About Us

Maria Sperring

Hi, I'm Maria

I moved to La Creuse in 1990 and started 'Le Blé en Herbes' guesthouse and gardens, realising my dream of living close to Nature whilst contributing to planetary care and repair. At age 26, I couldn't speak French, knew no-one in the country and had no capital or income. I found myself charged with enthusiasm for creating, a practical sense of survival, and a faith that 'this was meant to be!'

I had studied literature and philosophy; the gardens have become my poems, and Nature, my greatest teacher, providing endless metaphor for understanding life's mysteries. Planting, building and harvesting are among my ways of finding a sense of connection with the cosmos.

Bill Mollison
"Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless action; of looking at systems in all their functions rather than asking only one yield of them & of allowing systems to demonstrate their own evolutions."
— Bill Mollison, co-founder of Permaculture

Me and Permaculture

I first encountered Permaculture in early 1990, whilst wwoofing at Hambledon Herbs. For the following decade I combined reading Permaculture Magazine and many other publications, with practical and intuitive application of the method, ethics and philosophy in the gardens and guesthouse of Le Blé en Herbes. In September 2001 I completed the Permaculture Design course at Ragman's Lane Farm, with teachers Cathy and Patrick Whitefield.

Since graduating I have given talks on Permaculture in France, Germany and Switzerland, and have taught 'Introduction to Permaculture' weekends at Le Blé en Herbes. I have 36 valuable years of practical experience in managing a rural project with minimal finances, using local resources and avoiding waste. Soil and soul care!

Vegetarian food
Garden salad

Why Vegetarian

Age 21, I became an au pair in Florence, Italy. Total immersion — the family didn't speak English, and I had to cook Italian food from day one. Grandma helped me for the first week.

Loaded with delicious discoveries, I spent my final year of university in a household of vegetarians where my culinary education continued: pulses and légumes, new cereals and spices. I found by surprise that I couldn't bear to eat meat any more. The transition had happened by accident rather than design.

The exploration of tastes, colours, presentation continues 40 years on — from soil to saucepan, garden to table. With more recent information about the importance of the gut microbiome, meals include easily more than 35 different plants per week.

"A garden where poetry rhymes with productivity."
Le Blé en Herbes
Le Blé en Herbes

What's in a Name?

In 1993 I was reading the novel 'Le blé en herbe' by Colette as I travelled around France looking for my future home and garden. Trying to self-learn the language, I had borrowed my sister's A level set text.

The translated title 'The Ripening Seed' captured nicely the sensation that something had already germinated in my dream destiny, but was yet far from finished — and nearly 40 years on, the process is very much ongoing!

Although the story is set in Brittany, the author was very much a child of the countryside. I was 26 years old, also on the verge of discovering a whole new phase of life in a new country where I knew no-one and didn't speak the language. I let you find out for yourselves the rest…

Read « Le Blé en herbe » by Colette