Dry Gardens in the Mediterranean

Mediterranean Gardening Association – Portugal
ASSOCIAÇÃO DE PLANTAS E JARDINS EM CLIMAS MEDITERRÂNICOS
www.mediterraneangardeningportugal.org
and
Mediterranean Gardening International
www.mediterraneangardeninginternational.org
INTERNATIONAL SPRING CONFERENCE
2016
Dry Gardens in the
Mediterranean
‘an undiscovered diversity’
22–25 April, Lagos, Algarve
Keynote Speakers – Olivier Filippi & Dr Ken Thompson
Inspiration, knowledge and confidence - using native plants to make beautiful gardens
The Mediterranean Gardening Association in Portugal extends a warm invitation to all to join us for our 5th
major Spring Conference weekend. The aim for 2016 is to reveal the practical and aesthetic benefits of
making beautiful and sustainable gardens with plants of the Mediterranean and dry zone flora worldwide.
The Mediterranean Gardening Association of Portugal gratefully acknowledges the support and
encouragement of our sister organisations in MGi for this event.
MGi is an international group of societies for people with an interest in Mediterranean plants and gardens.
Each society is independent but contributes to share knowledge and experience of gardening and plants in
the Mediterranean climate zones of the world.
The Conference 22-25 April
The conference weekend will concentrate on modern trends towards use of native plants from
Mediterranean zones for sustainable mediterranean gardens including discussion on how to unlock their
huge future potential. We are delighted to have the opportunity to hear directly from Olivier Filippi on
creating dry gardens in the Mediterranean. This will be illustrated by visits to contemporary gardens in the
Algarve and appreciation of examples throughout Portugal from our panel of speakers.
The Spring Conference will also offer an opportunity to see wonderful wild flowers and some notable local
private gardens. For those arriving early on Friday 22 April or staying in the area on Monday 25 April
additional garden visits will be offered as an optional extension to the Conference weekend. We are very
grateful to the private garden owners who will open their homes and gardens to us.
We have a fantastic panel of speakers who are keen to share their knowledge and enthusiasm.
All presentations and talks will be in English.
CONFERENCE INFORMATION 22 – 25 April
Venue and Accommodation
The Conference Venue and Accommodation will be
based in Lagos, on the western side of the Algarve. Our
conference base is the Four Star Vila Galé Lagos Hotel,
built in 2009 and set on the Meia Praia beach front. The
stunning garden setting of the large swimming pool is
within the ´U` shaped configuration facing out over the
beach to take full advantage of the sea views. The hotel
has a modern atmosphere and is wheelchair friendly with disabled rooms and toilets.
Accommodation is in modern and comfortable hotel rooms. On site facilities include: outdoor pools with
view to the beach, 2 bars, 2 restaurants specialising in local dishes, a Satsanga spa with indoor pool, sauna,
Turkish bath, massage rooms and gym, tennis courts, putting green and a multi-sports field. Conference
delegates will have full access to all hotel facilities.
Residential all-inclusive packages are available for the duration of the conference, with the option to
extend your stay at favourable rates. Alternatively, arrangements have been made for day delegates, and
for those who may wish only to attend part of the weekend.
We have arranged reduced conference rates, which includes breakfast in the hotel. There are also
restaurants & cafes close by. The hotel offers free Wi-Fi in all public areas and throughout the hotel. There
is also ample on site parking and a secure hotel garage.
More information on the hotel facilities www.vilagale.com/en/hotels/algarve/vila-gale-lagos/
Hotel location GPS N37º 6' 47.8'' - W8º 39' 45.3''
Rooms can also be reserved at the four star Hotel Tivoli Lagos which is set in the heart of Lagos, with easy
access to all the facilities of the town and the famous promenade along the river side overlooking the
marina. For those staying at the Tivoli there can be transport to the Vila Galé organised each morning. Web
site www.tivolihotels.com/en/our-hotels/algarve/tivoli-lagos/the-hotel.aspx
There are a range of other excellent hotels within Lagos and a short distance from our conference base.
Lagos is a lively and very popular destination and has a lovely historic centre and good links to the
motorway, railway and road networks. For alternative good quality accommodation, please let me know
and I am happy to help with any more details needed. However, if you stay in another hotel, you will need
to organise your own transport to and from the conference hotel.
As our dates are also just before a national Bank Holiday on Monday 25 April you are advised to secure
travel and accommodation as soon as possible.
Guided Wildflower walks will visit two distinct areas at the peak time for viewing plants, the biodiversity
hotspots of Arrifana and neighbouring Amoreira beaches and the stunning location of Cape St Vincent itself
on the Sagres peninsula. This pensinsula was classified as a biogenetic reserve in 1988 owing to the high
concentration of endemic plants. Both sites are in the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa
Vicentina, the finest preserved stretch of European coastline, covering over 100 km, from Porto Covo in the
Alentejo, to Burgau in the Algarve. The Park includes various habitats and unique species of animal and
plant life, and is visited by many zoologists and botanists from all parts of the world. Plant life includes
unique indigenous species such as Biscutella vicentina, Cistus palhinae and Plantago algarbiensis. If you
wish to extend your stay there is much to see in the lovely surrounding countryside and the stunning
western Atlantic and southern Algarve coastline with superb beaches. www.algarvewildlife.com/reservesvincent.php
Information on local plant nurseries, gardens and good locations to view wild flowers will be available at
the Conference.
