Previous Gardening group events
12 September 2024
A visit to Jardin de Plessis-Bochard where we were kindly shown the gardens by the proprietors.
21 July 2024
A visit to Chateau de Champ de la Pierre, with several small gardens and a lake. We were lucky enough to meet the current owner and occupier who started the garden 60 years ago.
16 June 2024
The meeting was cancelled due to bad weather.
Sunday 26 May 2024
Stephen & Julia were joined by several EuroMayenne members for a guide tour of the Jardin de Rollon, Ernée
Friday 22 March 2024
A talk was given by Stephen Bostock details the kinds of moths that can be found in a garden. Future garden visits were discussed.
Saturday 25 November 2023
Talks about pruning and creating a wildlife pond were well attended by 16 members (15 English and 1 French).
Friday 27 October 2023
A small group attended the indoor meeting covering this year’s successes and failures. A review of recent garden visits was also covered.
Sunday 24 September 2023
Visit to La Ferme Ornée, Carrouges (61)
A total of 10 EuroMayenne members gathered to enjoy an interesting and very information guide tour of a Normandie garden. The guide was very knowledgeable on all plants and the current climate environment. The garden has been divided into three parts and we toured round the oldest section in which planting started about 20 years ago. A lot of plant testing is now happening in order to change the survival rates.
Sunday 9 July 2023
Four members enjoyed a guided tour round the gardens.
- Visit to Jardin Retiré, Bagnoles de l’Orne
At the Retiré the owner lets you in and introduces the garden and then gives you a map to make your own way around.
- Jardin Bleuenn, La Ferté Macé
The owners of Bleuenn showed us around for 1.5 hours! There was no-one else there.
Sunday 28 May 2023
A few group members met at the Jardin des Renaudies, Colombiers du Plessis, 53120 in the afternoon and enjoyed a walk around followed by refreshments.
Friday 17 March 2023
Two talks were given by Julia and Stephen on Luna gardening and Soil and compost properties. Below are links to their presentations. The afternoon was supported by several members who found the topics informative. The two talks were separated by a short break for refreshments.
The two presentations can be found by clicking the links below:
Friday 25 November 2022
Fourteen people attended at La Visitation. Two talks:
“Managing the potager in anticipation of drought and heat waves” by Fred Greatorex
“Seeds: their magic, storage and sowing” by Stephen Bostock
were given using the EM projector, with tea/coffee and biscuits in the interval, and an exchange of seeds, both garden plants and wildflowers.
Twenty-one people have attended the two sessions this year.
Friday 30 September 2022
The group re-commenced with a successful meeting held by the new organisers Stephen & Julia who started the meeting with a tour of their garden and what they were doing to help all wildlife. It concentrated on biodiversity in the garden. New suggestions and ideas were discussed and planning for future meetings was discussed.
Friday 15 November 2019
A bring and share buffet lunch was arranged at Malcolm Casson’s home together with a quiz. It was anticipated that own-grown produce would be used as part of the buffet.
Friday 27 September 2019
A visit to “De La Terre Farm” to learn about their “no dig” method of gardening and to meet the rare and unusual breeds of animals.
Sunday 23 June 2019
Garden Party and BBQ at Janet & Fred’s
Bring your own meat/fish – all other food and drink provided.
Friday 26 April 2019
Illustrated talk by Malcolm Casson on making the most of your greenhouse/polytunnel and growing an edible rainbow
Talk and slide show presentation
Friday 22 March 2019
Illustrated talk by Paul Edwards on Brobury House Gardens, UK
Talk and slide show presentation
Thursday 27 September 2018
What to do with your excess harvest followed by question and answer session.
1st Half. Discussion about what to do with excess harvest.
2nd Half. Gardeners’ Question Time
Saturday 23 & Sunday 24 June
Visit to the garden of David Marsh & Edward Moss as part of the Open Gardens Scheme, at Le Domaine, Route de Bannes, 53340 Epineux-le-Seguin
Friday 23 March 2018
1st Half – back by popular request. Peter Kidd talked about butterflies in the garden
2nd Half – Fred enlightened us about “mini beasties” in the garden (invertebrates). The good, the bad and the ugly.
Friday 13 October 2017
The popular perennial “Harvest Lunch and Gardening quiz at Malcolm Casson’s house.
May 2017
No meeting of the gardening group this month as the Association’s monthly activity was “The EuroMayenne Annual Plant Swap & BBQ” on Sunday 28th.
60-odd people attended.
Tuesday 25 April 2017
At 2 pm at the home of Avis Kidd, Les Barries, Lassay Les Chateaux
Avis gave a demonstration of small spring flower arrangements.
Friday 31 March, 2017
At 7:30 in Grimaldi Building, Place des Halles, Mayenne.
Maurice Gerard, who is co-author of the Atlas Floristique des Pays de la Loire gave an illustrated presentation about “La Flore de la Mayenne”.
