An exciting new Independent Garden Tour in the wild and beautiful Côtes d’Armor on the north coast of Brittany - September 14-17th September 2010
still has some places available....
Clare Whately of French Gardens Today is leading the Tour in association with Cricketer Holidays - “I’m starting to think the French are rather better gardeners than we are” was the comment made by a guest who came with Clare last week. Come with us and see if you agree with her!
We will be visiting Les Jardins de Kerdalo, Le Grand Launay, and two other private gardens in the area.
£395 per person which includes visits to these four gardens [two of which never open] welcomed and guided by the garden owners, two lunches, a party with the garden owners at a local Château on the final evening, travel advice and a list of recommended Chambres d’Hôtes, Hotels & Restaurants, coach travel between the gardens each day to and from our Meeting Place.
Accommodation and transport is not included on this Tour and is by your own arrangement – using, if you wish, our personal recommendations where rooms have been held for you.
Clare will be your Tour Leader and will interpret for you in the gardens. If you would like more information about these tours, please her on 01420 541321 or to book call Cricketer Holidays on 01892 664242.
These gardens in northern France look superb in September. You will find inspiration for your own garden and new ways with familiar plants.
Tour Details and Itinerary
15th and 16th September: two days, £395 per person. You will require accommodation for three nights: 14th, 15th and 16th September.
This Tour is based around the world famous garden at Kerdalo, on the wild and beautiful Côtes d’Armor between St Malo and Roscoff. We will explore the rocky coastline and deep-cut inlets, granite villages and misty valleys to arrive at these extraordinary and very different gardens. The owners of the three other gardens were drawn here by the Prince Wolkonsky’s inspiration and promise of good soil and mild climate. Two never open to the public. Their owners will be our guides.
Tuesday 14th September: independent arrival at accommodation reserved by you, using if you wish, our recommendations.
Wednesday 15th September
Les Jardins de Kerdalo. Kerdalo represents the lifetime’s dream of Prince Peter Wolkonsky who aged 65 moved here and started work to achieve one of the finest gardens in France. He chose this manor farm in its enclosed valley with natural springs, overlooking the River Jaudy, for its soil and climate. His vision involved terracing the valley, channelling the streams into a sequence of lakes and pools, and creating shell-lined pavilions, grottoes and pergola, as well as formal gardens and meadows. Since the Prince’s death in 1997, his daughter and her husband, Isabelle and Timothy Vaughan, gifted graduates of Wisley and Kew, have taken over this garden and breathed new life into it. Christopher Lloyd was a supporter and gave them massive encouragement.
Our lunch will be served here at Kerdalo by the owner, Isabelle Vaughan.
Le Grand Launay; The owner a, Parisian film-maker and journalist, arrived at this abandoned 17th century manor farmhouse in 1973 to find a three acre garden protected from the wind, well-irrigated and with rich, deep soil. Later they met and like the ideas of garden designer Gaël Bôedéc. This partnership has produced the remarkable and unusual contemporary garden we see today and which was honoured with the Societé Nationale d’Horticulture de France: Prix Bompland in 2008. Black walls and wrought iron, paving and canals reflect the dark grey of the house although this colour is usually cloaked by the greenery. Box, lonicera, osmanthus, beech and yew have been tailored into steps, balls, tables, clouds and other unusual shapes.
A private garden which is rarely open. The owners were directly inspired by Prince Wolkonsky to buy this late 17th century house just over twenty years ago and to create his own remarkable garden on the borders of an estuary. The variety of soil, drainage, shelter and microclimates have allowed him to offer the right growing conditions to a huge range of plants – yet he has achieved visual harmony amongst this diversity. Themes emerge: the exotic garden, the English garden, the garden of the southern hemi-sphere, the magnolia meadow, the aquatic garden, the waterlily and the iris gardens. You will see some rare treasures and learn from this dedicated and passionate gardener who looks after his plants and borders entirely single handed.
Another garden - never open to the public. The owners discovered this farm with its glorious views over the bay in 1991. They have designed their garden themselves and look after it with the help of only one other gardener. The garden has a formal plan with an intimate atmosphere; there is an awareness of colour theming but this does not dominate. You will see unusual and interesting plants, often treated in new ways – many shrubs are trimmed into mounds and other shapes. When Christopher Lloyd was invited to choose a garden which inspired him for Erica Hunningher’s ‘Gardens of Inspiration’, he selected this one and wrote that ‘the owners have the highest standards in design and cultivation’. Our lunch will be served here.
Our End of Tour Party on will be held at the Château de Kermezen on Thursday evening.
Friday 17th September: Depart
Each Day starts at 9.30am and ends at 5.30pm at Les Jardins de Kerdalo.
Price includes:
· Visits to four outstanding, often very private, gardens. Each visit is exclusive to our group
· A welcome and personal guided tour at each garden by the owner and/or the Head Gardener
· Two course lunch each day usually offered by one of the garden owners
· A party on the final evening - champagne/canapés with the garden owners and other French friends
· An interpreter to translate for our garden guides
· A list of recommendations for local Hotel/Chambres d’Hôtes accommodation where rooms are being held for you to book if you wish
· Comfortable daily coach travel between the gardens with fruit juice/Breton or Normandy biscuits
· Travel advice, restaurant suggestions, maps, directions to meeting places and contact information
· Clare Whately will be your Tour Leader
For more information about this tour, please call Clare Whately on 01420 541321
To book, please call Cricketer Holidays on 01892 664242
Unaware of a personal booking for this little surprise visitor at the bird table yesterday late afternoon I was very fortunate that this little Woodmouse hung around long enough for a few photos!! I've never seen one on the bird table let alone during daylight hours - I thought these were traditionally nocturnal creatures!?
Another bit of excitement that I had recently, was to see the return of the Nuthatches (after not seeing them here for nearly 1.5 years) - 3 in total were spotted but on the whole there appears to be a pair regularly visiting the nutfeeders. They're fantastic little birds and very entertaining - typically feeding upside down on the feeders unlike most other birds.
And finally to complete this story - one that could have been disastrous for this poor little fellow who I discovered in our woodburner in the sitting room - I could hear a weird nose from the kitchen so went to investigate only to discover he or she had fallen down the flue of our stove and there it was madly tapping the glass of the door of the stove with its beak - so glad I was around to help! Anyway - I opened the doors to the garden and opened up the stove door and the little bird only flew straight towards the window and knocked itself out cold. I was v. concerned to say the least - picked it up and it lay in my hand and decided to walk outside and it started to come back to life. I reckoned the safest place to let him recover was within the confines of the bird table and there he sat on the railing watching all the other birds coming and going - he was very young and probably not quite ready to leave the nest but having gone away to make a cup of tea, I returned to find his perch empty and he was no where to be seen so can only believe that he was off and away and off to start his life somewhere... 
Do hope you're all having a good week and are enjoying more of the sunny warm weather that has returned this last 2 days... 
