Scientifically called Bryophyte, this plant makes up a plant kingdom that receives scant attention in our corner of the world. Often viewed as the enemy of our lawns, it constantly preys on gardeners' minds, who try all sorts of tricks to rid the garden of them. Nothing must get in the way of a beautiful smooth lawn!
Despite their remarkable minimalism and plasticity, bryophytes are an unknown quantity to the public at large, and yet they exhibit an unbelievable diversity of colours and textures. Drawing inspiration from Japanese gardens, like Kokedera in Kyoto, this garden presents an extraordinary collection of the finest mosses and ferns in France.
Its original micro-landscapes remind us that moss predates the time of man, as well as that of trees, flowers, ferns and forests of giant horsetail, some three hundred million years ago.
The omnipresent green carpeting the ground and catching your eye will immerse you in a dreamlike silence, where the toned down or vanished sounds will sharply bring out the crystal-clear birdsong and gurgling waterfall.
DESIGNER
Chloé RICOU, DPLG-qualified landscaper, Agathe LE MIRE, landscaper, and Florian DUBOS, gardener-botanist
FRANCE
From left to right: Agathe Le Mire, Florian Dubos and Chloé Ricou
Chloé Ricou is a State-registered (DPLG) landscaper. Before being admitted to the Versailles School of Landscaping, she spent two years at Rennes School of Architecture. In 2012, the Erasmus programme provided her with an opportunity to explore fresh horizons and she spent time in Barcelona, as well as in Valparaiso in Chile. Following her third-year dissertation, she joined a CNRS research programme on Île de Réunion’s exurban fringes. Her landscaper’s eye is also that of a geographer and sociologist. Her most recent projects have been carried out in rural areas: small-scale territorial studies in which she and Agathe Le Mire developed a participatory method implemented in number of Limousin’s municipalities. She currently works freelance between Brittany and the Paris region.
Agathe Le Mire
“As a young graduate of the Versailles School of Landscaping, I’m interested in what goes to make up landscapes: human beings, animals and plants. I taught myself the rudiments of botany during long country walks, then went on to improve my practical knowledge by enrolling in a course on plants and their environments at the Natural History Museum. I got to appreciate the true diversity of ornamental plants during a placement at the Île de Bréhat collection nursery garden, where I familiarised myself with plant reproduction. Having gained initial professional landscaping experience as a project manager for Paris City Hall and working for landscaping agencies, I now hope to add to my knowledge of nature and horticulture by working with professionals with a keen and curious eye on what surrounds them.”
Florian Dubos
“I’m a recently graduated Botanist/Gardener who has been fascinated by plants ever since I can remember. I started off by studying agriculture for four years, obtaining a Professional Baccalaureate in Horticultural Products in Brittany, followed by a Higher Technical Certificate (BTS) in the same subject. My love of nature then led me to botany, which I’d been interested in since my first steps in horticulture. Seeking to combine my knowledge of agriculture with that of plants and their ecosystems, I turned my attention to agroecology, an area in which I’ve been working over the past couple of years by doing voluntary work on farms and in communities in Argentina and Chile. I completed my studies with an internship at Nancy’s Conservatory and Botanical Garden and a training course in Botany/Gardening at Besançon, devoting last year to preparing for a career in botany, in particular by working at the ‘Jardin d’Altitude du Haut Chitelet’ in the High Vosges.”
