Planning Your Homestead Garden: Ideas for Our Dream Garden in France

As we prepare to move to France and design our homestead garden, we’ve been brainstorming and gathering ideas for the perfect outdoor space.

Our vision is to create a garden that’s as diverse and exciting as the natural world itself, combining elements from different regions, unique plant collections, and thoughtfully designed landscapes.

In this article, we’re sharing an idea dump of what we’re planning—from rock gardens and ponds to a tropical Amazonian greenhouse!

Extensive Rock Gardens to Host Plant Collections

One of our biggest passions is creating rock gardens. These will form the backbone of our homestead garden, offering structure, visual interest, and a place to showcase various plant collections. The idea is to have multiple levels, slopes, and terraces made from natural rocks, which will allow us to grow a wide variety of plants suited to these conditions.

• Rock-Dwelling Plants: We’re excited to include a diverse range of plants that thrive in rocky environments, such as succulents, alpine plants, and other hardy species.
• Dry Stone Walls: In addition to the rock gardens, we’ll be building dry stone walls that not only provide habitat for wildlife but also enhance the aesthetic and structural elements of the garden.

A Large Pond Integrated into the Rock Gardens

At the heart of the rock gardens, we’re planning to create a large pond that blends seamlessly into the landscape. This pond will be a focal point of the garden, bringing water into the design and attracting wildlife.

• Water Plants: We envision the pond teeming with water lilies, irises, and other aquatic plants that will provide habitat for frogs, fish, and insects.
• Sandy Beaches: To give the pond a natural feel, we’ll create small sandy beaches around the edges, where birds and other creatures can come to drink or bathe.
• Wildlife Haven: The pond will be a central point for attracting wildlife, from birds to amphibians and even small mammals, making it an essential part of our garden’s ecosystem.

A Network of Smaller Ponds

In addition to the large pond, we’re toying with the idea of creating a network of smaller ponds around the homestead. These interconnected ponds would create various aquatic environments, each with its own character and plant life.

• Biodiversity Boost: Different ponds with varying sizes and depths would allow for a wider range of aquatic plants and animals, boosting the overall biodiversity of our garden.
• Natural Water Flow: We’d love to integrate natural water flow between the ponds, perhaps with small streams or channels connecting them.

A Bog Garden for Carnivorous Plants

One of our more unique ideas is to create a bog garden specifically designed to house a collection of North American carnivorous plants. This will be an exciting and unusual feature of the garden, offering a glimpse into the fascinating world of carnivorous plants like pitcher plants (Sarracenia), Venus flytraps (Dionaea muscipula), and sundews (Drosera).

• Moisture-Rich Environment: The bog garden will mimic the wet, nutrient-poor conditions these plants require, and we’ll manage the water levels to keep it suitably marshy.
• Carnivorous Plant Collection: It’s an ideal space for showcasing our collection of North American carnivorous plants, which will make a visually striking and scientifically interesting part of the garden.

A North American Forest Area

Speaking of North America, we’re also planning to dedicate part of our land to a North American forest area. This woodland will feature native North American trees and plants, creating a shady, serene environment with an entirely different feel from the rest of the garden.

• Trees and Understory Palms: We’ll include iconic North American trees like oaks, maples, and pines, but the real highlight will be the understory palms. We’re particularly excited about planting species like Sabal minor, Serenoa repens, and Rhapidophyllum hystrix, which are hardy enough to thrive in France’s climate.
• Natural Pathways: The forest area will feature winding pathways for exploration, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the peaceful, woodland environment.

A Lewisia Collection

Another exciting feature will be our Lewisia collection. These beautiful alpine plants, native to North America, produce stunning flowers in a variety of colours. They’ll be a key feature in our rock gardens, where the well-drained soil and sunny conditions will allow them to thrive.

• Alpine Planting: We’ll create dedicated spaces within the rock gardens to showcase these delicate, flowering plants, ensuring they get the care they need to flourish.

A Palm Collection: Hardy Palms for France’s Climate

As passionate palm enthusiasts, we plan to grow a diverse palm collection in our garden. While palms are typically associated with tropical environments, we’ve done extensive research on palms that can tolerate the cooler climate of France.

• Hardy Species: We’ll focus on species like Trachycarpus fortunei (the Chinese windmill palm), Butia capitata (the jelly palm), and Chamaerops humilis (the European fan palm), which are known for their ability to withstand colder temperatures. But of course, these are the most common species and we are hoping to take the collection way beyond these.
• Creating Microclimates: By carefully selecting locations within the garden that offer shelter and warmth, we’ll create microclimates that allow these palms to thrive.

A Yucca and Dasylirion Collection

In addition to palms, we’re excited to create a Yucca and Dasylirion collection. These striking, spiky plants are perfect for adding architectural interest to the garden and thrive in the well-drained soils of a rock garden.

• Drought-Tolerant Plants: Both yuccas and dasylirions are extremely hardy and drought-tolerant, making them ideal for areas of the garden that receive full sun and have minimal water.
• Unique Forms: These plants will create stunning visual contrasts with the softer textures of ferns, palms, and other plants.

An Amazonian Tropical Greenhouse

One of the most ambitious ideas for our homestead garden is building an Amazonian tropical greenhouse. This will be a controlled environment where we can grow tropical plants that wouldn’t survive in France’s outdoor climate.

• Amazonian Palms and Trees: Inside the greenhouse, we plan to cultivate a collection of Amazonian palms, trees, and other tropical plants. This will include species like Euterpe oleracea (the açaí palm), Mauritia flexuosa, and Attalea speciosa.
• Humidity Control: We’ll carefully regulate the temperature and humidity levels to replicate the Amazon rainforest, creating a lush, green environment filled with tropical plants.
• Exotic Flowers: In addition to palms, we’ll grow orchids, bromeliads, and other exotic plants that add vibrant colour and intrigue to this tropical paradise.

Final Thoughts: A Dream Garden in the Making

As you can see, we have no shortage of ideas for our homestead garden in France! From extensive rock gardens and ponds to tropical greenhouses and North American forests, our vision is to create a truly diverse and captivating garden that reflects our love for plants and the natural world.

By combining plant collections from around the globe with thoughtful landscaping, we’re excited to turn our dream into reality.