The event celebrates its 10th anniversary, with FATACIL as the venue for the special edition in November
– October 23, 2024
The Autumn Mediterranean Garden Fair is almost around the corner, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Mediterranean Gardening Association Portugal.
This unique event, considered the largest garden fair in Portugal and the only one dedicated to Mediterranean gardening, is “the celebration of the start of the gardening year and is dedicated to making beautiful and sustainable Mediterranean gardens with minimum water use”.
The event will take place on November 2 and 3 for the first time at the FATACIL venue, in Lagoa, providing bigger facilities for visitors and exhibitors.
The new location will allow the displays from some of the most popular plant growers to be even larger than at previous events, giving “the opportunity for the event to grow in the future”, shared Rosie Peddle, from the Mediterranean Gardening Association Portugal.
There will be a record-breaking 50-plus exhibitors at this event “as the space available is larger than before”.
“We are very grateful for the support of Lagoa Câmara who stepped in to offer our event a home. Many people are already familiar with the site, and it has a lovely open-air aspect with many trees,” stated Rosie Peddle.
Among the selection of plants available from the 20 nurseries present will be succulents, robust Mediterranean species, fruit trees, native plants and seeds, aromatic herbs and a good range of house plants and orchids. Visitors will also have the chance to participate in the popular Felco garden tools free maintenance workshop.
A novelty for this year’s edition will be the three presentations on both days: demonstrations on stands with the ‘Change your Garden – Change our World’ theme, a solar cooking display – which will offer advice on growing drought-resistant bromeliads – as well as a very special presentation on natural swimming ponds.
The event will also bring to light problems related to the “continuing drought, water use restrictions and changes in weather patterns” which “have made it more important than ever that we take a long, hard look at how we manage our gardens – with a focus on water, needless use of chemicals and plant choices”, featuring a presentation on ‘How to get rid of your lawn and what to plant instead’.
Entry donations of €1 per adult will be used to support the association’s educational activities with schools, local councils and the general public, which includes helping create native plant and drought-resistant gardens that need no irrigation with the hands-on involvement of students and employees.
This year’s new additions will be the display of chicken wire sculptures for the garden, Benji’s heirloom vegetable seed varieties sale, and a talk on making bokashi compost and beautiful flower arrangements for the home.
The event will have a permanent bar service, as well as offer free advice, or a ‘plant clinic’, to provide support for making sustainable gardens using native and climate-appropriate planting.
A full list of exhibitors will be published online closer to the start of the event.
Anyone interested in participating in the event can contact [email protected].
For more information about the event, visit the Mediterranean Gardening Association Portugal website or the Facebook page MedGardenersPortugal.
Talks schedule – Autumn Garden Fair 2024
Theme – Change your Garden, Change our World
Saturday, November 2
12pm-1pm – How to get rid of your lawn and what to plant instead by Jessica Gomes and Rosie Peddle
1.30pm-2.30pm – Trees you can eat – new book – the last to complete the “Edible Landscapes” trilogy by Fernanda Botelho
3pm-4pm – Natural swimming ponds by Claudia and Udo Schwarzer
Sunday, November 3
11am-12pm – Bromeliads for the Garden – new book by Jorge Freixial
12.30pm-1.30pm – Bokashi composting by Joanna and Riki, Green Tribe People
2pm-3pm – Workshop on propagating plants for your dry garden by Jessica Gomes and Rosie Peddle
(All presentations in English and Portuguese)
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