Travel Deal: A Trip to Marvel at Horticultural Masterpieces

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Photo courtesy of Mosaïculture Gatineau 2018

The Mosaïculture Gatineau Getaway
Where: Hotel V, 585, Boulevard La Gappe, Gatineau, Québec
When: Available indefinitely, though Mosaïculture closes October 15, 2018
How much: Up to 30 percent off prepaid reservations

If you thought the Public Garden’s annual tulip display was swoon-worthy, perhaps you should steady yourself. A jaw-dropping garden festival called Mosaïculture just opened in Gatineau, Québec, and it’s more than worth the seven-hour drive to get there.

Back this year after its massive exhibition for Canada’s 150th anniversary, Mosaïculture is once again taking over Jacques Cartier Park with more than 45 living installations. The horticultural masterpieces along the Ottawa River stand up to six stories tall. The Mother Earth installation, pictured above, is planted with petunias and geraniums for her hair, and santolina for her skin. Below, the Bird of Trees installation depicts 56 different bird species at risk of extinction. All of the plant sculptures are dreamed up by teams of engineers, sculptor-welders, landscape architects, and horticultural mosaic artists.

To fully experience Mosaïculture, which closes October 15, you could take an off-the-beaten-path road trip for a long weekend. Our recommendation? Split it up into two 3.5 hour days, stopping in Burlington, Vt., along the way. Once in Québec’s fourth-largest city, rest your head at the Hotel V, which is offering up to 30 percent off prepaid travel reservations. The funky little hotel boasts an impressive spa with a dry sauna, fireplaced “relaxation spaces,” and two pools with waterfalls. Best of all? It’s a 10-minute drive from Jacques Cartier Park.

For information, visit hotelv.ca and mosaiculture.ca.

Photo courtesy of Mosaïculture Gatineau 2018