Eye-Level Pots

Lorraine — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:31:04 +0000

Spotting trends at the Journees des Plantes at Chateau Courson, France is pretty darned easy. Making a fine first impression were Francis Arsene’s towering zinc planters, which lined both sides of the walkway to the entrance booth of the show. Working through his company, Arzinc, Arsene has used zinc to craft everything from furniture, lamps and office accessories to watering cans, fountains and planters.

And he’s not the only one at the show to have created lofty pots; several booths showcased the slimline containers in a variety of materials, including classic terra cotta and colour-washed ceramic. I like these svelt urns for their freshly elegant look. But they also do something we haven’t seen since the advent of the hanging basket: they put plants at eye level where we can appreciate their colour, texture and fragrance. Gotta try this at home…

Courson in the rain

Lorraine — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:27:28 +0000

The semi-annual Journees des Plantes at Courson, just outside Paris, draws plant nerds from all over France, Europe and North America — including me! In May, 2009, three and a half days of pouring rain tested the mettle of both visitors and exhibitors alike. But muddy ruts a foot deep and tractors pulling cars out of the quagmire of the parking fields couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm. Footwear ranged from sturdy Wellies to shoes wrapped in plastic bags elegantly tied with burlap strips — after all, this is France!

Gripping my rain-soaked map of the estate surrounding Chateau Courson, and with my family in tow (they had no choice — I was driving…), I trudged from booth to booth, agog at the displays of plants, pottery and paraphernalia. Over the next few days, I’ll highlight some of the things I saw and couldn’t bring home (fie on customs regulations!). But for now, here are a few photos to give you an idea of the sodden ambiance…

The lineup of cars snaked through a neighbouring village, moving an inch a minute. We parked and walked!

Towering planters crafted from zinc by Francis Arsene lined the long, muddy pathway leading to the show entrance.

We tramped through the mud, making our way through the 284 exhibitor booths.

Wellies, rain hats and slickers were de riguer attire

As we left the show, we passed tractors pulling out cars sunk into the mud after being parked all day in the sodden fields

City Gardening » Courson

Eye-Level Pots

Courson in the rain