The Teachers Who Quit Their Job To Build A Mountain Garden | Country Dreams

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:21]At the very tip of Europe's only semi-desert, Tony Brugger is fulfilling his lifelong dream to cultivate [music] an adventure garden with plants from the most beautiful dry regions in the world.

[00:00:33]For Antonio Vida Perez, his garden is a home and botanical [music] laboratory in one.

[00:00:42]The center of Granada is lined with carmenes, city gardens that date back to the Moors.

[00:00:48]Concha Campuzano has her own little oasis in the middle of the bustling city.

[00:00:54]A businessman plows [music] the fields.

[00:00:56]Julio Rodriguez is trying to preserve old gardening traditions at his stately home.

[00:01:03]In the midst [music] of steep mountains, Robert King is living the country dream in constant battle over natural resource, water.

[00:01:19]The mountain region [music] of the Alpujarras, south of the Sierra Nevada.

[00:01:25]The climate [music] of the biosphere reserve is determined by hot, dry summers and cold winters.

[00:01:32]Over 2,000 different types of plants have adapted to this extreme climate.

[00:01:40]>> [music] >> The mountains are pervaded by a network of canals.

[00:01:46]These were built by the Moors as early as the 16th century to channel the melt and spring water from the Sierra Nevada down to the valleys and villages below.

[00:02:00]In the midst [music] of this breathtaking panorama lies a botanical treasure.

[00:02:10]A few years ago, Robert King and William Reed left their home in Britain to fulfill their lifelong dream at an altitude of 1,200 m.

[00:02:20]It was an experiment with an unpredictable outcome.

[00:02:26]We weren't sure whether we were going to come to a Mediterranean area and grow a Mediterranean garden or or an alpine area and grow an alpine type of garden.

[00:02:32]And we found it quite surprising that well, the coldest it's got was about minus 8° and and then it gets well up to the mid-30s in the summer.

[00:02:40]But what is good about it is that the plants they do have difficulty surviving here, but those that survive they do extremely well.

[00:02:47]If a plant's happy it'll it'll it'll grow extremely well and if it's not happy it's going to tell you pretty early on by just giving up the ghost and dying.

[00:02:58]>> [music] >> Most of the plants have survived.

[00:03:05]The garden of the two Brits is divided up into different sections.

[00:03:09]The one closest to the house [music] is inspired by Moorish gardening traditions and is strictly geometrical.

[00:03:17]The further away from the house, the more fanciful it becomes.

[00:03:22]Robert and William not only collected plants in the Andalusian mountains, but also brought many over from Britain.

[00:03:30]Some plants like mugwort exceeded their expectations. They simply grew too well.

[00:03:38]When growing this back in the UK, it behaves itself very well and it makes a nice sort of small mat-forming plant.

[00:03:47]But here because it spreads underground and it enjoys conditions, it just runs them through all the other plants.

[00:03:55]Uh so we have to remove it.

[00:04:06]Above their property, [music] a canal leads down from the mountains.

[00:04:09]Robert has diverted the water, a technique that hasn't changed since Moorish times.

[00:04:17]>> [music] >> Twice a week, they have the right to access the water supply for exactly 3 and 1/2 hours.

[00:04:26]In spring, that's sufficient. In summer, cause for the gardeners' concern.

[00:04:32]Well, our second summer here was the first summer of the the drought. Uh and the water flow you see here, uh by about the second or third week in August, it ended up being a trickle and the water would get to here and it wouldn't get down to our land, which is below us.

[00:04:46]Uh and that was a serious concern for us and we were here with our mattocks desperately trying to get this tiny trickle of water to reach our land with uh varying degrees of success.

[00:04:59]In order to make themselves less dependent on Mother Nature, Robert and William have built a large water tank.

[00:05:07]That allows excess water from spring to be stored in years when there's enough water from the snowmelt.

[00:05:20]Tea?

[00:05:22]Oh, tea.

[00:05:23]Though they may be far from home, Robert and William keep up with English tradition. We're better around and another lovely cup of tea.

[00:05:33]Yes. Even if living their dream means a lot of hard work, the two have never regretted moving.

[00:05:40]Yeah, but I got the the pestle and mortar out and ground them so we could see. I have to say where if ever I think, "Hmm, I'm not sure is this the right thing for me?" I just think back to last lesson on a Friday afternoon when I was teaching young teenagers who didn't want to be there and I think hmm this is a better place to be for me.

