Tending a thriving rooftop in Faubourg, Paris
A gardener‘s story

Yasmina Demnati

Hermès Gardener

A lively garden thrives on the rooftop of the Faubourg store in Paris. Gardener Yasmina Demnati has watched over the plants there, including the symbolic apple tree, for 30 years. Join Yasmina as she shares her thoughts about the garden.

Living with the garden.

―You love this garden very much.
Why is that?

I meet this garden every day I come to work, and really, it’s grown to be something like my family now. I’ve been here for so long; it’s my home.

24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré © Quentin Bertoux

―What made you decide to work in this garden?

I’ve always been outside with farmers. I grew up in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and spent my days making hay, picking grapes and harvesting fruit, so I couldn’t imagine working indoors. I came to Paris, and after training in Saint-Cloud in the west, I spent a year at the École Du Breuil after teachers’ recommendations. They also offered classes with company experts, which led me to work for a landscaping company Prevoteau for six years, where I learned a lot from the exceptional master gardeners. After that, I joined Hermès and met Mr. Jean-Louis Dumas, the former CEO. He would pop out onto the terrace and ask me all sorts of questions: ‘Why this, why that?’, ‘Why are the tulips red? I preferred white’. Right away, we were on the same wavelength.

©️ Pierre-Nicolas Durand

―What are your memories of the garden?

When I was formally hired by Hermès in 1992, the apple tree at the Faubourg store decided to stop producing apples. Mr. Dumas called me into his office in a panic, and only that once did he ask my advice, ‘What should we do with the apple tree?’ So I went back to the terrace and said to the apple tree. ‘If you don‘t produce apples, I‘ll cut you down!’ The following spring, the tree produced hundreds of blossoms – although it only actually produced one apple in the end.
I thought it was a very witty tree and said to it, ’You have a sense of humour. I won’t cut you down‘. Since then, it‘s grown apples every year.

―What makes this garden so special?

What I‘ve done is to respect Mr. Dumas‘ ideas and carry them on to this day.
The only thing I really did of my own accord was plant colourful flowers in the garden. Mr. Dumas wanted the uniformity of white flowers. Not big, showy flowers but flowers that would naturally grow in the garden. Simplicity was also key because elegance comes from simplicity. Tending the garden,
I observe the plants carefully and give them a little guidance, but above all,
I let nature take its course. The constant search for delicacy and simplicity is the recipe for the Hermès garden.

―Which season do you prefer in the garden?

Spring symbolises the rebirth of life and flowers, and autumn, when the garden wears its most beautiful colours before falling asleep. Autumn is also a time to prepare for spring. Bulbs are planted, plants and trees are pruned, and you prepare the whole garden to be reborn when spring arrives. I believe that if you work hard at something, it will open up to you. The same is true for plants.

―Do you enjoy the view of Paris from the rooftop garden?

Wherever I am, I mostly look at plants, you know...

―Is the job of a gardener forever?

I am not retired yet, but when that time comes, I’ll take care of the land I have in my home town in Provence. I‘ll miss Hermès, but I‘ll always be in the gardens.

Yasmina Demnati

Gardener and beekeeper. She has managed all of Hermès’ Paris gardens, including Faubourg, for over 30 years. She continues to care for them and adapt to the changing seasons.