Public Prize 2026: three finalists announced
The Comité René Pechère is pleased to share news of the Public Prize, created this year to extend the spirit of the Prix littéraire René Pechère by giving, for the first time, a voice to readers themselves.
At the Fête des Jardins d’Aywiers last May, the ten books selected by our Reading Committee were presented for free consultation. Many of you took the time to browse them and vote for your favourite. Three titles now stand out:
«Créer son jardin résilient», by Didier Willery (Éditions Ulmer) — a guide to composing, through well-chosen plant combinations, a garden able to withstand climate extremes. Discover the book
«Toutes les saveurs du jardin», by Pascal Garbe (Éditions Ulmer) — ninety edible plants to grow and cook, between botany and gastronomy. Discover the book
«Inventer le jardin», by Gilles Clément and Monique Mosser, with Mirabelle Croizier and Antoine Quenardel (Éditions du Seuil) — a journey through the history of the garden, from Antiquity to the present day. Discover the book
It now falls to the Public Prize jury to designate the winner. The result will be revealed on Friday 2 October 2026, at 12 noon, during the Fête des Jardins d’Aywiers — an event we are delighted to share with our partner Les Jardins d’Aywiers, with the support of the Brussels bookshop À Livre Ouvert and the Province of Walloon Brabant.
We would be delighted to see you there.
Tribute to Mrs “Mimi” Solvay de La Hulpe
It is with deep sadness that the Comité René Pechère learned of the passing of Mrs “Mimi” Solvay de La Hulpe.
A figure deeply devoted to the art of gardens and to passing on this heritage, Mrs Solvay de La Hulpe played a decisive role in the history of our association.
In 2004, while presiding over the ASBL “Espaces Verts et Art des Jardins”, she entrusted our association with the management of the Bibliothèque René Pechère, devoted to the art of gardens and landscape architecture. This gesture of trust marked an essential step in the history of what would become the Comité René Pechère.
For twelve years, our association was thus responsible for looking after this exceptional collection of books and archives assembled by René Pechère, before its management was entrusted to CIVA (now Kanal-architecture).
Through this transmission, Mrs Solvay de La Hulpe contributed very concretely to ensuring the continuity of a unique heritage and to preserving the spirit of sharing and transmission to which René Pechère himself was deeply attached.
The Comité René Pechère wishes today to pay tribute to her and to express its full gratitude for the trust she placed in us and for her commitment to gardens, landscape and their heritage.
We will gratefully remember her essential role in the history of our association. Our most sincere thoughts and heartfelt condolences go to her family and loved ones.
In memoriam: Jacques Boulanger-Français.
It is with profound emotion that the Comité René Pechère learned of the passing of Jacques Boulanger-Français, landscape architect, former collaborator of René Pechère at the 1958 World Exhibition, and a landmark figure in Belgian landscape architecture.
His work, at the intersection of technical rigour and artistic sensibility, bears witness to a life entirely devoted to the beauty of places, the quality of living environments and the transmission of exceptional expertise.
A loyal collaborator of René Pechère, then an independent and visionary «ARTchitect», Jacques Boulanger-Français inscribed his name in the lineage of the great international landscape builders, always attentive to the human dimension, to nature, and to the spirit of place.
The Comité René Pechère pays tribute today to the memory of a master, an esteemed colleague, a generous friend, and a passionate craftsman whose legacy will live on in the gardens, parks and minds he has inspired.
Our thoughts go to his family and loved ones.
François Chaslin, bridge-builder of architecture and ideas.
Sixteen years as president of the René Pechère Prize jury.
https://www.comitepechere.be/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/CP-Deces-Francois-Chaslin-Aout-2025-1.pdf
Photo taken at the Prix littéraire René Pechère, 27 November 2024, Galerie Bortier, Brussels.
Francophone René Pechère Literary Prize 2024: Press Dossier (PDF) & annexes to the Press Dossier
Francophone René Pechère Literary Prize 2022:Press Dossier – Francophone Literary Prize 2022