Club makes green-fingered links

GREEN-fingered expats are spreading the word about the traditional British hobby of gardening.

A group called the Interesting Gardening Club has now been running in the Dordogne and Charente for four years to support and encourage both British and French gardeners.

What started off from a letter in a local newspaper by founder Katie Armitage to ask if anyone French or British was interested in coming together to share their passion for the hobby has now turned into a club with 150 members.

Mrs Armitage said: “I was initially asking everybody - French, English, Dutch and so on - to come and join; however I would say 90% of the responses to my letter were from British people.

“I was hoping more French people would be interested, but I don’t think they take gardening as passionately as we do.

“However we are doing everything we can to try to get them to join. We have a regular newsletter and we translate the front into French, but I think it’s difficult - it is often hard enough for our English members to remember the names of plants in English!”

She added: “I think the French have a very different attitude, they seem to be far more conservative with their gardening.

“However I think they are starting to take note and have seen how beautiful British gardens are and that has had an effect.

“Hopefully we will be able to convince them to become more adventurous and for more people to join our club.”

The club holds regular meetings and hopes to organise more projects in the future similar to one they carried out last year where a local hotel engaged their services to spruce up its gardens in return for a slap-up meal, with around 40 members taking part.

Mrs Armitage said: “It was great fun. The club is a great way of people getting to know each other and it’s also an invaluable way of finding out gardening secrets for the area.

“A lot of people who move to France have more land than they have ever had in their lives, and this is a great way of helping them know what to do with it while giving them an opportunity to get out and meet new people.

“They also find out hints and tips on which are the best nurseries in the area and to find out about the local growing conditions.

“The club’s atmosphere is very relaxed and friendly and people who enjoy gardening love the chance to share knowledge.”

Events taking place include talks from experts and an open gardens day. To find out more about forthcoming events at the Interesting Gardening Club call Katie on 05 53 91 38 40 or for membership email petewells@wanadoo.fr

For more information and gardening hints see www.theinterestinggardeningclub.org