I left the library with pages of Annick’s drawings, a head full of stories, and a much deeper respect for my little seed packet. Those twenty-five seeds aren’t just a pollinator mix. They’re history, medicine, folklore, weather forecasting, and centuries of observation—all waiting to sprout.

So this year, as I focused more seriously on my pottery, those birds kept appearing—first on plant bowls, then on birdhouses and then bird baths. As I researched what our feathered friends truly need, I kept coming back to the same answer: it's not just about the houses or the baths. The most critical thing is native plants—also known as wildflowers, or to some, weeds. Native plants are species that occur naturally in a particular region without human introduction.

"What is important with water," Michel explained during the wetland rebuild, "is not to hold it, but to let it flow through." This principle—echoed in the ancient water-sharing laws of the Pyrenees—shifts the entire goal from possession to participation in a cycle.

Lessons from a Living System in the Pyrenees Roots, Resilience, and the Hidden Power of Natural Filtration Rainwater harvested into a...

"I started this pépinière (nursery) in 2017 after working in traditional botany before. The more I gardened, the more I saw the significance of gardening with native flowers. Aesthetic is just culturally defined. Why do we need to bring in tropical plants?" We went on to discuss the beauty of local wildflowers and how they interact with the nature around them.