From tomorrow until Sunday 17 June, over 20 special events will take place as part of a newly organised Floral Festival for Guernsey, supported by VisitGuernsey and Floral Guernsey.
Throughout the week, locals and visitors can get involved in a number of talks, tours and workshops at some of the Island’s most popular sites for wild flowers, exotic species, unique plant life andtraditional gardening.
There will be plenty on offer to showcase the Bailiwick’s abundance of flora and fauna at Sark’s Seigneurie Gardens, Herm Island Gardens, Lihou Island with Gold Accredited Guide Gill Girard, Sausmarez Manor, Grange Court private garden, the Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden, Candie Gardens and many others.
Prices will start at £5 with other events offering free entry including a tour of Castle Cornet Gardens on Saturday 9 June to celebrate the Queen’s Birthday and a stall dedicated to the Battle of Flowers at the Arts Seafront Sunday on 10 June.
‘Discover the Secrets of the Walled Garden’ will be one of the first events to kick start the festival at 9.30am tomorrow, followed by the, ‘Hidden Gardens of St Pierre du Bois’ from 11.00am to explore an intriguing selection of more than 20 local gardens.
Marguerite Talmage, co-organiser, says: “The Hidden Gardens event is part of the three day Flower and Music Festival, an annual event which brings the whole community together. With three routes to choose from, we hope there will be one to suit all tastes.”
A unique tour of the Art Park and Subtropical Gardens with Peter de Sausmarez at the Manor will also begin at midday this Saturday, for just £6 per person, followed by Iris and Dora’s Floral PrintingWorkshop at 14.00.
Sunday 10 June, day two of the festival, will see La Seigneurie Gardens in Sark present its formal rose garden, oldest surviving feature, Victorian glasshouse and wild flower gardens.
Pat Johnson will also be accepting donations to Floral Guernsey for a guided tour of the impressively restored bathing pools and gardens at La Vallette from 14.00 – 15.00 on 10 June.
The tours of the award-winning gardens at Bruce Russell and Son, in support of The Sarah Groves Foundation, are part of a handful of events that will be welcoming donations in place of an entry fee.
A number of family-friendly options have been incorporated such as the, ‘Tiny Tots Planting Workshop’ at the Queux Manor House where pre-school children can get involved in a hands-on gardening experience on Wednesday 13 and Friday 15 June.
Nigel Clarke of Queux Plant Centre says: “Adults who attended our first Tiny Tots workshops many years ago as children are now bringing their own children and grandchildren to Queux to learn about plants and the value of the natural world. We are limited to 35 children per workshop so pleasebook early to avoid disappointment!”
Director of Marketing and Tourism, Mike Hopkins says: “It is a pleasure to support the first Floral Festival for a number of years in order to celebrate our Island’s fantastic floral heritage – particularly at this time of year.
‘VisitGuernsey will also be exhibiting at the Gardener’s World Live show later this month to inspirefamilies and keen gardeners to come and see why Guernsey is the perfect place to discover a wealth of natural beauty.
“We very much hope that islanders will get behind this festival’s launch in the anticipation that it willcontinue to grow and flourish in the years to come.’
You can find all of the Floral Festival 2018 event listings and booking instructions at visitguernsey.com/floral-festival
Printed guides will also be available from the Guernsey Information Centre.
