As the seasons go by, you may notice here and there in the garden of La Danasha a few small molehills gently shaping the lawn. For some, they may suggest disorder. For us, they are above all a reassuring sign of living soil.

Moles often suffer from an unfair reputation. Mostly invisible, they are true workers in the shadows. By digging their tunnels, they naturally aerate the soil, improve drainage, and encourage the circulation of nutrients. Their activity helps keep the earth loose and fertile. They also contribute to regulating certain insect and larvae populations. In short, they play a discreet but essential role in maintaining the balance of the garden. (For more information, click here.)

We have therefore chosen not to consider the mole a pest. At La Danasha, we prefer to understand how nature functions rather than trying to control it. Molehills are temporary; the benefits for the soil’s vitality are lasting.

This philosophy extends to the entire garden. You may notice that some areas are intentionally left partially mown, or even allowed to grow as natural meadow. This is the reflection of neither neglect nor lack of care. These spaces provide precious shelter for a wide variety of small creatures: pollinating insects, butterflies, grasshoppers, hedgehogs, birds, and an entire micro-fauna essential to ecological balance.

A perfectly close-cropped lawn may look immaculate, but it leaves little room for biodiversity – to say it bluntly, it kills a lot of life in your garden. By allowing grass to grow taller in certain areas, we give natural cycles the opportunity to unfold: spontaneous wildflowers, seeds that nourish birds, and safe hiding places for small animals. We also avoid disturbing or harming the creatures that take refuge in taller grass. To be frank, every time I mow the grass and a frog leaps away to save it life… my heart sinks a little.

Our intention is not to abandon the garden to itself, but to care for it with respect. We maintain, nurture, and observe… while allowing nature to play its role. This choice sometimes means accepting a certain visual imperfection, but it feels deeply aligned with the spirit of this place.

At La Danasha, we hope to offer more than just accommodation: a space for breathing, harmony, and reconnection. A living, slightly untamed garden—filled with birdsong and the gentle hum of insects—feels infinitely more precious to us than a perfectly controlled landscape.