Amandine Maria came with little Arthur who, at five months, is already learning to look everywhere and enjoy. His mother will provide me later on with a new colourful map of the hillside but already left me a lovely farewell illustration.
http://www.amandine-maria.net/
Stan Alaguillaume was for years head gardener at the Domaine du Rayol, more recently at the exemplary MuCem gardens in Marseilles, now has his own agency http://L’Atelier des Méditerranées but still works closely with Gilles Clément on various projects. He came to Rousselonge to consider how best to use time, take a break, and finally rested much less than he had planned. On his first day he met up with David Moinard, also working with Gilles as artistic director on the Watershed project sponsored by the regional park http://www.parc-monts-ardeche.fr/actions-du-parc-en-faveur-du-territoire/le-partage-des-eaux.html . We all went for lunch to the home of architects Simone and Lucien Kroll. Next day at the Joyeuse market Stan had a long talk with agro-ecologist pioneer Pierre Rabhi (websites too numerous to list):
The next day Stan was off to see another project that Gilles Clément has contributed to, the art trail called Le Sentier des Lauzes http://surlesentierdeslauzes.fr/ where he was warmly received. He is hoping to organize small meetings of like-minded ecological gardeners at Rousselonge. Meanwhile there were several visitors keen to explore the hillside in spring down to the stream at the bottom, looking well and well-kept thanks to our unrpredictible but efficient gardener.
Banks rose, rosemary, white oak, Judas tree, “honesty”
old chestnut tree trunks
stream at the bottom of Rousselonge Ravine