REAL LIFE
“The gardens are like a beautifully illuminated manuscript brought to life”
Hardy restoring a 17th-century Aubusson tapestry in his studio
tapestries, was discovered rolled up in the corner of the mairie in Boussac, moth and rat ravished! The eccentric writer George Sand, who had seen them hung on Boussac castle’s walls, wrote over 40 letters to the French government to have the national treasure restored. The work took four years and the tapestries now hang proudly in the Musée de Cluny in Paris. A bestseller written in 2003 – The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier – romanticises the story of the tapestries. It is a tour de force of history and an imaginative answer to the mystery behind these great masterpieces. When you stand before an
antique tapestry, you can’t help but be fi lled with wonder, they radiate a mysterious aura. The carton – the paper on which the
design is painted in gouache or tempera – is used as the pattern for the tapestry. They are just as exciting artworks in their own right and have become collectors’ items. We have both developed a passion for collecting the artworks of Aubusson: Hardy collects the woven tapestries while I gather the carton paintings. It was a bonus that our new
home was close to this quaint village. Hardy was not just an ardent collector, he now restores them as well. Our outbuildings have provided ample space for three studios where we can explore our creative passions.
MAGICAL GARDENS A further place of inspiration is the Prieuré Notre Dame d’Orsan. The gardens are like
a beautifully illuminated manuscript brought to life. Created in the late 20th century on the grounds of a medieval priory, they refl ect the symbolism of a monastery garden through modern eyes. The architectural complexities of the interlinking spaces become apparent from an elevated viewpoint. It is said that the medieval gardens were designed for God to gaze upon, and the Renaissance gardens were designed to be viewed from man’s perspective. The present owners have
extended the ethos by focusing on sustainable planting and a rejuvenating soil regime that is literally ground-breaking. The vegetables, herbs and fruit trees
not to be a conventional recipe book, rather the documentation of conversations between two creative friends about the delights and memories that food invokes. We cooked from my kitchen garden at Le Rémbucher and explored the local organic markets around our village. Market day is quite the event in the countryside. The fi rst village market after the long winter is an occasion. After the smoky inertia of winter, the air is fi lled with quivering promise. The community awakens.
Shutters and blinds are opened. Carpets are beaten, chandeliers are washed with vinegar and water, and copper pots are polished until they gleam in
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Louis and Hardy at Notre Dame d’Orsan; (inset) Louis’ latest cookery title
are cultivated using traditional gardening techniques and without pesticides. Hunting is forbidden and the woodlands are left in a natural state and open to the public. I always leave this magical place with a restored faith in letting nature lead the way. It took much research and
80 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: July/August 2023 The forest garden at Le Rémbucher, just as Louis always wanted
trial and error to establish our vegetable and fl ower gardens. They were designed with love and conviction, and the creative energy we used led to us creating a book about our garden and its abundance. Our latest publication, There's a Vegan on my Verandah, emerged after inspired interchanges with friend and foodie Isabella Niehaus. It was
preparation for the spring dishes they will soon hold. The book is available in
English, Afrikaans and French. It has been awarded three accolades already and will compete for the coveted ‘World Best’ annual Gourmand Awards in Umea, Sweden. Often at the end of the day,
we sit on the verandah of the hunter’s pavilion outside Lépaud, counting our blessings for a bountiful life in Creuse. Hardy opens a chilled bottle of champagne with gusto. The cork arcs through the air and lands with a clang against the formidable iron gates that lead into the forest. À votre santé! ■
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© LOUIS JANSEN VAN VUUREN
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