Friday 3 March, 2017
Janet Greatorex gave an illustrated talk about Installing different types of watering systems in the garden.
Malcolm Casson gave an illustrated talk about Building and planting wild life gardens, the wildlife they can attract, smaller water features and the fish to use.
Friday 9 December 2016
A joint event with the Craft Group making Christmas wreaths.
Friday 25 November 2016
An illustrated talk about “How to attract butterflies into the garden” by Peter Kidd in Espace Grimaldi in Mayenne
Sunday 25 September 2016
Our 5th Garden Show, despite a smaller number of exhibits because of summer temperatures, was a success and our thanks go to Malcolm for his very generous hospitality. Everybody appeared to enjoy themselves.
To see the competition categories, click here.
This year, for the first time, we had the 2 “Madbaron Cups” to award for the best vegetable and flower in the show. These were won by Tom King for his squash “Galeux d’Eysines” and Eileen Clark for her specimen flower in the “unusual flower” category.
Sunday 11 September 2016
Gardening Group members Paul & Shirley Edwards kindly opened their garden at La Bayette, La Doree for “Open Gardens/Jardins Ouvert” which raises money for a charity for children with cancer, and several members of the gardening group went along.
Friday 8 April 2016
This was a visit to Pepinières Huchet at Gennes-sur-Seiche (see map) and the group had access to all areas of the nurseries.
Lunch was at Le Bistrot d’Eugene in Gennes sur Seiche opposite the church.
Friday 11 March 2016
Malcolm gave a talk “How to Grow your own Curry” at Espace Grimaldi in Mayenne.
The evening started with “A History of Herb Gardening”, followed by refreshments, then the second half was a talk on “Grow your own Curry” – a gardeners’ guide to raising some popular ingredients of this meal.
Thursday 11 February 2016
Fred gave a demonstration of pruning fruit trees at the home Peter & Avis Kidd.
Friday 15 January 2016
Fred gave a well attended talk and demonstration about successful germination at Espace Grimaldi in Mayenne.
Thursday 10 December 2015
In The Refectory at La Visitation. A joint event with Craft Group.
EuroMayenne member Heather Marriott demonstrated how to make Christmas Floral Arrangements and then helped us to make one.
Heather is an enthusiastic amateur who was a member of a Floral Arts Group in Cornwall, affiliated to the National Association of Flower Arranging Societies.
Friday 23 October 2015
A repeat of Malcolm’s very popular Harvest Supper and Quiz at his home Les Petits Viliers, Larchamp.
Started at 6.30 pm with the Quiz, then a “bring and share supper” largely using ingredients grown by members, and then the 2nd half the answers to the quiz.
21 members attended and offer their warmest thanks to Malcolm for his hospitality and for having organised it all.
Sunday 13 September 2015
The 4th Annual Garden Produce Show was held at Maison des Associations, La Visitation, 53100 MAYENNE
Many thanks to the organisers Janet/Fred GREATOREX and their band of helpers.
Friday 26 June 2015
Ten days after our last visit, we were invited to take a “bring and share picnic” to eat in the garden of Léo & Thérèse de Ruiter in 53270 St Jean sur Erve, and then look around afterwards. The roses were particularly lovely. Thanks are offered to them too, for their kind hospitality.
Tuesday 16 June 2015
Paul & Shirley Edwards kindly let us see their beautiful garden in 53190 La Doree. Paul gave us a short history of the house and then we were free to look round, and ask questions.
Refreshments were available. Thanks are offered to them for their hospitality.
Wednesday 1 April 2015
There were 29 of us who had a most enjoyable coach trip to Giverny to see Monet’s Garden and house.
Friday 27 March 2015 at Espace Grimaldi, Mayenne.
How to attract Wildlife into the Garden
More than 50 members attended this interesting illustrated series of talks:
- Roger Ryder talked about Birds
- Fred spoke about insects and plants
- and Geoff Stemp told us all about bees.
Friday 27 February 2015 at Espace Grimaldi, Mayenne
Bio Gardening and Companion Planting.
- Some of you will remember Carol Whale’s inspiring talk about Gardening in Texas. She joined us again to spend the evening dreaming up organic alternatives for our spring and summer gardens. She dug deep into sand, silt, and sticky clay to discover a world teaming with life just waiting to create a rich, nutritious environment for your garden plants.
- During the second half Janet talked about the whats, whys and how to of crop rotation and companion planting, with simple ideas of how to use them in your garden, whatever the size or shape.
Friday 30 January 2015
This was our second “Gardeners Question Time” at La Visitation, Mayenne, following last year’s success.
18 members attended, putting 13 questions to our panel of 4 experts – Fred Greatorex, Sylviane Guyomarch, Tom King and Malcolm Casson. The Chairman was Chris Mallinson. Refreshments were served at half time.
Many thanks to all who contributed in any way.
