In the heart of Haute Provence, far from the urban tumult of Nice, Joëlle Stordeur found his haven of peace Ainac-Lambert, in the village of La Robine on Galabre. At the Field of Umbels, this thriving flower grower grows much more than flowers; she cultivates a life in harmony with nature and her passions.
A new start towards floriculture
Leaving the Nice region was not a decision taken lightly by Joëlle and her family. Looking for a quieter life close to nature, they were pushed by growing urbanization to explore new horizons. “We lived in the Nice hinterland which is quite quiet but little by little urbanization caught up with us, not being city dwellers, we aspired more to a life in the mountains!” It was on Leboncoin that they discovered their future home, nestled in the mountains of Haute Provence. This transition marked the start of a new adventure for Joëlle who, after being a stay-at-home mother and devoting herself to the education of her children, felt the need to embark on a project of her own.
Having an agricultural diploma, she decided to launch into floriculture. This choice was made naturally, supported by his skills and the resources available on site. In just a few weeks, after consulting the Chamber of Agriculture, Joëlle submitted her statutes and began her first agricultural season, surprised by the speed of the process which she thought would take much longer.
Le Champ des Umbelles, a local inspiration
The name of his flower farm, “The Field of Umbels“, finds its origin in the morphology of certain flowers, in the shape of domes or umbrellas. “Here in the region there is a flower commonly called the laser which makes really big umbels and for me it truly symbolizes the Alpes de Haute Provence ". This choice reflects not only a deep connection with its environment but also a tribute to the natural beauty that surrounds it.
Techniques and challenges of mountain floriculture
At the Field of Umbels, production is planned so as to have flowers from mid-April to November. Like fruits and vegetables, flowers have a flowering schedule. Winter is a time of intense planning. “I have a lot of varieties in a small space so you have to be able to have flowers all the time. It can of course happen that there are diseases or pests which complicate the harvests a little. but I can grow just about anything here. I just can't grow everything early. I have certain flowers that particularly appreciate the mountain, like the Delphinium for example”.
Floriculture is not without its challenges, as Joëlle explains by sharing her anecdotes about the difficulties encountered, such as drought or problems linked to water sources. However, these obstacles only sharpened his skills in water management and understanding plant life cycles. At the Field of Umbels, Joëlle practices the techniques of market gardening living soil.
“I try to apply the techniques of living soil market gardening, without plowing and with the idea of enriching the soil, nourishing the life of the soil, so that the life of the soil aerates the earth and that afterwards she brings food for the plants. So first I nourish my soil. However, I have 42% clay, it is an extremely heavy soil so I cannot immediately switch to a no-till technique. This is done gradually, I add compost, I add manure to lighten it and little by little I will be able to do without it. I cover where it is not cultivated to protect the life of my soil and avoid leaching.”
This approach is based on the principle that the soil is a living and complex ecosystem, whose health is essential for the production of healthy plants. No plowing, quasi-permanent covering of the land, crop rotation or even the use of organic fertilizers and compost allow the land to produce plants sustainably while improving the quality of the soil for future generations.
The secrets of flower arranging
Joëlle is not content with floriculture: it is a true artistic craft that she highlights. It is on the ground floor of his house that the magic happens, a true place of creation and composition. It benefits from low-alpine climate to dry the flowers of its production and by combining them, create real floral arrangements.
She already had this idea experienced in his youth. Trained in the art and blessed with an undeniable curiosity, Joëlle discovered floral arranging while creating wedding bouquets for her friends. Today, and after many experiments, this artistic aspiration became his activity.
Saturday
At the Digne-les-Bains market
From April until Christmas, Joëlle offers you her compositions of fresh flowers and dried flowers Saturday morning on the Digne-les-Bains market.
Reconnecting with oneself in Haute-Provence
Joëlle's story perfectly symbolizes what brings us Haute-Provence: a place of true reconnection with oneself and nature. The flower grower contributes to dynamism of our territory and is one of those people who, in search of a more meaningful life, beautify our mountains and our markets thanks to an artistic, authentic and human story.
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Ambassadors
As for Joëlle, the Haute-Provence knew how to seduce personalities who today embody the authenticity of our territory. Discover these women and men who make up the image of Haute-Provence.
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