Nadia, seed multiplier in Gironde, France

Just half an hour from the hustle and bustle of the waves at Hourtin, and a stone's throw from the Brion archaeological site, lies a former conservatory garden, now a perennial paradise thanks to the arrival of Nadia and Luc. A fortress of oaks, ashes, saskatoons, hawthorns and other hedgerow species ensures that the hot, windy episodes of the oceanic climate are mitigated, much to the relief of the fragile petals of these rare varieties. The 5 hectares of rich, balanced soil, well hidden between the sandy forests and marshland of Reysson, were a real coup de coeur for the botanist.

Experienced in soil studies, she wouldn't have left her little hill in the Lot-et-Garonne if the land hadn't convinced her of its richness. Since then, squash, gourds and other cucurbits have covered the soil with fruit of gigantic proportions, without requiring any input. "It's gratifying to see that my knowledge and our work are being put to good use. In Lot-et-Garonne, the soil and climate conditions weren't right for good production. The soil was stony, rocky and sloping in an arid climate. We gambled on this land and left everything behind to set up our mobile home in this new region, and we're delighted. "

Nadia proudly presents each Latin name and botanical description, accompanied by Luc, who has been learning alongside her for several years. The task now is to remember that the seed of "Salvia Splendens" is harvested before the upper seeds are fully ripe, that "Nepeta Sp Blue" is bushier and more aromatic than the tuberous variety, that the "Lobelia Siphilitica" are dehiscent and should be harvested when they look like little mole heads... Seeing Luc's admiration for his companion, we understand that Nadia's passion for flora makes her a veritable wellspring of science.

For her, the most important thing is to obtain beautiful plants. "And to do that, you have to read a lot and, above all, work in the field. I took a distance-learning BEPA in Floral Production, which I passed thanks to self-study. "Her indefatigable curiosity and a touch of anti-conformism led her to experiment with all kinds of production: lemon trees, mango trees, avocado trees? installed in her student apartment, then a farm with over 1000 species of cactus in the heart of Brittany... Even now, she continues her experiments by gleaning varieties here and there, which she welcomes into her new sanctuary in the Médoc.

When we see Nadia spinning her own cotton to recharge her wick lighter, we too would like to learn alongside her. "Things are passed on. My grandfather was a fine gardener and worked for a château, and my father grew his own garden, so they were familiar with the practices of Parisian market gardeners. My son is more and more interested. For many years, I taught market gardening to the users of the Aubrecay CART, alongside Didier Meunier, and at the La Rochelle hospital CAT. Now that I'm settled in, I don't have the time to reproduce all these varieties and welcome the public, but sometimes I'm relieved that some of our friends leave here having learned that one seed equals one plant, and that one plant equals thousands of seeds. We've also sent a photo album of our year in the garden to our respective parents. Following us is a delight and a source of satisfaction for them. "

Her father even got involved to the point of building a dryer, a pretty wooden spoon to loosen the tomato seeds from the drying cloths and all sorts of sieves. The larger of the two mobile homes has even become the seed workshop. Luc, sitting on the steps, triggers the smallest seeds and dust hidden in the middle of a beautiful batch of "Albina Vereduna" white beet seeds with a simple hairdryer. Next door, Nadia has set up her herb garden. Savory, thyme, marjoram, hyssop, chives, parsley and arugula - all essential condiments for a good vegetable meal - are close at hand. Under a small greenhouse, a few more cacti, including the astonishing "Lithops" or "Pebble Cactus", and the "Cephalocereus Senilis" also known as "Old Man's Beard", in memory of her past discoveries.

We then leave Nadia to her notebooks tracking transplanting, watering and harvesting for a final tour of the scents, between the swarms of wild bees trying to make their nests in theand the whirling of the cantharid fly and Moro-sphinx who are surprised that we too are not beautiful flowers to be foraged.