By Kevin Hurd, Research Horticulturist at Walters Gardens, Inc.
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| French hybridizer Thierry Delabroye works his booth at Courson. |
On a recent trip to Europe, I stopped by an exposition at the beautiful Château de Courson on the southwest outskirts of Paris to visit plant breeder Thierry Delabroye. The exposition is a kind of horticultural farmers market where customers can shop for some of the newest and rarest plants. Just for the opportunity to browse the market, people pay an entrance fee of about $20 US. Though this may seem high, over 30,000 visitors eagerly attend each fall and the exposition becomes more popular every year.
Originally the home of the Lamoignon family, the château has been in the same family since the 18th century. Its historic park was laid out in formal style by a pupil of André Le Nôtre in the 18th century. During the 19th century, the gardens were twice remodeled, first around 1820 for the Duc de Padoue by the landscaper Berthault, then again around 1860 by the Bülhers, who laid out many French parks and gardens, including those of Rennes, Lyon and Bordeaux (Source: Wikipedia).
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| Toasting a fun day of shopping at Courson! |
Thierry and his wife Sandrine were exhibitors at this prestigious event at Courson. Fortunately, for them (though unfortunately for me) their stand was the busiest on the grounds and I wasn't able to spend much time with them. Thierry and Sandrine's Heucheras, especially 'Tiramisu', were the hit of the show. They sold all of their plants in the first two days! Returning customers were disappointed that they had run out of not only 'Tiramisu', but all of their new H. villosa hybrids including: 'Pinot Gris', 'Pinot Noir', 'Beaujolais', 'Pistache', 'Encore', and 'Christa'. Even Thierry's less recent introductions, 'Brownies', 'Caramel', 'Citronelle', and 'Mocha' sold out.
It was very encouraging to see so many people as excited as I am about these new Heuchera varieties. The French, as well as the other Europeans that attend the show at Courson, are very in tune to these new and improved varieties and are anxious to replace their outdated counterparts in their gardens. Of course, after all of this the French put their own twist on plant buying with a glass of wine to celebrate their purchases. Cheers!
Article Update: The new Heuchera 'Blackout' PPAF from breeder Dirk Scheys of Belgium took the top prize at Courson this fall! The Merite award is given by an international jury and is the most prestigious award given at Courson. 'Blackout' is now available in 65mm and 35mm Elle Plugs from Walters Gardens, Inc. Congratulations, Dirk!
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| Breeder Dirk Scheys poses with his fabulous specimen of Heuchera 'Blackout' PPAF which won top prize at Courson. |