[John J]

The venue for the 2010 AGM was another Mediterranean island, Crete, based in the town of Hania.
Our hotel, which was the Lucia if my memory serves me correct, was situated on the seafront.
The first day began with a lecture by John Fielding. A choice between 2 presentations followed. We chose the one on Waterwise Gardening.
After lunch the members were presented with another choice of activities. On this occasion we opted for a walk in the Therissos Gorge.
Day 2 and we were in the Botanical Park of Crete, created following a fire that had destroyed the family's olive trees. After lunch, taken in the Park, we headed up into the Lefka Ori for a botanising walk.
The General Assembly was held in the Arsenali on the Hania seafront. Late afternoon saw a talk on Courtyard gardens by Dr Nicholas Stavroulakis, given in the Etz-Hayyim Synagogue.
On the Optional Days there were more choices.
As we were leaving on the second of them we only had time to take part in one of the 2 days. We picked the trip to the Park for the Preservation of Flora and Fauna, a part of the Technical University of Crete.
Later we went on to the Monastery of Agia Triada. After lunch came a walk along the coast to view the maritime habitat and perhaps for those so inclined to have a swim.
Unfortunately this is another instance when I seem to have mislayed the majority of the photos I took. Of the ones I can find the first 4 are views of the Hania seafront taken from our hotel. The next 2 from the walk in Therissos Gorge and the last 3 from Agia Triada.

[John J]

The 2011 AGM was the 3rd consecutive one to be held on a Mediterranean island, Mallorca in the Balearics.
I believe our hotel was called the Roc Illetas and the first 2 photos are of views from our room.
The first item of business in the majority of AGMs is the Admin Committee Meeting, usually held on a Wednesday. On the following day an AC/Branch Head combined meeting is held. This usually occurs in the morning with a Welcome Reception in the evening for all members, who will have been arriving during the day. However on this occasion the meeting was held in the afternoon as the attending members of the AC and BHs (spouses not included) were privileged to have been invited by Heidi Gildermeister to see the garden of her home on the island. To be guided around by Heidi herself is one of the outstanding highlights of my time in the Society. Sadly, the only photos I have of this are ones that were posed as she demanded that no pictures of the garden be taken. (Photos 6 & 7).
Day 1 and we were in the Soller Botanical Garden. It was here that I saw the climber Petrea volubilis for the first time. We found one several years later but it is proving difficult to establish and is still very small. (Photos 3, 4 & 5).
Lunch was followed by a visit to the Alfabia gardens. The house and gardens had been in the same family for 600 years.
The next day we were divided into 2 groups to visit 2 private gardens. One group went to the garden of Helene and Christian Lindgens, dubbed the 'White Garden' due to the deliberate preponderance of flowers of that hue having been planted. I'm sorry to say that I found it a little bland for my taste.
After lunch the groups changed places and the garden of Gritli and Hans Leisenhoff was our destination. This was a complete contrast to the first being full of statues and topiary, as well as using a dry stream bed as a feature. (Photos 8, 9 & 10).
To be continued.

[John J]

On Optional Day 1 we were also divided into 2 groups. During the morning Group A visited the garden of Cindy Evans in Esporles. Her garden is steeply terraced on a south-west facing hillside. The first 2 photos show just a couple of her multitude of salvias.
At the same time Group B were exploring La Granja, a 1,000 year old farmhouse and grounds. This location has abundant water supplied by a natural spring. So powerful is this that it has been used to produce a fountain that shoots up to a height of around 30 metres. The next 5 photos illustrate this abundance of water. In the second one that is not a single plant but a lot of ferns growing together to resemble one.
In the afternoon the Groups swapped places.
Optional Day 2 involved a trip to the small island of Sa Dragonera that has been designated a Natural Park. The last 3 photos show a boat of members on their way to the island, another group arriving on the dock and a signpost showing a choice of destinations.
TBC.