An excellent online flora of Portugal is available here www.flora-on.pt
As part of the weekend activities there will be the opportunity to meet the
authors and buy copies of some of the most exciting new books in 2016.
These include the newly published English edition by Olivier Filippi of Planting
Design for Dry Gardens – Beautiful, resilient groundcovers for terraces, paved
areas, gravel and other alternatives to the lawn. Web site www.jardin-sec.com
Also there will be a short presentation and book launch for the updated and extended second
edition of Algarve Wildlife – the natural year, one of the most successful books about the Algarve
and available for the first time at this event. They can be contacted via www.algarvewildlife.com
Speaker Profiles
Olivier Filippi is well known as the author of The Dry Gardening Handbook. We are
very pleased to have the launch of the English edition of his second book on Lawn
Alternatives at this event. The nursery and display garden of Olivier Filippi in Mèze,
south west France, is one of the ex libris of dry gardening. A pioneer in irrigationfree gardening in the Mediterranean, painstaking research by Olivier and Clara
Filippi has created a display garden full of texture and colour that changes with
each season but retains its harmonious structure throughout the year.
Web site www.jardin-sec.com
Dr Ken Thompson, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of
Sheffield, UK. He has published widely on almost all aspects of plant ecology. Ken
has also written a number of books for gardeners, including ‘An Ear to the Ground’
He writes regularly on gardening for the Daily Telegraph. His new book ‘The
Sceptical Gardener’ The Thinking Person’s Guide to Good Gardening
will be published in November 2015 http://www.iconbooks.com/blog/title/thesceptical-gardener
Marilyn Medina Ribeiro has degrees in Graphic Design and Landscape Management
and has worked in nurseries, parks and private gardens. In 2008 she moved to live in the
Algarve, managing hotel gardens and later founding her own company to provide and
promote sustainable garden design and land management.
Web site www.waterwisegardens.com
Miguel Coelha de Sousa qualified in Landscape Architecture and has since
worked in major landscape architecture practices including the PROAP studio,
collaborating on various landscape projects with the emphasis on selection of
native and appropriate plants and preparation of planting plans. Working now
also as a free lance professional, Miguel has developed several garden and
landscape projects, providing construction, management and maintenance of green spaces, He has also led
courses on garden design and horticultural tourism trips. Web site www.proap.pt
Paulo Palha qualified as an Agricultural Engineer and has become an authority on the
construction of the Green Roof as well as an experienced landscape designer and an
international speaker and trainer in these areas. His company, Neoturf, was founded
in 2001 and provides global research solutions for sustainable construction, water
management, and building with vegetation (green roofs and green walls). Web site
www.neoturf.pt/en
Wildflower Walk Guides (All details and timings subject to confirmation)
Udo Schwarzer is a Biologist, and Claudia Schwarzer is a Landscape Architect, specialising in native plant
gardens. They will lead the walk at Arrifana and Amoreira on Saturday afternoon. They have a wealth of
knowledge of Algarve natural history and particularly of the western Atlantic coast.
Web site www.biopiscinas.pt
Sue Parker and Pat O´Reilly are Directors of First Nature and authors of books on the natural history of the
Algarve including Wildflowers in the Algarve; and Wild Orchids in the Algarve. Their books will be on sale in
the meeting room. They will lead the walk at Cape St Vincent on Sunday afternoon.
Web site www.algarvewildlife.com
Optional Garden Visit on the Alentejo coast – Monday 25 April
Following this visit and lunch, and depending on numbers, we have arranged for those returning to
Lisbon to be taken back to the city by bus on Monday afternoon. Near Lisbon airport we recommend VIP
Executive Arts Hotel in the Parque das Nações, a 10 minute taxi journey from the airport.
http://www.viphotels.com/en/Hotels/VIP-Executive-Arts/About-Hotel.aspx
Lugar do Olhar Feliz - Jean-Paul Brigand and Ann Kenny moved to the Alentejo coast in Portugal in 2001
to start a garden. Since then they have created a traditional Mediterranean garden with only edible or
fragrant plants. The main collections are citrus (the largest collection in the south of Europe after l'INRA),
pomegranates, mulberries (Morus alba & M. nigra), fig trees, abutilons, rare
varieties of ginger, day lilies, desert fruits etc. Jean-Paul will be happy to lead a
garden tour in French, and Ann in English.
They accompany the work of planting with research on the use of old or not yet
acclimatized varieties; how to grow them, cook them, store them, and then share
this knowledge. Jean-Paul writes a monthly article on fruit for the MGAP web site
Blog at http://olharfeliz.typepad.com
Optional Garden Visits – Friday 22 April /Monday 25 April
(Depending on numbers, all visits subject to confirmation of additional costs and timing,
information available from rosie@thebtf.net ) Town walk info www.simplylagos.com
Alvor Garden the new owners quickly realised that the 350m2 lawn wasn't making sense, financially or
aesthetically. After researching Mediterranean garden styles, they opted for a naturalistic gravel garden,
thickly planted with herbs, perennials and grasses. Three different plant matrices were designed: short
"plats", blocks of taller perennials, and swathes of grasses. These interleaved plantings create a dynamic
picture within the flat garden.
