I fell in love with Amiens’ floating gardens forty years ago now, at a time when I was living in town but feeling in my heart that I wanted to be somewhere greener. Amiens’ Hortillonnages floating gardens was the perfect solution. My partner Bruno backed my crazy plan all the way ─ crazy because you do have to be a bit mad to buy up a bit of random land like this! It was an ambitious plan to come to the rescue of a delapidated little 19th century cottage, rein in its nature, create ponds to capture the light, and attract grebes, coots and swans – but we managed to recreate what it might have been many years ago. Nowadays it’s a timeless scene, wild yet perfectly balanced at the same time, and a pure visual delight.