The Garden of Dreams, a Franco-Australian peace garden

A memorial garden to honour the sacrifice of Australian troops in Amiens during the First World War

At the foot of the ramparts of the citadel of Amiens, the Garden of Dreams pays tribute to the Australian troops who prevented the city from being taken during the First World War. The garden is a delicate voyage of discovery, with warm colors that change with the seasons. From the street, movement in the ground beckons visitors and guides them into the center. Paths of crushed brick and ochre sand echo both the red earth of the Australian bush and the ramparts of the citadel. On either side, islands of earth, held back by burnt pine palisades, rise from the ground, evoking the scars of war and the oppressive atmosphere of the trenches. Approaching the center, the topographical interplay becomes more pronounced and the paths become narrower, surrounded by increasingly dense vegetation. Finally, arriving at the heart of the garden, visitors are plunged into a subdued atmosphere of undergrowth, conducive to contemplation. In the center, under a canopy of sculptural treaes, seemingly inert rocks bloom with white flowers each spring.

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The choice of vegetation - a mix of native flora and Australian species - accompanies the route: grassland species, shrub borders, tree belts. In autumn, the flamboyant foliage of serviceberry, phormium and sporobola contrasts with the glaucous hues of pine, eucalyptus, mimosa and sea buckthorn.

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Like a landscape archipelago, this network of vegetation suggests the fragmentation of cultures and origins, while symbolizing the alliance of foreign forces involved in the war.

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Location

Amiens (80)

Client

Art & jardins | Jardins de la Paix

Area

3,000 m²

Team

ChartierDalix + JDM design

Cost

€ 110 000 HT

Phase

Delivered in october 2024

Project manager

Kevin Michels, Anton James, Harrison Lillis

Mission

complete for landscape designer

Program

Memorial garden

Photos

Yann Monel

Images

ChartierDalix