It is in the small fishing village of Marta, on the shores of Lake Bolsena, in Italy, in the province of Lazio…
…that a few years ago we met the biodiversity fairy: Renata!
From her house you can see the day rising and setting over the town of Capodimonte and its castle…
because she lives opposite, just at the end of Marta’s passagiata, on the other side of the new port, in the middle of a magnificent garden: the Orto delle fate.
Renata is a wonderful nonna who lovingly watches over this little corner of paradise with Giulia, Umberto and Pam.
Busy from morning to night, she takes care of the soil and the plants, big and small.
Always in the company of her inseparable Tommy, she takes an interest in everything and gives her point of view on the conduct of operations while respecting everyone’s point of view.
Pronto! Always busy, here a call, there a message, you have to answer without delay. She rules this charming domain with gentleness and energy.
It is with happiness and pride that she shows you her small decoration workshop.
A fairy of recuperation, she always takes care of the environment by creating real little wonders from all sorts of scraps of fabric.
She has a real talent for creating charming creations from objects discarded by consumer society.
Attached to nature, with which she seems to be in permanent symbiosis, she knows how to artfully develop flowery spaces to the delight of visitors and friends alike.
Always with her all-purpose knife, she comes and goes according to the vegetable orders. It is a pleasure to see her busy in her wonderful garden where many plants grow in perfect harmony.
Striped courgettes, courgette flowers, yellow, red and green chard, lettuce with plenty of head, what a joy to walk together between the rows of vegetables.
Small cucumbers, the promise of tomatoes, a bunch of chard… under his expert hands everything grows well in the land of biodiversity.
Between picking camomile for winter tea and contemplating the wonders of Mother Nature, Renata likes to share her vision of the world. It is always fascinating and enriching to exchange with her.
Each time we meet her, we are delighted to learn a little more about her history, with her Neapolitan childhood, in a large hotel of the last century, then her Roman adolescence. She keeps us in suspense with an anecdote, and this time an old sales catalogue created in the 19th century by her grandparents. On another day, she reveals personal archives to enlighten our reflection on the world’s march…
…just before going back to the garden to think about the next steps to be taken to develop local biodiversity and increase the well-being of those who will have the chance to cross her path. There is no doubt that if the world could award a prize, she would receive the « biodiversity fairy » award!
Par Nathalie
Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Rencontres et découvertes, ici et ailleurs 