The winners of the flower garden competition received their prizes on Sunday, November 24. The ceremony took place in Saint-Fiacre, one of the seven participating towns.
Prizes in the flower garden competition could only be awarded in Saint-Fiacre, the village in the name of the patron saint of market gardeners and gardeners. This year, seven municipalities in the Pays de Meaux participated in the operation led by the association Les Amis de Saint-Fiacre which rewards the most beautiful gardens and which also takes into account efforts in water saving and various aspects linked to development sustainable.
Paule Leroux, historian, secretary of the national and international Saint-Fiacre festivals, indicates: “Jean-François Larue, president of the Saint-Fiacre brotherhood of Dijon, Christian Vavon, former mayor of Saint-Fiacre, were among the founders of the association which brings together all those who participate in Saint-Fiacre. Subsequently, there were international festivals. In 1999, right here, we celebrated Saint-Fiacre, with the support of the Department and the surrounding communities. The late senator Michel Houel helped us a lot, even on very practical levels. He came to our organizational meetings… After covid, a wind of individualism blew and large communities abandoned us, but small groups like us are doing well. Despite the difficulties, Jean-François and his wife, Denise, help us considerably. »
The first prizes from the participating municipalities, Varreddes, Trilport, Boutigny, Villemareuil, Nanteuil-lès-Meaux, Crégy-lès-Meaux, and Saint-Fiacre, received an umbrella made in the Vosges with the coat of arms of the Friends of Saint-Fiacre and flowers offered by the Poullain garden center.
Nanteuil-lès-Meaux and Crégy-lès-Meaux, named first prizes of the communes by the association Les Amis de Saint-Fiacre, received a camellia and a check which will be used, as one suspects, to buy land for the camellia and pamper other plants.
Nicole Lamandé, president of the Les Amis de Saint-Fiacre association, underlines: “We hope next year to have more municipalities who would like to join us in the adventure. The competition has existed since 1992 and every year we reward the first prizes in each municipality. »
Laurent Delagarde, treasurer of the association, adds: “We want to relaunch our campaign with the municipalities. Before there were up to twenty participants but there was covid and then changes in municipalities. It's complicated to keep associations that are based on volunteers alive. »
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