[00:05:55]I think if we stop, that's the time to start reviewing things, but we're not stopping.

[00:06:01]And why should they? Where better to enjoy life than in this blooming oasis surrounded by a fascinating mountain landscape?

[00:06:15]Southwest of the Alpujarras, the Axarquía [music] region.

[00:06:20]On its sun-kissed hills, almonds, olives, and grapes have been cultivated for centuries.

[00:06:26]The more tropical climate on [music] the coast is also well suited to mangoes and citrus fruit.

[00:06:35]In the midst [music] of this cultivated landscape live Antonio and Antonia Vida Pérez.

[00:06:41]The couple have spent almost their entire lives in this area. [music] And they wouldn't leave for all the tea in China.

[00:06:53]The two don't have precise gardening concept. They simply plant [music] whatever they have at hand and what is suited to the local cuisine. Lettuce, ornamental [music] plants, cacti, or vegetables.

[00:07:47]>> Antonio sometimes sells individual plants, but he breeds most of them because he and his wife love the garden.

[00:08:45]While Antonio tends to his plants, Antonia is preparing food for the family.

[00:08:54]Today, thistles are on the menu, golden thistles.

[00:08:59]It's a common plant in Andalusia and normally grows in the wild.

[00:09:03]Antonia plants it as it's the main ingredient of golden thistle stew, a regional dish.

[00:09:16]Whilst Antonia toils away in the kitchen, her husband is busy elsewhere.

[00:09:22]Working hard to keep up Spanish tradition.

[00:09:38]Granada, in the [music] heart of Andalusia.

[00:09:42]The Alhambra, a beautifully preserved masterpiece of Moorish architecture, towers majestically over the historical old town.

[00:09:57]>> [music] >> Hidden behind iron doors and high walls are the Carmenes, the famous [music] city gardens inspired by the Moors.

[00:10:06]Only a few visitors ever get to see them.

[00:10:17]There are a lucky few who are allowed to live here, like Concha Campuzano.

[00:10:25]After a tough winter, the garden owner has to replace several plants, but significant changes are not allowed.

[00:10:33]The Carmenes are protected sites, but even keeping them in their original state requires a lot of time and effort.

[00:11:12]Seclusion and privacy have long been fundamental elements of Arabic Islamic garden culture.

[00:11:22]Water features provide a means of cooling down from the summer heat.

[00:11:29]Aromatic plants are cultivated in such a way that all year round at least one flower is blooming or spreading its scent.

[00:11:39]As in all Arabic Islamic gardens, the Carmenes intend to reflect the heavenly paradise on Earth.

[00:11:46]The quadrant represents life and matter, the circle the [music] sky.

[00:11:53]The unifying feature of all Carmenes is their location opposite the Alhambra.

[00:12:02]Today, Concha has no time to enjoy the view.

[00:12:05]Spring cleaning is on the agenda.

[00:12:10]She cleans the antique tiles in the traditional way with homemade soap.

[00:12:42]Despite the soap, Concha's garden has developed a patina typical of many Southern European gardens.

[00:12:49]But preserving traditions comes at a price.

[00:13:21]Nevertheless, many would pay a small fortune to have their own Carmen.

[00:13:26]But most are passed on from generation to generation.

[00:13:30]Concha's daughter will also one day inherit her mother's green paradise in the middle of Granada's city walls.

[00:13:46]Midday in Axarquía, Antonia is preparing gold thistle stew.

[00:13:52]The dish [music] isn't only popular with her family, but also with the guests of her small restaurant.

[00:14:18]The dish can be prepared depending on taste and budget.

[00:14:22]Antonia prefers it with fish.

[00:14:27]The other ingredients, seasonal vegetables, chickpeas, and potatoes.

[00:14:33]First, the ingredients are cooked on a low heat together with roasted garlic before adding the thistles.

[00:14:39]To round it off, some laurel leaves are added.

[00:14:47]It's too hot in the garden for Antonio.

[00:14:51]In his workshop, he makes most of the furniture for his home and restaurant himself, collecting the olive tree wood and rushes locally.

[00:15:07]Antonio twists the rushes together into one long rope.

[00:15:11]To tame the stubborn grass, he soaks it in water the night before.

