The garden was built to embody a positive presence in the world. Une graine d’espoir (A Seed of Hope) is a haven of peace for wild flowers and insects, inseparable duos for the last 130 million years. Insects are the Earth’s secret architects. By taking good care of them, we take care of our own environment.

The pathway was designed to run through a lush green wood and around a hedgerow. It leads to an inner oasis whose plants sometimes spill over onto it, just as individual actions may impact the world. Arriving in this haven is a striking experience: wild flowers are given the same care usually reserved for vegetable gardens. Behind a row of dwarf apple trees, a variety of vegetables and flowers provide nourishment for bees, butterflies and other such creatures. A living waltz that engages all the senses, listening to the soundtrack of their buzzing and humming, observing the changing colours of the seasons and breathing in the fragrant scents of fruits and herbs. Layout bypasses metal and plastic, even for the watering system. Only recycled materials are used. It is a matter of urgency to universalise this approach in the face of loss of species, global warming and galloping pollution. Gardens reinvigorate us if they are shared with nature and protected as seed libraries for the future. The ideal garden sows hope.