[John J]

This AGM then broke with the tradition of previous ones by adding on a 2 day trip to the neighbouring island of Menorca.
The flight between islands took around 30 mins and on arrival we were transported to the Port Mahon Hotel. (Photo 1)
After settling in and having lunch we set off to visit the highest point on Menorca, Monte Toro. (Photo 2 view from here)
Then on down to the fishing village of Fornells for some free time to explore before heading back to the hotel, via Talati de Dalt, one of the island's numerous ancient monuments. (Photo 3 my wife next to a structure)
Next day saw a guided tour of Cuidadella, the former capital of the island plus time for shopping and lunch. (Photo 4)
In the afternoon was an abandoned quarry in which a MGS member was creating a botanic route, medieval garden and small nursery of indigenous plants. (Photo 5)
On the morning of the last day we took a cruise around the harbour with a visit to the Isla del Rey. It was here that the first Royal Naval Hospital outside the UK was built 300 years ago. It was in use until 1964 before being abandoned. In 2004 a group of volunteers began a restoration project. We were able to explore the Pharmacy, Library, Catholic and Royal Naval Chapels, autopsy room and the medicinal gardens that have been replanted with more than 85 types of plant that would have been in use in the 18th C. (Photos 6-9)
The last photo is of the group waiting to board the boat back to the hotel to prepare to leave for Mallorca and onward passage home.

[Hilary]

Great collection of photos

[John J]

In 2012 the AGM was held in Australia. An operation that entailed a no-flying ban for several months scuppered any thoughts of attending.
The 2013 meeting was certainly memorable in one way. I had been persuaded to stand as a candidate for election to the AC. I came 4th in the voting and so served the next 3 years as Vice President of the Society.
It obviously was not so memorable in another way as I seem to have misplaced much of the paperwork associated with the AGM and, sadly, the majority of the photos taken. I have had to rely on ones taken by my wife.
The venue was Greece, based in the Athens suburb of Kifissia. If my memory is correct we stayed in the Hotel des Roses, a hotel that I have used on numerous occasions since.
The programme lists visits to Mt Parnitha and to a number of gardens over the first 2 days. Without photos to jog my memory I'm loathe to comment on any of them. At some point the first photo was taken on the threshing floor at Sparoza.
The General Assembly was held in the Gaia Centre of the Goulandris Museum in Kifissia.
The optional days involved a trip to the south-west Peloponnese. On the way we stopped for a quick refreshment break at the Corinth Canal (Photo 2)
We also paid a visit to Semeli winery (Photos 3 & 4)
Our destination was the resort at Costa Navarino. Our room had its own swimming pool outside the French windows. In fact many of the rooms had the same situation. (Photos 5 & 6)
There was also a visit to Ancient Messini and a guided walk around parts of the reserve. (Photo 7)
I do remember that the food and company were both excellent. (Photo

[John J]

My apologies for the photos but I had to transfer them from my wife's computer and something seems to have gone amiss. On my computer they are the right way around but on posting they have gone askew. Unfortunately I don't know how to correct this anomaly. Sorry.
Figured it out and fixed it, and without having to consult my 'technical advisor'. 

[Hilary]

I'll jump in here with a link with more photos of the AGM 2013

http://www.mediterraneangardensocietyarchive.org/75-agm.html

[John J]

Many thanks for that, Hilary. Those photos kick-started my aging memory. I remember the walk up the mountain through the burnt out areas. Also the garden with Jennifer Gay and Piers Goldson. I like Katherine's photos too, we had a long chat on the first night in Navarino.