Loule Garden A new home came complete with a neglected garden that looked much the worse for wear.
The owners wanted colour throughout the year - the villa is let for much of the year - without spending a
fortune on irrigation. A border by the driveway was planted with interlocking drifts of agapanthus, daylilies
and grasses, to give colourful impact. Stone-faced terracing was built to turn a tricky, steep area behind the
house into a "hanging garden" filled with perennials with long flowering seasons, featuring many unusual
salvia and lavender varieties. Moribund fruit trees were removed and a wildflower meadow installed beside
the drive.
Eastern Algarve gardens Barrocal gardens in the classic limestone landscapes which run along the length of
the Algarve - Monday 25 April
Casa Jardim, Monday 25 April. Jan & Nigel Chapman have two acres of beautiful grounds, carefully
incorporating the natural terrain with partly-landscaped gardens, using oleanders, hibiscus, agaves and
palms, plus olive, carob and almond trees with many artistic touches from its caring owners. Photos
www.casajardim.com
Quinta das Sesmarias, Monday 25 April. Rob and Rosie Peddle have a wonderful example of letting
nature show us the way. While more formal areas around the terrace and swimming pond (designed by
Claudia and Udo Schwarzer of Piscinas Biológicas ®) incorporate the beautiful pencil cypress and other trees
which were discovered on starting the garden, large tracts are left to spontaneous native vegetation, the
only maintenance here being to keep paths and firebreaks open. A “Mediterranean lawn” by the pool is a
dazzling tapestry of flowers in the spring, and a relaxing, golden space in the summer. Wildlife abounds and
all manner of rarities, from ground orchids to chamaeleons, have been able to thrive as a result of this
sensitive management.
Conference Programme
As at 28 March 2016. All details subject to confirmation.
DATE
Friday 22 April
TIME
11.00 – 16.00
16.00 – 17.00
17.30
Olivier Filippi
Marilyn Medina
Ribeiro
18.00-19.00
19.30
Saturday 23 April
Miguel Coelho de
Sousa of PROAP
Olivier Filippi
Udo Schwarzer,
Sue Parker and Pat
O’Reilly
9.30 -10.30
10.30 – 11.00
11.15-12.30
12.30-14.00
14.00 – 18.00
18.00
19.30
Sunday 24 April
Teresa Afonso de
Paço of Inst. Superior
Author Clive Viney
and Ray Tipper
Dr Ken Thompson,
Dept of Plant
Sciences, Sheffield
University
Sue Parker & Pat
O’Reilly
9.00 -10.00
10.00-11.00
11.00-11.15
11.15-12.30
12.30-14.00
14.00-17.00
18.30
19.30
Monday 25 April
Check out for hotel
delegates
11.00-16.00
EVENT
Optional visits to private gardens/ wildflower walks Western Algarve
Arrival and check in of delegates at hotel
Welcome, Drinks Reception, start of conference programme
BOOK LAUNCH and signing, English Edition - Olivier Filippi Planting
Design for Dry Gardens
TALK – Algarve Contemporary Gardens - some examples
www.waterwisegardens.com
Informal Buffet style Dinner at the hotel
PRESENTATION on Current use, and attitudes, for native and climate
compatible plants in larger landscape projects in Portugal with Algarve
examples www.proap.pt
Coffee Break and book sales & signing
TALK “Dry gardening: a new inspiration for gardeners in the
Mediterranean region” www.jardin-sec.com
Buffet Lunch at the hotel
WILDFLOWER WALKS Guided walk to Biodiversity hotspot, Arrifana
beach, Amoreira beach, Aljezur and/or Garden Visits. Beach cafe for
afternoon refreshments.
Return to hotel books and seeds on sale in meeting room
Informal Buffet style Dinner at the hotel
PRESENTATION on Mediterranean plants in green roof construction
including overview of ongoing project at the Instituto Superior de
Agronomia, University of Lisbon, with time for questions
FCT Project Expl/atp-arp/0252/2013 Facebook page
BOOK LAUNCH and signing New revised Edition – Algarve Wildlife
the natural year - presented by Sue Parker and Pat O’Reilly
www.algarvewildlife.com
Coffee Break and book sales
TALK Soil, The Final Frontier what goes on out of sight and what do
we really know about it.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B001HMSZP2
Buffet Lunch at the hotel
WILDFLOWER WALKS Guided walk to Cape St Vincent and/or Garden
Visits
Return to Hotel,
Informal Buffet Dinner at the hotel
and end of Conference programme
Optional visits to private gardens - Eastern Algarve
Optional visit to Lugar de Olhar Feliz, Cercal, Alentejo. This has
spectacular fruit, citrus, pomegranate collections in Islamic inspired
designed garden.
Return trip to Algarve or continue to Lisbon for hotels/airport