Le Jardin d'Émerveille: Rémi Kulik's forest garden and permaculture
Who is Rémi Kulik?
Rémi Kulik is a French gardener, nurseryman, author and content creator specialising in permaculture and, above all, forest gardens. He is the founder of the Jardin d'Émerveille project, located in the Tarn region of France, a place where he experiments, grows plants, produces plant stock, and runs training courses and educational activities [Esprit Autonome – Rémi Kulik permaculteur][École Jardin-Forêt – Le Jardin d'Émerveille].
He grew up in Gabon, surrounded by a rich, living tropical forest, which nurtured his fascination with ecosystems and living things from an early age. Back in France, he built his own forest garden, a productive ecosystem that mimics how a natural forest works [Le Jardin d'Émerveille – Et Moi – His journey].
An inspiring journey: from a childhood in Gabon to a forest garden in the Tarn
Rémi Kulik spent a large part of his childhood in Gabon, living in direct contact with the forest, trees, plants and animals. This immersion in an intense natural environment deeply shaped his view of the world and his relationship with nature [Le Jardin d'Émerveille – Et Moi].
Back in France, he created a place that functions like a forest ecosystem, bringing together fruit trees, shrubs, perennials, vegetables, mushrooms, and medicinal and aromatic plants: this is the forest garden [École Jardin-Forêt – Le Jardin d'Émerveille][Tela Botanica – Le jardin-forêt en pratique].
Today, Le Jardin d'Émerveille is a living place where he experiments with permaculture techniques, produces plants and seeds, shares his knowledge through training courses and videos, and welcomes visitors for tours and workshops [Esprit Autonome – Rémi Kulik][École Jardin-Forêt – Le Jardin d'Émerveille].
His philosophy: a garden that works like a forest
Rémi Kulik doesn't see the garden as a place where one imposes one's will on nature, but as an ecosystem to accompany. His approach rests on several key principles: imitating the forest by structuring the garden into layers, encouraging biodiversity to create a natural balance, regenerating the soil through mulching and soil life, and working with the long term in mind, since a forest garden becomes more and more productive and self-sufficient over the years [École Jardin-Forêt – Le Jardin d'Émerveille][Tela Botanica – Le jardin-forêt en pratique].
He explains these concepts simply, without excessive jargon, insisting that anyone can start small, even with a small space or an existing garden to gradually transform [Fnac – Le jardin-forêt en pratique][Tela Botanica – Le jardin-forêt en pratique].
Why you'd want to meet him
Rémi Kulik doesn't just theorise: he shows concretely how a forest garden is built, with its successes, its failures and its adjustments. You can see the practice with your own eyes, ask questions about plants and plant combinations, and understand how to go from idea to realisation, even with a small budget or a small plot of land [École Jardin-Forêt – Le Jardin d'Émerveille][Le Jardin d'Émerveille – Et Moi].
In his videos, his writing and his talks, he radiates a calm sincerity that makes the transmission of knowledge feel natural. He shows real pedagogy, humility (he acknowledges his mistakes and what he's learned) and generosity (he shares a great deal of information for free before selling any training courses or books) [Le Jardin d'Émerveille – Et Moi][Champs d'action – Épisode 34].
Meeting Rémi Kulik also means coming face to face with a concrete example of a coherent life project: someone who has built a place in line with his values, who makes his living from working with nature, and who devotes a large part of his time to teaching and passing on what he knows. It makes you want to picture your own forest garden and get started, even just little by little [Esprit Autonome – Rémi Kulik][École Jardin-Forêt – Le Jardin d'Émerveille].
Why follow his news
Rémi Kulik is an active YouTuber with his channel Le Jardin d'Émerveille, where he publishes videos on creating and maintaining a forest garden, suitable plants, mulching and grafting techniques, permaculture principles applied to the garden, and concrete experience reports from his own garden [YouTube – Permaculteur et youtubeur : rencontre avec Rémi Kulik][Champs d'action – Épisode 34][YouTube – Le Jardin d'Émerveille].
He regularly offers online coaching cycles around the forest garden, to help people design their own garden, choose the right plants, set out concrete steps and avoid classic mistakes [Alveoles – Nouveau cycle d'accompagnement en ligne][Facebook – Dernière formation de l'année avec Rémi Kulik].
He has published a book titled Le jardin-forêt en pratique, published by Terre Vivante, which has become a reference for those wanting to move from theory to practice. This book clearly explains the principles of the forest garden, gives concrete methods for designing, planting and maintaining one, offers lists of plants suited to different climates, and includes experience reports drawn from his own garden [Fnac – Le jardin-forêt en pratique][Tela Botanica – Le jardin-forêt en pratique][Semailles – Guide Terre Vivante du jardin forêt].
He is regularly invited onto podcasts, shows and events around permaculture and practical ecology, such as the programme Champs d'action (episode 34), webinars and interviews on sites such as Esprit Autonome, Terre Vivante and Tela Botanica [Champs d'action – Épisode 34][Esprit Autonome – Rémi Kulik][Terre Vivante – Rémi Kulik][Tela Botanica – Le jardin-forêt en pratique].
What you gain by meeting him and following his news
By meeting Rémi Kulik and following his news, you gain:
Concrete ideas for transforming your garden, however small, into a richer, more self-sufficient and more alive place. Techniques you can apply right away: mulching, plant selection, plant combinations, layered design, and so on. A broader vision of what a garden can be: not just a place of production, but an ecosystem, a refuge for biodiversity, a place of well-being. A source of inspiration for taking action, without waiting for the perfect moment or the ideal plot of land. Human contact: someone who speaks with passion, humility and clarity, and who seems genuinely interested in other people's projects [Esprit Autonome – Rémi Kulik][École Jardin-Forêt – Le Jardin d'Émerveille][Le Jardin d'Émerveille – Et Moi].
In one sentence
Rémi Kulik is the kind of person you want to meet because he embodies a concrete, accessible and human form of permaculture, and because he has built a life project coherent with his values; following his news means having access to a steady stream of useful, practical and inspiring content for anyone who wants to garden differently, restore biodiversity and move towards greater self-sufficiency [Terre Vivante – Rémi Kulik][Champs d'action – Épisode 34][Tela Botanica – Le jardin-forêt en pratique].