How about a closer look at the fruits and vegetables of yesterday and today, this autumn? On Sunday, October 13, 2024, the Domaine de Méréville in Essonne will be hosting an event focusing on vegetable, fruit and aromatic plants. It's a chance to celebrate the rebirth of its historickitchen garden, in the heart of a picturesque 18th-century garden classified as a Historic Monument and Remarkable Garden, during a fun and friendly day out in the countryside.
The Rotary Club Evry-Corbeil aims to introduce the public to old and new varieties of all these plants, enabling them tolearn how to grow and prepare them, while raising awareness of the richness of local produce and short distribution channels. While the vast majority of events are free of charge, funds raised will be donated to Rotary and the Essonne Mécénat foundation.
Numerous exhibitors will be on hand to share their expertise with you, and you can take advantage of walks, guided tours, seed exchanges, and floral decoration or tree-trimming workshops to leave with a whole host of new skills!
Come and rediscover vegetable gardening know-how "from fork to fork" for a convivial and festive day. Young and old alike can enjoy sales exhibitions, tastings and workshops on fruit and vegetables, aromatic herbs, plants and shrubs, local produce, cultivation and cooking tips... A new event held twice a year to promote short circuits and eco-responsible production and consumption, for a more sustainable planet!
Did you know that at the end of the 18th century, the Marquis de Laborde had over a thousand rosebushes planted at Méréville? Selecting and bringing together in one place the most beautiful, surprising or terrifying things nature has to offer is the secret of picturesque gardens. Sublimating nature is also the work of Les Roses Anciennes André Ève. They have put all their passion and know-how into creating a new rose for Méréville, christened in May, the new Merveille de Méréville rose. The first rose of this new variety will be symbolically planted on the estate on this occasion.
Are you familiar with the cucurbit family? As autumn slowly settles in, the Friends of the Domaine de Méréville present us with pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins and other gourds so appreciated at this time of year. On the program: games and homemade soup tastings to warm body and soul.
Two workshops to get your creative juices flowing around the theme of vegetable gardening. Young and old alike can learn the art of origami and make seed bags from recycled paper. And for the more artistic among you, seeds and coloured legumes will be on offer to create works of art using the seed art technique.
Form a team and set off to explore the estate, solving riddles to uncover all the mysteries of a garden that's still too little known. A cultural and surprising family treasure hunt in which the park and its history are revealed to the rhythm of the investigation.
Jean-Joseph de Laborde's decision in 1791 to relocate the fruit and vegetable garden at Méréville and integrate it into the promenade illustrates one of the principles of the picturesque garden: even utilitarian elements must contribute to the beauty of the place. The vegetable and fruit production area becomes a spectacular factory, offering views both inside and outside the garden, "a machine for seeing and being seen". This integration is reinforced by the planting of numerous fruit trees in the park's flowerbeds, further blending the useful with the pleasurable.
Discover one of the last surviving examples of a picturesque garden in Europe, where nature, sublimated by the hand of man, reigns supreme. Meet the Marquis de Laborde, the wealthy patron, François-Joseph Bélanger, the architect who transformed the park's physiognomy, and Hubert Robert, the painter who modeled nature as one paints a picture.
To support the event, Rotary's humanitarian projects and the restoration of the vegetable garden at the Domaine de Méréville, take part in the day's big tombola. There are lots of prizes to be won, made up of Essonne products donated by various exhibitors. A great way to combine good deeds with the discovery of local products.
Dates and Opening Time
On October 13, 2024
From 10:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.
Location
Domaine de Méréville
Domaine départemental de Méréville
91660 Mereville
Prices
Free
Official website
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