At a caring friend’s place, many years ago. While taking care of his friend’s plants for a few days, Philippe Bouncer knew for sure that a new family was welcoming him, all leaves opened! There remained a garden, which only had to germinate. According to Philippe, living among plants means « a chance to take care of our planet, to convey a glance, a life in tune with the world, a consciousness of our environment».

To create such a dialog with his clients, to give birth to a joint design between the owner of a small or large area and a landscape gardener, one has to master a wide scope of knowledge and techniques but also to be part of a long history, the history of gardening. Philippe thus had to learn a lot. Philippe was lucky enough to be in good hands. His first professional training took place in the venerable Paris’ Jardin des Plantes. His first master was Christian Barre, a, in-depth hands-on man practising the elusive art to transmit his knowledge, a man who enjoys sharing. Philippe first garden rehabilitation was Jean Baptiste de La Quintinie own private garden (La Quintinie was Gardener to Louis 14th and created also Versailles’ Kitchen garden). What a confraternal a coincidental wink! While rehabilitating this garden, Philippe, then about 20 years old asked advice from another foremost gardener and scientist, landscaper, artist, as knowledgeable in horticultural techniques as in landscape designs and additionally an outstanding botanist. Philippe could proceed with his gardener’s training, spending for more than 2 years his weekend in a fine garden: Moulin de Vau. The place turned into a study ground, workplace and exchanges. A far too little known artist, Catherine Willis (co-designer of the now splendid Moulin de Vau garden) opened for him the world of gardening art. She also introduced him to the so-called commonplace plants, however so deserving, and full of goodness and often with a medicinal use.

To study insect life at Moulin de Vau, Philippe Bouncer luckily met Philipe Béranger Lévêque, who among other successes created the Elater label. He taught Philippe how to watch, in every environment, life under transformation. This master passed down with plenty humour and poetry insect recognition keys. « We walked by fields and undergrowth, glancing at a water tract or at old timber in order to know their winged or crawling inhabitants. All these places were crammed with life, leading us to recognize the insects’ meticulous tasks, the bees’ exemplary work and their vital presence... » but also the caterpillars, and the butterflies. Yet another way to recognize interdependency and deep communication among all living beings…

By selecting «Previous Projects », you will find examples of terraces, patios and indoor gardens with rich themes and varied outlines, from the smallest spaces to 500 sq meter areas. A few can be discovered on this web site, some rather glamorous for clients whose name must remain confidential but that demonstrate his growing reputation among all those tired of ‘ready to install’ terraces.

Practicing Zen, listening to music and reading have been for Philippe Bouncer additional key encounters enabling self improvement: he could reflect on our relationship to life, to the world and to the others. Taking the others into consideration, this is one of Philippe’ work specificities. He does not follow any of the various dogmas that some famous landscapers try to enforce. He does not meet a client with in his mind the wish to blindly slap a ready-made, dogmatic & academic design. Listening to nature has taught him dialogue. A dialogue will indeed take place between the client, his/her space and Philippe. By discussing with the future gardener of his/her own space, by noticing his/her relishes, favourite works of art, favourite colours, materials and surrounding space patterns, Philippe will design an out of door for this space. And thus, following the client own wishes, he will design a project really customized, individuaized.

Every single aspect of the work to come will be taken into account: from the most technical requirements to the space microclimate and to plants, bushes and trees fully adapted while responding to the client’s expectations. Will also be taken into account Philippe travels, specially his far-east trips, and his ability to ‘borrow sceneries’, his love of green & mineral materials, including the most modern ones. This is why Philippe Bouncer’s creations fit so perfectly their immediate environment, why they sure go on growing and blooming as they hoped, why they so nicely meet the client’s expectations, years after their completion. Such vegetalized terraces are much more than mere greeny and remotely decorative frames.

Such an expertise has enabled him to create (together with Karine Charles, a gardener with a keen eye for colours) a venture that will proceed with, and increase the ongoing task: to enable clients to « root among their own grasses and leafy creatures ».  Alain Siboni