The Garden Week-end

Since its launch in 1994, the Garden Week-end has been held every year on the first wee-end in June. It is dedicated to the art and practice of gardening.

Not only a festival of plants, the week-end is also a demonstration of work in the garden.

Nurseries, plantcollectionners and gardeners, chosen for the quality and the range of their plants, come to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with visitors. A series of workshops is also held, on all kinds of gardening subjects.

Lectures, film shows and exhibitions are put on in the granary.

Since 2000, the P.J. Redouté prize, founded by the Gardens Association of the Maine, with the support of Institut Jardiland, has been awarded on the Saturday to the best garden book of the year, in the presence of the authors.

To coincide with this event, an exhibition on a garden-related topic is held in the Château. Lalique, Guerlain, Villeroy & Boch, Pierre Frey, Frette have participated in previous years.

15th edition of the Garden Week-end
May 31th and June 1st , 2008
theme: ”Gardens and Vines”.
Exhibitions


Limoges Porcelaine Ercuis & Raynaud and “table fragrance” of Michèle Gay in the main room of the chateau. From may 31 to june 15


Paintings of Zaïra Vieytes and Florence d’Ersu, photos by Jean-Baptiste Huynh for Champagne Laurent-Perrier. From may 31 to september 30

Lectures

  • The wine tasting ............................................ Jacques Vivet
  • How to marry wines and french cheeses .............. Jacques Vivet
  • Soils and vineyards ......................................... François Gallouin
  • the Wine Quiz , by "l'Atelier du Vin"

Workshops


During all the Garden Week-end: gardening workshops and advices: pruning vines, roses, fruittrees, lawn maintenance, grafting, taking cuttings, gardening for children, making a winebarrel by Maison Charlois, jam-making in the old kitchens…

•Saturday May 31 :
9th award of the P.J.Redouté prize, for the best book on garden of the year. Lectures and signatures at the kiosk of the Redouté Prize.

Musical and gourmet days
July 13th & 14th, august 15th & 17th, september 20th & 21th, 2008

During the summer, one week per month, the musical and gourmet days invite you to an unusual and evocative discovery of the Château du Lude and its gardens.

During the afternoon, the visitor can listen to chamber music in the main rooms of the Château and discover the making of jams cooked with fruits collected in the kitchen garden especially open at the week-end.

Château du Lude, 72800 Le Lude , France - Tel. +33 (0)243 94 60 09