Floral Islands
Whilst perhaps the most famous, Renoir was probably not the first person to notice Guernsey’s exceptionally high levels of light in the islands.
Gardeners had been quietly appreciating it for hundreds of years. A steady stream of plant species had managed to reach the island aboard trading ships - often unintentionally - to flourish in the mild, maritime climate. The result was a global garden, with over 449 plants recorded in flower in the month of January alone.
At just 25 square miles Guernsey is home to the largest producer of clematis in the world. The island also provides two thirds of all the freesias sold in UK. You can see the life cycle of this sweet-smelling South African flower at the Guernsey Freesia Centre in the Vale parish.
For more detail on Places to Visit click here.
To the South East of Guernsey is the island Sark, where the glorious roses and herbaceous borders of the walled gardens of La Seigneurie were established by the late Dame Sibyl Hathaway, D.B.E.
As there are no cars on Sark, take a horse and carriage ride through the country lanes, or hire a cycle and see the natural beauty of the island.
Guided walks to a selection of private gardens are available in the height of the summer and the Wildflower Fortnight at the end of April is increasingly popular.
Please visit
www.sark.co.uk for more information.
The tranquil island of Herm was the Bailiwick’s representative in the Britain in Bloom competition, and did extremely well winning a gold award and was overall winner in the Small Coastal Resorts category in both 2002 & 2008. Herm Island will be representing the Bailiwick of Guernsey again in 2012.
The Island also shared an Unannounced Judging Award 2008. The award was discretionary and for unannounced judging which took place in April and May.
The Britain in Bloom campaign is a real community project with all of the island getting involved.
Herm is a mere 20 minutes from
St Peter Port by boat and its 500 acres is a peaceful floral paradise with no cars to be seen.
For information on the Island of Herm please visit
www.herm.com
Alderney has an extremely rich natural flora and is only a few minutes away by plane, Alderney is a tapestry of colour, especially in May and June. The commons are covered with yellow buttercups, the white common daisy and, in the short sandy turf, the pink pyramidal orchids are plentiful. Alderney's popular Wildlife Festival takes place in the Spring.
Please visit
www.visitalderney.com for more information.
NORMANDIE MARKETS 25 Aug 2012 - 27 Aug 2012
Contact Jack Honeybill 07781 113464
Visiting markets from Normandie...
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FLORAL GUERNSEY WORKSHOP – ‘THE RABBITS EYE VIEW’ 23 Mar 2012 - 23 Mar 2012
Fermain Valley Hotel 9.30am-3.30pm
Guernsey Information Centre 723552
A garden based workshop, observing plants, predicting their performance over time and planning successf...
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