On October 19, my very birthday, I had the great pleasure of finally going to visit Chateau Courson in France during the now famous event held there, Les Journées des Plantes. I was thrilled to be invited by Patrice Fustier to speak about my book, although when asked whether I would be speaking in French, I had to say, “Not in public!” Here I am with Patrice in his golf cart, having had the great pleasure of sitting next to him and enjoying his charming company at the elegant dinner at the Chateau the evening before. Les Journées des Plantes occurs twice each year, in the spring and the fall and has become an internationally renowned event with now over 220 exhibitors offering the most spectacular plants. Huge crowds come over the course of three days and haul away plants large and small.
Before my talk, I had lunch in the company of the lovely Baroness Patricia de Nervaux who husband was my very over-qualified translator during my talk.
Afterwards, I was amused to find one of the vendors offering a huge oversized poster with the picture of Rosemary Verey’s Laburnum Walk from the cover of my book but without any identifying information. My husband Charlie and our good friend, Genevieve des Champs, who introduced the idea of a talk at Courson to me and Patrice Fustier, are shown with me in front of the amusing poster. And also with her husband, Benoit des Champs, a dear friend from early banking days in New York working with Charlie.
The plant offerings were ravishing and I was so frustrated that I could not carry any away myself. The displays were beautifully presented and as the Michelin says, Les Journées des Plantes is worthy of a detour — it should be a future destination for you! 
