Who we are

Gardeners, from the beginning, and proud of it. In fair weather, within the Gerber family we can meet...

A sort of current of air, three quarters of the time covered with dust, passing the cultivator or sitten on the ground, cursing while he's trying to repair leaks in the water system. But we can also meet him like a wizard, armed with a stick, stirring up extremely aromatic smelling mixtures, and then, humming with a sprayer on his back weaving through the cultures, distributing his magic potions. Sometimes, this extraterrestrial transforms himself into an 'intraterrestrial': scraping, excavating, stirring up, sowing and hoeing the ground. Other times, he goes back to his origins looking for various occupations perched in the trees. Often (except in the rain) he is accompanied by Minette, our white she-cat, always interested to be in the prime position for better seeing the evolving landscape. We also can discover him behind a carriage charged to the brim with apples, peaches or flowers. If he passes nearby, we receive a generous smile and sometimes he stops and we can pass the time of day with Pierre.

To see him happy and relaxed come and visit the Garden in the rain! Then, we can find his head hidden under a large umbrella. Profiting as much as the plants from this divine shower, he is finally himself only a visitor of this Garden. A heavy rain will always guide his steps towards the river, the Aude, to better observe its swelling, because a drop too much can lead to flooding, and then it forgets all on its passage. It's rare, in theory the Aude knows to hold itself, but it happened in 1992.

He has taken vocational training in tree-growing and vegetable gardening. He was born in 1955 Sign of the zodiac: earth worm! What he hates more than anything: an engine which does not want to start. What he likes more than anything: the indescribable fragrance of Albizzia flowers.

If, in the first days of spring, you discover here and there large heaps of brushwood, grass and branches, in going from heap to heap and you will end up seeing a posterior part emerging from the vegetation with agitated arms a little bit lower.

Cough slightly, and you can pass the time of day with Gabrielle, who will straighten herself up with a radiant smile; she'll probably explain to you that her "Cestrums" needs a small refreshment and if it seems to you like she's speaking Chinese, she will explain that we can also call them by a normal name like Night Jessamine. She often speaks about the plants with odd words but will calm you at the slightest dilation of your pupils by describing thoroughly their aspects and their needs. Usually, she starts with: "So, this is a splendid plant which..." and leads us to it's deeper discovery.

But at the first drop of rain, watch out, she disappears...... ...we can find her again in the greenhouse, there is always something to sow, - make cuttings, - to repot - to sprinkle - to cut - to prop - to label - to clean - to arrange. Sometimes she passes hours and hours in her workshop, a kind of cavern filled with all kinds of dried flowers waiting to be composed. There she is sustained by a gentle Siamese tomcat, spread out over her table, looking amorously at the bouquets being created. He is her muse and he's called Charlot. (French nickname for Charlie Chaplin) If you want to bring the troglodyte out of her cavern, just ring ring the bell at the entrance of the shop. Other times, we'll guess her in the blurred heat of summer in the middle of a long line of flowers to collecting, weeding or hoeing.

She has a vocational formation in tree nursing and landscape gardening, She was born young Sign of the zodiac: Ostrich! What she hates more than all: not to be able to finish hoeing a line of flowers. What she loves more than all: : the feeling she gets by a parrot being perched on her hand.

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