When we arrived, the garden consisted mainly of a large lawn, surrounded by a cluster of birch trees, a magnolia grandiflora and a few ornamental plants, bordered on either side by dense hedges that had grown up over the years from shrubs and self-sown plants (plenty of bay laurels, cotoneasters, etc.). Two young fruit trees had just been planted there (a fig tree and a dwarf pear tree).

Where we should have taken the time to assess the site’s characteristics (aspect, prevailing winds, slope, etc.) and engaged in a proper ‘design’ process, we quickly set about selecting the plants we wished to keep and planting our first trees. This step would, however, have saved us a great deal of hard work later on, particularly the creation of terraces—made possible by the slope—after most of our planting had been completed…

Formerly used for market gardening, our 550 m² garden faces north-east, with the sunniest part at the far end of the plot. It slopes slightly and the soil is rich (up to 30 cm of fertile topsoil over a layer of clay).

Our initial impulse was to move away from the idea of a vegetable patch at the back of the garden, reserving the area closest to the house for flower beds. We wanted to combine productive plants with ornamental ones. In 2022, as close as possible to our terrace, we built semi-circular raised beds. After four years of experimentation, due to constraints regarding exposure and maintenance, we decided to move the vegetable garden to the upper plot, incorporating the option of installing a shade sail during heatwaves.

Next to a free-standing cherry tree, we planted several small or espaliered fruit trees to maximise sunlight, facilitate the use of organic pest control methods, and now tackle the presence of the spotted wing drosophila.

We also wanted to promote biodiversity by favouring honey plants, maintaining a deadwood storage area, and creating a pond (in 2020) and dry stone walls (in 2025). Ultimately, the greatest challenge has proved to be preserving a patch of poor soil that encourages the establishment of pioneer plants.