We are a family of 6 gardeners, 2 parents and 4 children. We garden in this garden since the end of 2016 in zero phytosanitary. First we tried to create a real reserve of biodiversity (LPO reserve) then after the installation of the nest boxes in the area of the garden that we nickname «the forest», where is the enclosure of our 4 Indian runner ducks, we created a biodiversity pond with a buried hibernaculum attached. A beautiful knee-high hole filled with gravel branches, some terracotta pots for the hibernation of creatures and insects. A first wall took place to avoid an accidental fall in the hibernaculum and promote lizards. Restaurants and hedgehog shelters are placed in the garden, near the hedge of Thuya. We voluntarily leave some areas of tall grass. We planted small fruit trees, small fruit trees (hedge of redcurrants and blueberries at the entrance of the garden) 2 lines of raspberry, 1 line of camerisiers. Apple, pear, cherry (dwarf, colonar, trellised U and double U) trees were installed. This winter we added a vine peach and an apricot tree. A beautiful hazel massif is at the front of our home. Cross-pollination has been a challenge specifically for camerisiers and cherry colonnades, fruiting has been low and we have studied the subject to solve these concerns
Following a long covid between 2020 and 2022 with severe anosmia for some of us; we have strongly increased the cultivation of fragrant plants rosebushes, iris, lavender Hidcot, lavandin, lemon verbena, verbena mente (Aloysia polystacha), shrub and herbaceous sage. We re-educate our noses regularly and bees of all kinds are delighted. In our garden many plants grow spontaneously among others the black elderberry, arums, nettles, geranium Robert, the epiaria of the woods… We currently grow few vegetables, tomatoes in raised bins and potatoes under straw. We delimited the future vegetable zone and made a surface composter at this place that we obscured by a blackout cover. The garden is mulched years raised wooden bins we use for irrigation containers in reclaimed terracotta or homemade from pots (oyas) We took part in the Jardiner autrement contest in 2022 and had the joy of winning an incentive prize for the large garden category. There is much to be said about this garden… we have an experience to share based on our very formative failures and successes.