Push open the door to an enchanting place, the Jardin des Sittelles...
A few minutes' drive from the town of Arzano, a deserted, winding road leads straight to a garden of a thousand colours. Today I have an appointment with Jacques and Gérard, two enthusiasts who have created a feat from nothing... as it were a four-handed work from a blank canvas, straight from the imagination and know-how of the two accomplices...
Imagine a piece of land, an uncultivated field of one and a half hectares, in 1993... "It's simple, there was nothing... The village had been ravaged by the hurricane", explains Gérard. The village had been devastated by the hurricane of 1987," explains Gérard. "It took over two years to clear the land! The land was then left to grass until 2010, when we retired.
Retirement means availability. Time for gardening... The lawn gradually gave way to flower beds, for personal pleasure. Time to travel... Each trip was an opportunity to bring back different species from the four corners of France and Navarre!
When you love, you don't count!
Hydrangeas, camellias, perennials, rhododendrons, azaleas... The garden now boasts 4,000 different varieties, including 350 varieties of azalea and rhododendron, 350 varieties of hydrangea, 250 varieties of camellia, more than 50 varieties of Japanese maple, not to mention the 45-variety hosta collection started just two years ago, not to mention the impressive number of shrubs, grasses, roses... and so many more!
And when you love it, you share it!
As you can see, a stroll through this garden is an escape into abundant, lush vegetation, with all its nooks and crannies. It's hard to believe that this is a young garden, only 12 years old, with so many flowers and shrubs in full bloom. A bread oven and centuries-old oak trees remind you that you're in the heart of Brittany. In fact, these oaks must be the nesting ground for nuthatches, the little bird with the distinctive vocalizations that give the garden its name.
There's no doubt about it, apart from the sun and the water, it's the know-how, enthusiasm and courage of our two enthusiasts that are contributing to the development of this 100% ecological island of biodiversity.
I imagine that with a setting like this, you don't really want to leave home, but here's a quick question for everyone: "Tell me, what's your favourite place in the Quimperlé area? Gérard's answer without hesitation: "The port and the Merrien ria, it's magnificent! And the Morvan oysters are a delight! For Jacques, it's the banks of the Laïta, "magical!
Ready to escape?
