Do as much as you can with the least possible impact
« A garden gives us a way of re-engaging with nature, of reconnecting with it. » Gilles Clément, gardener.
The biodiversity garden is a garden that’s open to life. Where we stop trying control everything. With less stringent management, we get to see more birds, mushrooms, wild flowers and hedgehogs The aim is to respect the ecological balance and avoid excessive intervention. It is about transforming the garden, its living environment and its place within nature. Such a garden inspires us to get out into the fresh air more often. It pulsates in rhythm with the seasons.
The principles of ecological gardening
- Plant native species that are well adapted to local conditions, more resilient and beneficial to wildlife.
- Create favourable habitats for flora and fauna, with trees where birds can perch and find cover to hide in, with flowers and seeds to feed on, piles of wood, hedges and a pond, etc. This is about creating a mosaic of landscapes that attracts more living creatures, even in small gardens.
- Give nature more freedom, for instance pruning and mowing less often, and only at the right time, after the birds have finished nesting.
- Cultivate the pleasure of watching your garden develop year-round, have a little patience and keep things simple.
The benefits
Less maintenance work
Paths and recreational areas are mown, but the rest of the garden needs less work.
Ongoing changes
The garden will evolve from one season to the next, and from one year to the next, prompting ever-renewed curiosity.
More life
The biodiversity garden attracts a lot more birds, remarkable insects and butterflies, even deer and other mammals… It helps to rebuild the biodiversity.
Less watering
The biodiversity garden is more resistant to drought and other climatic threats.
Some examples of our work
The biodiversity garden is comprised of various different landscape elements, chosen according to the context: wild flower meadows, ponds, hedges, vegetable gardens, microforests, food forests, orchards, rainwater harvesting installations, prominent solitary trees.
Le chalet
Nicolas’ own biodiversity garden in Hotton.
A garden open to the public
An inspiring garden in Tournai, including an orchard and a microforest.
An urban garden
A Brussels garden transformed into a diverse ecological haven.
Le Bois de Fa
An evolving garden near Brussels that draws on ideas by Gilles Clément.
A garden in the Ardennes
A hillside garden that embraces the Ardennes character, with a freely developing forest, an orchard and a meadow.
Harvesting rainwater
In a Provençal garden affected by drought and erosion, measures to collect rainwater have improved the situation.
A garden in Alsace
Turning a maize field into a biodiversity garden.
A garden evolving as an ecosystem
A revitalised ecosystem, low-maintenance and with an open landscape.
Le Chalet
The Chalet is Nicolas’s home. By experimenting with biodiversity gardening here he is always learning new things. Measuring half-hectare, the garden is located in the Famenne region on quite difficult soil that combines schist and clay and is surrounded by forest. Little has been planted here, with most of the vegetation growing spontaneously. The trees and shrubs are lightly pruned, just enough to enhance their forms. The meadow is managed with just occasional mowing to encourage wildflowers. Each line of view has been fine-tuned to obtain balance and harmony. The garden changes subtly from year to year, depending on the climate and new discoveries. It aims to accommodate a wide diversity of life, without needing much maintenance.
Le Bois de Fa
This magnificent garden near Brussels was inspired by landscape gardener Gilles Clément, with three key concepts: the garden in movement (the garden evolving from one season to the next), the third landscape (parts of the garden evolving spontaneously, with no intervention) and the planetary garden (the intermingling of species causes the landscape to evolve). Numerous elements comprise the Bois de Fa : a Miyawaki forest, meadows, food-producing hedges, an orchard, a vegetable garden, a freely developing forest, a clearing, a pond..
A garden in Alsace
When Nathalie inherited her family home in Alsace, she decided to reclaim the field in front of the house and turn it into a biodiversity garden. She wanted to create a beautiful natural garden, while also hiding some nearby farm buildings. She hoped to encourage biodiversity with not too much upkeep, and also to have an orchard. The garden is already rapidly establishing itself.
A garden open to the public
Two people bought an old pasture in the heart of the village of Mont-Saint-Aubert, near Tournai, to make a beautiful garden out of it, one that would inspire visitors. The soil was highly compacted. The water wouldn’t soak in properly. The wind was drying out the land. We started by digging channels to aid the rainwater infiltration, and followed this with other elements: an orchard, a wildflower meadow, a Miyawaki microforest, a mixed hedge around the boundary, and a mown path traversing the area. The garden is changing with each passing season.
A garden in the Ardennes
This is a garden in the middle of the Ardennes that faces a significant constraint: it is on a steep slope and overgrown with brambles. The first step was to design a plan, with a path linking the noteworthy parts of the garden. We needed to create a new entrance, but we wanted to preserve the typical Ardennes character of the garden — its wild feeling. We preserved the spontaneously growing forest, which is developing freely now, with animals regularly passing through. An orchard and a large clearing were added. The owners can explore the garden on foot or in a buggy, enjoying some remarkable views.
A garden evolving as an ecosystem
This garden had been more or less abandoned for some time. It needed a new lease of life. The owners wanted the garden to become a complete ecosystem needing little upkeep that is open to animals passing through. First of all, we produced a map of the whole space to visualise the general structure and its key elements, and we decided to build on the spontaneous vegetation with a few unobtrusive improvements. We opened up the landscape to make the most of the magnificent setting that extends beyond the property. We drew up a programme of maintenance activities to make the upkeep easier, though this is not rigid because the garden is constantly evolving.
A biodiversity garden in the city
This urban garden in Brussels consisted entirely of a large lawn surrounded by a few trees, but the owner wanted something different: a truly ecological garden that would accommodate plenty of different plants, a microforest, fruit trees, a wildflower meadow and a pond. We put all this in place bit by bit, and now the garden is a delightful haven of wildlife, where there are new things to discover every day.
Harvesting rainwater and counteracting erosion
This garden is situated near to the mountain of Sainte-Victoire in Provence. Its sloping land was bare, succumbing to erosion caused by the run-off of heavy storms. It remained very dry because little rainwater would infiltrate the soil properly. Our objectives were therefore to understand the paths taken by the water, slow the rainwater run-off and help it infiltrate, and to stop the erosion. After mapping the space, we completed the extensive groundwork necessary to catch and hold the water. The project actually entails two parts. Firstly, the rainwater harvesting and slowing down the run-off. Then planting trees and shrubs to stabilise the ground and enhance the garden. The soil and vegetation work together. With the right care and attention, the land will gradually become more beautiful, in a natural way that respects the authenticity of the Provencal landscape.
The process
1/ Meet the owner. Visit the garden.
2/ Plan the garden and present an overall vision, defining a step-by-step programme, with options. The whole package must fit your budget.
3/ Carry out the garden improvements.
4/ Follow-up and advice on garden upkeep We plan visits to monitor progress.