29 The Garden by Mary Shepherd


For the gardeners amongst us this time of the year is trembling on the brink. We have put to bed last year’s triumphs…..and disasters and have tried to complete the seemingly endless tasks before winter took hold.


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favourite catalogue in England, has to be Two Wests and Eliot; (I Think Elliot is the dog). I used to work my way longingly, through pages of greenhouse staging, propagators and garden sundries and, that most coveted of all, a fruit cage with a pinnacle on top.


here is still a temptation to hug the fire on many days. Gardening then becomes a cerebral exercise. We wade through seed and plant catalogues and plan for Summer’s glories. My


Then there are the speciality plant catalogues. We all have our favourites. Some are large companies like Suttons or Thompson and Morgan (who hasn’t tried to grow their banana seeds in the airing cupboard!) Also let’s not forget the speciality seed merchants like Chiltern seeds (based in my birthplace, Ulverston in Cumbria). Companies like these can be given credit for the wide choice of seeds available at reasonable prices.


But enough of reminiscences. I have been gardening in the Gers for five years and I am still trying to build up my armoury of seed and plant nurseries. Seeds are not a problem. Most of my favoured seed companies are happy to send to France. However, I yearn for companies like Crocus and Gardening Direct, ie suppliers of plug plants, fruit trees and hedgerows at reasonable prices. At this stage, I am hoping for a deluge of e-mails and letters, which tell me these places exist.


My best sources of plants have come from membership of the garden group of the Ladies’ Lunch Club and visits to annual events like the Lascazeres plant fair.


The Gardening Group has introduced me to some stunning gardens, many of them members’ gardens. Perhaps more importantly for me, our monthly meetings offer an opportunity to exchange seeds and plants and to share garden joys and sorrows. Throughout the year we have workshops on tree planting, seed sowing, Christmas decorations and a host of other things. In future issues we will be running features on gardens to visit.


During the early part of the year, there are numerous plant buying opportunities, ranging from a stall at the local Vide Grenier to the two day spectacular which is The Fources Flower Market. This is held in the centre of the village, listed as one of the


The next edition will be available in June 2012 info@gasconylocal.com


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