Friday 12 December 2014
A joint meeting with the Craft Group making Xmas decorations using natural materials from the garden.
Friday, 14 November 2014
We had a Harvest Supper and Garden Quiz at the home of Malcolm Casson in 53220 Larchamp. Many thanks to him for organising this jolly evening and for his kind hospitality. It was a “bring and share” buffet with many members using produce that they have grown themselves.
Sunday, 12 October 2014
We had an informal visit to the Plantes en Fête at Manoir de la Guyardière, 61700 La Haute Chapelle for their plant swap, and to see the 40 exhibitors there.
See their website.
Sunday 28 September 2014
We held our 3rd Annual Garden Show where everybody appeared to enjoy themselves. There were 166 exhibits, 45 more than last year and the weather was very kind to us. Many thanks to Chris and Paul Marshall for their wonderful hospitality again and to all those who helped.
Sunday 25 May 2014
Our annual Plant swap and BBQ again attracted nearly 100 members.
Friday 25 April 2014
A well attended talk in the Espace Grimaldi in Mayenne . There were two halves, both fully illustrated with photos :
- Roger Ryder – A Short History of Gardening on the Indian Sub-Continent.
- Carol Whale – 21st Century Gardening In Texas goes Native.
Friday, 28th March 2014
Around 40 people gathered at the home of Peter and Avis Kidd for Fred’s
Talk on Propagation.
The weather was fine, if a little chilly at times, and with Fred under a gazebo, some sitting outside and others in the summer room, there was plenty of room for all.
We learned about the science behind developing F1 and F2 hybrids and a simple explanation of the genetics involved. This helped to explain the difficulty of obtaining true strains from saved seeds.
We then learned how to increase our stock of our favourite varieties and to keep plants healthy.
This included many ways of dividing plants and using their natural structures to save and increase plants.
Following demonstrations of these methods , the plants were then given to many of the people attending.
We then had a welcome warm drink and some yummy cakes provided by members in the summer room.
The event was translated into French for those needing it.
Friday, 21 February 2014
A talk from Barry Weekes on: “Garden design made easy – making the most of your plot, with emphasis on gardening for wildlife.”
About 60 members attended this talk in La Vistitation in Mayenne with many non-English present.
Sunday 15 September 2013
Our 2nd Annual Garden Produce Show at Paul and Christine Marshall’s home in 53120 Colombiers du Plessis . Many thanks to them for their kind hospitality.
There were over 20 entrants – and it was delightful welcome French members amongst them – who submitted more than 210 entries including 20 entries for the ornamental or edible squash category alone, and 16 jars of jam.
Thanks to the judges Roy Camp, Janet Greatorex, Avis Kidd, Fred Greatorex and Maryke Stansfield; and to Lynn Chesters for running the tea and cakes stall, and to the ladies who made the cakes.
The Club can look forward to a 3rd Show in 2014.
Wednesday 22 May 2013 – visit to two members’ gardens
Many thanks to Derek & Gail Jones, and to Peter & Avis Kidd for showing us round their lovely gardens and providing much appreciated hospitality.
Thursday 28 February 2013 .
Maryke Stansfield gave an inspiring
Floral Art Demonstration
all based on the enthralling tales and legends of King Arthur and The Knights of the Round Table, at La Chapelle, La Visitation, Mayenne
There were 54 members who came to this talk, and it was great to see a good number of French amongst them.
Tuesday 27 November 2012
“Gardeners’ Question Time” on at the Maison des Associations in Mayenne. EuroMayenne’s version of the popular BBC Radio 4 weekly programme of the same name.
Some twenty members heard David Stansfield and Malcolm Casson answer their gardening questions, with Chris Mallinson as chairman; tea and biscuits were served after the meeting and how they get gardening information and services from sites as legionlandscaping.com that specialize in this.
Wednesday 31 October 2012
At Fred and Janet Greatorex’s home, 53160 Izé, when Fred patiently explained the mysteries of propagating to a group of 9 English and 3 French.
Many thanks to Fred and to Janet for the tea afterwards.
23 September 2012
Our first PRODUCE SHOW was held at Chris and Paul Marshall’s home at Colombiers du Plessis. Our thanks to them for their kind hospitality.
Over a hundred and forty items were exhibited from members’ gardens or kitchens, which were displayed within 4 sections – fruit & vegetables, flowers, home made produce,and ‘special class’. These were broken down into a total of 42 different categories.
The show was then opened to the public and it was good to see so many French visitors come to share this typically English country event.
Judges awarded prizes within each category – only a certificate, but what a moment of glory for the proud winners! …..and then we all had tea and cakes.
A most successful day, and a memorable start to what will surely become an annual event in the EuroMayenne calendar.
8 July 2012
A visit to The Parc Floral de Haute Bretagne
http://www.parcfloralbretagne.com/parc_floral_gb/jardins.html
20 May 2012
Minutes of Gardening Club meeting 20.5.2012 thanks to David
