A literary Prize was created in 2000 in honour of the great 18th century Flower painter Pierre-Joseph Redouté, for the best French gardening and botanical books of the year.

Organised by the Association des Jardins du Maine (JASPE), the Pierre-Joseph Redouté Prize is awarded every year in the Loire Valley, the first week-end of June at the Château du Lude during the Garden festival.

The Pierre-Joseph Redouté Prize is awarded by an experienced and discerning Jury:

• botanist Olivier Colin,
• journalist Martine Gérardin,
• interior designer Jacques Garcia,
• actress Marie-Anne Chazel,
• Marc Mennessier, journalist at le Figaro,
• amateur gardener Maryvonne Pinault,
• well known Belgian gardener Diane van Strydonck,
• Film Producer Jean-Louis Remilleux,
• and landscape architect Louis Benech.

To celebrate the 250 years of Pierre-Joseph Redouté’s birth, a new rose ‘Prix Pierre-Joseph Redouté’ was created in 2009 by the rose specialist Guillot, whose origins date back to the famous painter’s time.
The winners and runner-ups join the Garden festival at the château du Lude, for book signings, workshops and talks on some of the great figures and topics in gardening.

Our Partners

The Sarthe Conseil départemental, The Regional Council of the Loire valley, Radio France Bleu Maine, Néopost, TRUFFAUT, Média Participations, Bourg Joly Malicorne, all give their encouragements and support to the Pierre-Joseph Redouté Prize.

The edition 2022:

The 22nd Prix P.-J. Redouté was awarded to:

ARBRES,

by Serge Schall,
co-edition
Terre Vivante & Plume de Carotte

THE AUTHOR:

Serge Schall is born Marseille and lives in Toulon where he garden for 35 years. Doctor and ingeneer in agronomics, he was successively director of a laboratory of in vitro culture, and director of a plants nursery. About 20 years ago, he started to write to share his knowledge with the public. Since, he frequently collaborates with the press specialized in gardens. He published over 30 books about gardens and nature.

THE BOOK:

We asked him some questions about his book Arbres:

You published many books about gardening, especially kitchen gardens. Today about trees, why?

S.S. : Some plants have always accompany humanity, escpecially since the begining of agriculture. It’s the case of cereals, fruits, grapevine and of course trees. They are present at every stage of humanity and everyone’s life. How ignoring them?!

Which message do you want to send with this book?
S.S. : Trees are also, and firts the forest. Two informations caught my attention a few years ago, and strengthened what we all know, that it’s essential to preserve our link with nature. The first onr indicated that in disadvantaged zones of every great and medium-sized towns of industrialized countries, the delinquency decreases of 15% when the place has enough developped green areas. It completed the sad analysis if the second information: in the most violent favelas of Brazil lives the third generation of people who never saw a tree in their life!!!

You like gardening. Do you have trees in your garden you particularly observe?
S.S. : Of course! I especially pamper three species. A venerable and shady fig tree of about 80 years old, a tall American lime, with a generous and benefactor shadow of about 45 years old. And a splendid Mediterranean olive tree at the entrance of the garden. I planted it 35 years ago.

What is your favorite tree?
S.S. : Hmmm, hard question. When you like trees, you like all of them. Maby can I ask it differently: “which tree do miss the most?” It’s a tall mimosa, broken by a storm a few years ago. It was 8 metres tall and spread  to the neighbours. It left a big empty space in our garden! In January its flowering illuminated all the interior of the house and perfumed all the street.

5 other books were rewarded in the following categories:

More Information:  www.facebook.com/prixpierrejosephredoute