[John J]

We are up to 2014 and the AGM was scheduled for Menton, France, located between the Principality of Monaco and the Italian border. A beautiful area and a nice hotel, the Royal Westminster. (Photo 1)
Some excellent gardens visited, but from a personal point of view the format used was a little disappointing, centred around the fact that participating members were placed into 4 groups for the 2 days. This division inhibited one of the pleasures associated with these gatherings, that of interconnecting with old friends, and making the acquaintance of new ones, except for the short periods of the Welcome Reception and Farewell Dinner.
Day 1 and our Group (D) set off for the Serre de la Madone garden. This was the property of Major Lawrence Johnston, who had contributed to the redesigning of Hidcote Manor in England. (Photos 2 & 3)
At lunch we crossed paths briefly with Group C, before heading for the Hanbury Botanic Gardens at La Mortola. (Photos 4 & 5 show the Moorish Mausoleum where the ashes of Thomas Hanbury and his wife are buried)
On another personal note, that evening while searching for a place to eat we stumbled on a small Moroccan establishment in a back street of Menton. Earlier in the year we had spent a fantastic 10 days in Morocco on a MGS Excursion with Chris and Basak Gardner, so this seemed like a good opportunity to do a bit of comparing, foodwise. In the event it proved to be excellent, and very reasonably priced.
Day 2 and Group D were bound for Monaco, not for the casinos but for the Jardin Exotique de Monaco. This garden specialises in cacti and succulents and has been created on a steeply sloping hillside that overlooks the Bay of Monaco.
I must have been impressed by this garden as I took a lot of photos, starting with the last 5 below. More to follow.

[John J]

A whole post dedicated to the garden, with the view over the city from the garden at the end.

[John J]

A short visit to Monaco old town and the cathedral (Photos 1 & 2) was followed by once more taking lunch with Group C.
The afternoon saw us in the gardens of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. (Photo 3 was taken from the balcony visible in photo 4)
The General Assembly was held in the Fort dell'Annunziata, Ventimiglia, Italy.
On this occasion we did not book for the 2 Optional Days.

[Hilary]

 Great photos
And for more look at this link


http://www.mediterraneangardensocietyarchive.org/79-agm.html

[John J]

The AGM 2015 provided another of the highly memorable moments in my time in the MGS. The venue was the island of Ischia off the coast of Italy. It was based at the world-renowned garden of La Mortella, created by Lady Susana Walton as a place of peace and refuge for her composer husband, Sir William Walton.
As for the memorable aspect, that began when the curator of the garden, the lovely Alessandra Vinciguera, offered the members of the AC (myself being one of them as Vice President) accommodation within the garden. Obviously we all accepted this generous offer. We had to pay but it was worth every penny to wake up each morning in such a major garden and to stroll down to breakfast in the Tea Room, unforgettable.
Photo 1 shows a map of the garden. The accommodation was in the building below No18, the semi-circular theatre. In fact the flat roof of the building is the stage. Open air musical concerts are held here.
Photo 2 is the front of the accommodation block.
Photos 3 & 4 are views towards the sea taken from the roof of the block.
Photo 5 is of what is known as William's Stone, and is the last resting place of the composer's ashes.
Photo 6 is in another part of the garden and is where Lady Walton's ashes are buried.
On the morning of Day 1 we visited the Archeological Museum of Pithecusa in Lacco Ameno.
Photo 7 shows the museum sign, 8 & 9 are inside the museum and 10 is the view from outside the museum.

[John J]

Photo 1, lunch stop in Ischia Ponte.
On to the coach bound for the largest volcano on the island for a hiking tour to the centre of the crater.
Photo 2, members feeling the heat coming from a small fumerole.
Photo 3, the fumerole in question.
Photo 4, the centre of the crater. It is, of course, dormant and covered in vegetation.
Photo 5, Aragonese Castle, where all the inhabitants of Ischia lived up to 200 years ago.
Day 2 started with a glass bottom boat tour of Marine's Archeo-bio underwater ruins. Alas no photos.
Return to La Mortella for lunch followed by a guided tour of the garden.
The photos below are of some of the things we had found during our free time in the garden. A selection of photos of plants will follow in another post.
Photos 6 & 7, birds in the aviary. Note the use of a broken pot from the Tea Room as a nesting box.
Photo 8, a tiled Zodiac.
Photo 9, a stone crocodile eyeing a stone fish.
Photo 10, a river of blue stones.