Help creating a vegetable garden in the beautiful countryside of Brittany, France

Details

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  Description

  Hello!
  
  We are Caroline and Jonathan, 40 and 43 years old, and we live with our two children, Victor (9) and Clémentine (6), in the beautiful countryside of Brittany, near Rennes and the small town of Bain-de-Bretagne.
  
  We live in a large country house with several outbuildings, which we renovated with the help of our architect friends. We love our home and the peaceful environment around it, and we would be very happy to share it with people from different countries and cultures.
  
  We both enjoy travelling, meeting new people and sharing experiences. We are passionate about nature, good food and wine, and we love spending time outdoors.
  
  Our project
  
  We have a large garden and park surrounding the house, and our next big project is to make it greener and more beautiful by planting trees, shrubs, flowers and creating new landscaped areas.
  
  We would also like to prepare and develop our vegetable garden for 2027, with the aim of becoming more self-sufficient and producing more of our own fruit and vegetables.
  
  We are therefore looking for enthusiastic people who enjoy being outdoors and would like to help us with things such as preparing the soil, organising planting areas, planting trees and shrubs, developing the vegetable garden and generally helping us bring our ideas for the garden to life.
  
  You don't need to be a professional gardener! What matters most to us is that you are motivated, curious, happy to work outdoors and willing to take part in the project. Of course, if you have experience with gardening, landscaping, permaculture or growing vegetables, we would love to learn from you too!
  
  Accommodation
  
  You would stay in our separate guest house, so you would have plenty of space and independence.
  
  The guest house has 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen and a comfortable living room. Depending on the period, we may welcome several Workawayers at the same time, which could also be a great opportunity to meet other international travellers.
  
  We imagine stays of around one or two weeks, with time to help us with the project but also plenty of time to discover Brittany, relax and enjoy the area.
  
  More than just getting some help with our garden, we would really like this to be a cultural exchange. We enjoy sharing meals, conversations and good moments, and we would be happy to introduce you to our way of life in the French countryside and to Brittany.
  
  If you enjoy nature, outdoor projects, good food and meeting new people, we would be very happy to welcome you to our home!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Light gardening

  Light maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Sustainability

  

  Technology

  

  Farming

  

  Music

  

  Gardening

  

  Architecture

  

  Animals

  

  Nature

  

  Sailing / Boating

  

  Water sports

  

  Hiking

  

  Cycling

  

  Outdoor activities
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  For us, Workaway is not only about getting help with our garden project – we are genuinely interested in meeting people from different countries, sharing experiences and discovering other cultures.
  
  We love travelling, good food, cooking and wine, and we enjoy spending time around the table, talking and sharing meals. We would be happy to introduce you to French and Breton culture, local food and our way of life in the countryside.
  
  Caroline is an agricultural engineer (agronomist) and we also run a cattle farm, so agriculture and nature are an important part of our daily life. If you are interested, we would be very happy to show you the farm and share our knowledge about farming, plants, soils, the environment and food production. It can be a great opportunity to discover what life on a French farm is really like and to exchange ideas about agriculture and sustainability.
  
  You will also have the opportunity to share some moments of our family life with us and our two children. For them, welcoming international guests is a wonderful way to discover other cultures, hear about different countries and practise English in a natural way.
  
  At the same time, you will have your own independent accommodation and plenty of free time and privacy. We think the best cultural exchange is a good balance between sharing moments together and having your own space.
  
  Most of all, we hope to share good conversations, meals, laughs, knowledge and experiences – and for you to leave with some great memories of your time in Brittany!

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  Help

  Depending on the season and the weather, activities may include preparing the soil, planting trees, shrubs and flowers, creating new planted areas, preparing the vegetable garden for 2027, and helping us organise and improve the outdoor spaces.
  
  We will be working alongside you and will always be there to explain and guide you through the different tasks. This is very much a project we want to do together, rather than simply giving you a list of jobs to complete on your own.
  
  No professional gardening experience is required. We are learning and developing the garden ourselves, so it will also be an opportunity to exchange ideas and skills. If you have experience or knowledge in gardening, landscaping, permaculture, vegetable growing or working with plants, we would be very happy to learn from you too!
  
  We hope it will be a friendly and collaborative experience, working outdoors together, sharing ideas and seeing the garden gradually take shape.
  
  Above all, we are looking for people who are motivated, practical, curious and happy to spend time outdoors.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Spanish: Intermediate
  Dutch: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  You will stay in our independent guest house, located on our property close to our family home.
  
  The house is also usually rented as holiday home, so it is fully equipped, comfortable and designed to welcome guests.
  
  It has 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, a living and dining area, as well as everything you need to feel at home during your stay.
  
  You will therefore have your own bedroom and plenty of privacy and independence, while still being close to us and sharing time together when we wish.
  
  Depending on the period, you may share the house with one or several other Workawayers, which we think can also be a great part of the experience – meeting people from different countries, cooking together and enjoying evenings in the house.
  
  We provide three meals a day and enjoy sharing meals whenever possible, as we believe it is an important part of the cultural exchange.
  
  For breakfast, we usually have eggs, bread, yogurt, fruit, coffee, tea and fruit juice.
  
  Our meals are varied and balanced. We eat meat, plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit, as well as some fish. For example, Monday evening is often our traditional “galettes and crêpes” night, and during the week we might have dishes such as chicken with French fries and vegetables.
  
  We really enjoy cooking and preparing good homemade meals. We are also happy to discover new recipes and dishes from our Workawayers’ countries, so cooking and sharing meals together can be a great part of the experience!
  
  We want our Workawayers to feel comfortable and at home here. You will have your own space and freedom during your free time, while also being welcome to join our family for shared meals and moments together.
  
  The house is in the countryside, surrounded by nature, offering a peaceful and relaxing place to stay and enjoy Brittany.

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  What else ...

  We live in the countryside, just outside Bain-de-Bretagne, a lively small town where you can find everything you need during your stay: supermarkets, bakeries, cafés, restaurants, shops, a weekly market and a beautiful lake.
  
  Bicycles will be available for you to explore the surrounding countryside and get around locally.
  
  Depending on availability, we may also be able to provide you with a car, provided that you have a valid driving licence and send us a copy in advance so that we can check the insurance requirements.
  
  Our location is also a great base for discovering Brittany during your free time. Rennes is only about 30 minutes away by car, with its historic centre, restaurants, bars and cultural life.
  
  The beautiful walled city of Saint-Malo is around one hour away, making it easy to spend a day by the sea and discover the northern coast of Brittany.
  
  There are many other places to explore in the region, from small Breton villages and local markets to forests, beaches and the coast.
  
  We live in a rural area, so having a bicycle or being able to drive will give you more freedom to explore. We will of course be happy to share our favourite places and recommendations with you!

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  Michka (14 years)

  Our lovely old cat Michka

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