The creations will be selected in the autumn of 2020 by a technical committee.

They will be appreciated in 2021 by 3 juries and 4 prizes will be awarded:

• The jury prize awarded by the festival jury made up of elected officials, personalities and representatives of the gardens.
• The GREEN Deal prize for the most eco-responsible garden awarded by the festival jury.
• The press prize presented by a jury p of French and European journalists from the specialized press gardens.
• The Landscape Professionals' prize presented by UNEP (National Union of Landscape Enterprises).

A special mention will be awarded by each of the 3 juries.

The 2021 Côte d'Azur Garden Festival will also offer several pop-up gardens related to the Festival theme and numerous activities, conferences, guided tours.