They are two of the northernmost—and most spectacular—gardens in Canada: Quebec’s les Jardins de Les Quatre Ventsand Jardins de Métis. These are not “just-a-pleasant-stroll-through-the-flowers” kind of gardens. They challenge you. If you go, prepare to be awed, amused, energized and exhausted.
Although the gardens lie on opposite sides of the St. Lawrence River as it broadens to 40 miles in width, with a bit of planning they can be visited on consecutive days and easily combined with a few days in Quebec City. The gardens at Les Quatre Vents (“the four winds”) is in La Malbaie in the scenic and historic Charlevoix region, two hours north of Quebec City. It is widely considered one of the most ambitious private gardens in North America. Jardins de Métis, also known as Reford Gardens, is in the tiny village of Grand-Métis, four hours north of Quebec City on the St. Lawrence’s south shore.
Both gardens were created and designed by passionate amateur gardeners who were driven to build something beautiful and lasting. Both founders
