The Garden of Reciprocity — Chaumont-Sur-Loire, France

An artistic and ephemeral landscape to reflect on the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature

The Garden of Reciprocity (Jardin de la Réciprocité) was a team entry in the International Garden Festival of Domaine Chaumont-sur-Loire. The design features reflective surfaces and sacred plants to encourage exploration of how humans and nature interact.

The project had to meet various design conditions which included to fin in a space of 2,000 square feet enclosed by an eight-foot-high hedge, clearly direct the user to navigate in a counter-clockwise direction, have a rich botanical palette that int

The project had to meet various design conditions which included to fin in a space of 2,000 square feet enclosed by an eight-foot-high hedge, clearly direct the user to navigate in a counter-clockwise direction, have a rich botanical palette that introduced rarely used plants

The initial pathway submerges visitors in a naturalistic landscape, the Forest of Symbiosis, in which all plants were chosen for their medicinal and sacred properties.

The initial pathway submerges visitors in a naturalistic landscape, the Forest of Symbiosis, in which all plants were chosen for their medicinal and sacred properties.

Pigeons and frogs drink from the pools while visitors consider their reflections among the forest.

Pigeons and frogs drink from the pools while visitors consider their reflections among the forest.

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The forest floor included various pollinator flowering species of yarrow and asters, herbs, wild and cultivated grasses, blackberries, and strawberries inviting all visitors (human and wildlife) to participate in a nurturing all senses and tastebuds.

The forest floor included various pollinator flowering species of yarrow and asters, herbs, wild and cultivated grasses, blackberries, and strawberries inviting all visitors (human and wildlife) to participate in a nurturing all senses and tastebuds.

Within the Circle of Reciprocity, the planting palette is decisively cultivated and arranged in an orderly form to further enhance the concept of a tending relationship between us and nature. Cultivated blue oat grass, various forms of herbal thyme,

Within the Circle of Reciprocity, the planting palette is decisively cultivated and arranged in an orderly form to further enhance the concept of a tending relationship between us and nature. Cultivated blue oat grass, various forms of herbal thyme, yarrow and aster in a muted peaceful palate of color scheme greys, yellows and whites.

The gingko trees were specially chosen due to human symbiotic relationship and preservation, they are a species that dates to Triassic Period (250 million years ago), and are no longer found in the wild, however they persist and are well known and re

The gingko trees were specially chosen due to human symbiotic relationship and preservation, they are a species that dates to Triassic Period (250 million years ago), and are no longer found in the wild, however they persist and are well known and revered worldwide.

The final stop of the journey is the Circle of Reciprocity, formally represented by a mythical ring of eleven ginkgoes and mirrored prisms surrounding a large central reflective pool, providing a moment of introspection that is both singular and comm

The final stop of the journey is the Circle of Reciprocity, formally represented by a mythical ring of eleven ginkgoes and mirrored prisms surrounding a large central reflective pool, providing a moment of introspection that is both singular and communal.

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The focus of the design was to highlight the symbiotic relationship between humans and the natural world. We wanted to challenge the (modern) idea that humankind is separate from nature. We wanted to have a garden that talked about our interdependent relationship to nature and how we have an intrinsic role to solving the current imbalances in our ecosystem.

While the cornerstone of this garden was the reflective elements (water and prisms), the plants that found reflection were equally important. Chosen for their inherent resilience to most climates and their critical role in nourishing the human body and spirit, these are the plants that we heal ourselves with, that we pray with. Italian alder and golden gingko leaves shimmer in the breeze while yarrow and strawberry plants drew in pollinators, turning a garden into a fully functioning habitat.

We were featured on Domain de Chaumont-sur-Loire’s International Garden Competition online presence and youtube channel; as well as Landscape Architecture Magazine LAM -The Feeling is Mutual article.

"The project was selected from 150 anonymous entries by a jury of 15 personalities from different backgrounds, including art and garden professionals, journalists and writers. The choice of plants, the design of the project and its intention clearly in line with the theme - an ideal garden in which man and nature are interdependent - touched the jury members. A subsequent audition by videoconference with our team also confirmed the seriousness of the project. RIOS' answer is both in the air of time, linked to our ecological concerns, but also aesthetic and poetic. They were able to find the rare point of balance that every landscape designer is looking for. This approach, dear to the Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire, should be duplicated internationally!" - Chantal Colleu-Dumond, Director of the Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire

Status

Completed, 2022


Credits

Collaborations
RIOS

Photography
Iva Dubuissez