[00:15:16]A chair like this could last around 20 years.

[00:15:27]>> Weaving with esparto grass, on the other hand, is under threat of dying out.

[00:15:32]Even in Axarquía, where people try to keep local customs alive.

[00:16:06]>> [music] >> In the meantime, Antonia has cooked the thistles in a separate pot to drain out bitter substances. [music] The thistles are then added to the other ingredients.

[00:16:18]The hearty meal with her son and daughter-in-law is ready.

[00:16:26]During the week, the family often eats together outside.

[00:16:30]At the weekend, when the restaurant is open, there isn't usually enough time.

[00:16:56]The nature park, Cabo de Gata-Níjar.

[00:17:00]When the long Andalusian summer begins, the normally colorful vegetation is [music] transformed into a barren ochre landscape.

[00:17:08]The only semi-desert in Europe.

[00:17:14]Flamingos fill the salinas close to the beach and such a food in the salty brine.

[00:17:25]At the edge of the nature park, the village of Nijar.

[00:17:29]Here, Tony Brugger, originally from Austria, runs a gardening nursery. I suggest a square pot because the round plant and the square is a contrast. It's a good contrast.

[00:17:44]>> Mhm. Yeah. You see, it makes the round rounder and the square more squarey.

[00:17:49]>> [laughter] >> So, you get the aesthetics of that.

[00:17:52]>> Okay. Okay, that's great.

[00:17:55]Tony is considered an expert on plants from dry regions.

[00:18:00]In his nursery, there are hundreds of exotic succulents and cacti from all over the world.

[00:18:06]And not only that.

[00:18:09]Tony also arranges his plants into artistic miniature gardens.

[00:18:43]Tony is indulging his passion for desert plants in his latest project. Below the nursery, the 60-year-old is constructing an adventure garden with plants from the most [music] beautiful dry regions in the world.

[00:18:57]A project where Tony intends to employ his philosophy of the ideal garden.

[00:19:38]>> According to Tony, a garden shouldn't reveal its secrets immediately, but must be discovered by visitors bit by bit and lead them to particular places.

[00:19:48]In the Mediterranean section of his garden is a waterfall that cascades playfully down a granite wall.

[00:20:35]Andalusia's [music] climate is a challenge for the garden builder.

[00:20:39]Most plants are from other desert areas.

[00:20:43]Tony must therefore water his plants individually. [music] And that is not the only difficulty.

[00:21:17]>> Tony also believes in an old gardening saying.

[00:21:21]A garden is never finished.

[00:21:31]A few kilometers further west near the Costa Tropical Casa de los Bates an estate that was constructed in the 19th century by sugar barons.

[00:21:46]Julio Rodriguez, the owner of a clinic, bought it together with his brothers.

[00:21:51]Property that comes with great responsibility.

[00:21:54]For the hobby gardener sees it as a duty to preserve an age-old garden tradition.

[00:22:33]Julio's garden consists of two parts.

[00:22:36]The upper section >> [music] >> is a romantic garden from the 19th century with an enchanted dream-like character.

[00:22:46]The lower section was inspired by Moorish gardening traditions with a water basin at its core.

[00:22:54]And between the two, a botanical garden with plants from all corners of the earth that testify to the colonial gardening traditions.

[00:23:04]>> [music] >> Another unique feature of the garden watered mainly according to an ancient Moorish tradition.

[00:23:32]At the highest point of the garden, the water is collected.

[00:23:35]A system of canals and sluice gates eventually lead it down to the lower areas.

[00:23:49]Another part of the garden is watered using water channels.

[00:23:53]This method also dates back centuries.

[00:24:00]Julio's gardener usually does this work with a small tractor.

[00:24:05]At the moment though, it's not working.

[00:24:08]A friend of his has to come and help with his horse.

[00:24:11]Julio wants to make use of the opportunity and try it for himself.

[00:24:55]And also useful.

[00:24:57]Almost all year round the orchard provides him with tropical fruit.

[00:25:08]>> [clears throat] >> On the veranda of their villa, he and his brothers enjoy the Mediterranean dolce vita with friends and colleagues over a glass of Andalusian fortified wine.

[00:25:25]Surrounded by exotic trees and with a refreshing swimming pool, wiling away even the hottest summer here is a pleasure.