The Mademoiselle Saint Germain adventure begins following a wonderful partnership with an ancestral garden: The Garden of the King of Versailles. Building on this partnership with a local vegetable garden that is part of the historical heritage, we are proud to announce today that we have become sponsors of the new Potager du Roi campaign: My vegetable garden is the Vegetable Garden of the King by making a nice donation to the King's Vegetable Garden.
The King's Vegetable Garden, what is it?
Historic site of the National School of Landscape, located in the heart of the city of Versailles in the Yvelines, the King's Kitchen Garden is a major component of the royal domain of Versailles and above all the reflection of the French gardens.
Built between 1678 and 1683 by Jean-Baptiste La Quintinie, this French-style garden and its wide variety of fruits and vegetables once fed the table of Louis XIV. Classified as a historic monument and remarkable garden, it also houses the historic site of the National School of Landscape.
Indeed, the Potager du Roi has a strong history linked to horticultural education and agricultural production dating back to the 17th century.
As when it was created, the garden is structured around a central part, the Grand Carré. This is divided into sixteen "squares" which are surrounded by pear trees trellised in counter-espalier. A dozen gardens are spread around the Grand Carré. They are home to fruit trees, mainly pear and apple trees.
The mission entrusted to Jean-Baptiste La Quintinie is still relevant: to feed and innovate. All while offering high quality fruit and vegetables for sale at the school reception). Innovate by developing agro-ecological technical itineraries.
Harvests at the King's Vegetable Garden:
At the Potager du Roi, they harvest by hand, when ripe and above all with respect for the plant. On the strength of this partnership, certain historical species and varieties have even been reintroduced by vegetable gardeners, such as the White cucumber from Bonneuil, which you will find in some of the Mademoiselle Saint Germain products that you can now discover in our shop.
Some key dates:
Late 18th century → First major restoration works
1874 → Installation of the National School of Horticulture
Late 19th century → Major restoration works
1926 → The site is classified as a historical monument
1976 → Creation of the National School of Landscape (ENSP)
1991 → Opening of the site to the public (1st visit)
Make Friday Green Again: a collective committed to the planet
The Make Friday Green Again is a one-time collective that references brands that do not participate in "Black Friday" which usually takes place at the end of November.
They started from a simple observation:
- 70% of French people want to completely change the way they consume.
- 77% of them associate Black Friday with an "operation contributing to overconsumption"
The Make Friday Green Again collective has therefore decided to offer an alternative to Black Friday in France to give meaning to consumption and restore a normal day on the last Friday of November.
This year, Mademoiselle Saint Germain followed the movement by joining the collective like more than 1000 other brands.
Our goal → To encourage more reasoned consumption patterns. Consume less but BETTER. Prioritize what you really need.
We have therefore transformed this day into Green Friday through an initiative that is dear to us: Supporting our beloved vegetable garden! Discover below the donation to the Potager du Roi that we made.
Donation to the King's Vegetable Garden
On this occasion, we have banned all promotional offers and instead we have donated 30% of our sales made that day at the Potager du Roi
In the interest of promoting this responsible harvest, we have decided to support the restoration of the Potager du Roi.
Mademoiselle Saint Germain is a patron of the new campaign "My vegetable garden is the King's vegetable garden" and has donated a total of 30% of its turnover for the day of December 4 to perpetuate the ancestral art of the French garden. .
What is this new campaign about?
Le Potager du Roi has been undergoing a complete and unprecedented restoration for more than 100 years. On a large scale, this work needs your support.
The vegetable garden was restored and refurbished a first time in the 1780s and a second time in the 1880s, it is now the subject of a complete and unprecedented restoration for more than 100 years.
You can also become a patron of the King's Vegetable Garden by doing a donation whatever the amount. To through this, you will participate in a large-scale project: rehabilitating the Grand Carré through the restoration of the trellising frames and the rejuvenation of the tree heritage.
So ? How about getting involved with us to bring this site steeped in history back to life? For this you can already tell your friends, your family...