PARIS and LONDON.  Garden loving clients of yours are sure to like the look of a tour I’ve created which combines the Journées des Plantes de Chantilly with the Chelsea Flower Show.  As some of your contacts may not have made their final decision about their 2019 European tour, this bright idea might just fire their imaginations especially as they may have never seen this combination before.

To broaden its appeal, I’ve also suggested replacing some of the garden visits with memorable foodie experiences in both capital cities.  I’ve also added a short summary and a link just in case you’re not familiar with the Journées des Plantes.

I 've also put together a colourful listing of February-September garden shows which you might like to add to the file.

2019 marks the 300^th anniversary of the birth of Susanna Wesley, often known as the Mother of Methodism.  Meanwhile, in North Devon, they will be celebrating the life and times of R G Blakemore (Lorna Doone) and Charles Kingsley (Westward Ho and The Water Babies).

Paris and London for Garden Lovers

This trail of two cities brings together two internationally renowned horticultural spectaculars, the Journées des Plantes de Chantilly in Paris and the Chelsea Flower Show in London.  Both taking place at the end of May 2019 and linked by Eurostar this 8 nighter include visits to Giverny and Versailles in France and Kew Gardens and the RHS garden at Wisley.

Paris and London for Foodies

Widen the potential audience for this springtime tour by replacing some of the garden visits with a focus on some of the best purveyors of wine, pastries, cheese and charcuterie in Paris.  We can do something similar in London including a special tour of the Borough Street Market, one of the largest and oldest in the capital and samplings of traditional British food.

The Gardeners of Europe Meet at Chantilly

Formerly held at the Domain de Courson, Les Journées des Plantes de Chantilly now takes place in the exquisite grounds of the magnificent Domaine de Chantilly, designed by André Le Notre, the landscape architect of many royal gardens including Versailles.  This link connects to their October 2018 show, but it captures some of the excitement of what’s in store for May 2019.

RHS and Other Top Flower Shows

I can think of family holidays when we fetched up in places where local arts and garden festivals were in full swing.  With careful planning these events can become a feature of design rather than accident and this colourful article highlights a February-September calendar of outstanding, annual events over and above the Chelsea Flower Show.  Share it with your garden club contacts.

Important Methodist Anniversary in 2019

Susanna Wesley was the daughter of Dr Samuel Annesley and Mary White, and the mother of John and Charles Wesley.  Although she never preached a sermon or published a book or founded a church, she’s known as the Mother of Methodism.  Epworth, near Lincoln is the focal point for this tour which is very accessible through the Manchester gateway. More details soon.

250th Anniversary of North Devon's Land and Sea Literary Heritage

Two novels epitomise North Devon life in the 17^th/18^th Centuries. ‘Lorna Doone’ and her life on Exmoor by R D Blackmore while Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley, describes the seafaring world of Amyas Preston who sailed with Sir Francis Drake, Sir Richard Grenville’s cousin whose expeditions made Bideford a centre for tobacco importation. Festivals are being planned to mark these anniversaries in 2019.