After the Castle closed to visitors until May

17Th century with its terraces to the Italian gardens, is classified in the additional inventory of historic monuments. The former vegetable garden, enclosed walls punctuated turrets, expected that multiple varieties to relive. "The first year we have redesigned plots using 17th plans found at the bottom of a closet and saved from the fire", remembers Alix de Saint Venant. The two accomplices also install a sprinkler system, buy freezers "to keep the seeds" and especially to take contact with all the specialists of squash, tomatoes, cabbage, beans, in short all that matters of luminaries from the garden. "Between cracked seed is always a breeding ground of understanding", says with a laugh our collector, which in practice will see that this is not always true, especially in France. "Our bible, is the catalogue Vilmorin-Andrieux of 1871, but many varieties have become unlocatable in France." Then, after the search tips, success mixed with the Apostles of such forgotten vegetables Victor Renaud, author of the "Treaty Rustica of the garden", Jean Achard or Pierre Bourgois, great collectors of old vegetables before time, Alix de Saint Venant prospecting abroad.

"I have written repeatedly to the Institute Vavilov in St. Petersburg, keeper of the heritage of seeds of the ex-USSR, for seeds found on their website." Finally, I saw coming, a day of 2001, a package from Russia. "You can imagine our emotion on this day", tells, sparkling eyes, our collector at the new time, which today has 4,000 species of seeds in his freezer. In five years, it is a record. As the first Russian shipment contains thyme Armenia and oregano Caucasus, but not requested vegetables, the animators of Valmer rewrite and eventually receive seeds of beans "Good sister navel", "Kidney" and other "wonders of Vilmorin which are no longer available in France, because they do are not qualified."

50 varieties of mint

Last year, Alix de Saint Venant invited Sergei Alexanian, pattern of international relations to Vavilov, and two specialists in PEAR and beet Valmer to thank them and make them meet other French experts from the garden. Visit across the square of beet pink, red, orange, Zebra, 80 seeds of tomato, dozens of kinds of thyme and sauges, fifty mints, tiny trained Apple of api or the intoxicating Vigna caracalla backing onto a nice wall dazzled them. The Conservatory garden of Valmer is the image of his mistress: very elegant.

"What I like in this activity, it is, of course, to see forgotten vegetables and preserve the diversity of species, my small scale but especially to meetings." "It's a world of people really original and rich of beautiful stories", which is now, in turn, has become a standard seed evolved punctuates. The seasons, all purchases and exchange networks are explored: the Association of parks and gardens in the region Centre, that, of course, our Muse of the lacanobia anime, but also some national associations including the Association of botanical parks of France of which she is Secretary General, "to speak of trees".

Among the compelling: the US site Seedsaver, supplier of seeds from around the world, the association Kokopelli, which sells, not without dispute, species not registered in France, or the rich Baumaux catalog. "We have received seeds from the seed of the Czech Republic Bank." We also went to see in Prague and were able to help them determine some beans. "Ironically, with foreign collectors that the exchanges are the most developed.

"Valmer, we designed a garden so visitors can watch, touch, feel, taste and enjoy the diversity." It is thrilled when someone sketched a tomato or slides his fingers in a foot of thyme. "If the garden is at its peak the summer, its leaders are also very busy in the fall:"This is the time of fairs, exhibitions, conferences, beautiful holiday of plants to Courson and Saint-Jean-de-Beauregard, of the pumpkins to Tranzault FAQs", says enthusiastically Alix de Saint Venant. "Every weekend on trimballe our gourds." Sébastien Verdière part with a pick-up truck loaded 100 or 200 squash and carboys to expose. These are opportunities for meetings and exchanges, sometimes also of purchases to complement our collections. "And the eve of meetings of enthusiasts, the gardener of Valmer will select the"canteens "gallery a beautiful fruit of the species presented, not without an artistic research. The most beautiful staging is done, every first weekend of October, to the Castle, on the occasion the now popular "vacuum Garden". After, the Castle closed to visitors until May. In the meantime, are two major events of citrusy to discover this world of lovers of plants this weekend at Courson and the weekend of November 11 in St.-Jean-de-Beauregard.