In many cases, the chain of events that leads a British person to start a business in France starts with a desire to settle here and embrace the French lifestyle. Conversely, Alison Sykes came to France only because she had decided that Normandy was the best place to launch her business.

How did things start?

I lived in the south of England and for more than 10 years I had been learning about gardening, in the knowledge that one day I was going to start my own nursery. Having served my apprenticeship, I started looking for a property in Herefordshire, but the sudden rise in prices put this out of the question.

A nurseryman friend of mine suggested France. I looked into this and saw a lot of reasons for optimism.

I found a manor house near Vire which was the perfect setting to get the business launched.

I brought over a lorry-load of mother stock, and the garden and nursery opened for business in the summer of 2008.

How did you find the business set-up process?

I hired an accountant, and the mechanics of setting up the business went through very smoothly. I have found the Mutuelle Sociale Agricole (the professional insurer for rural workers) quite adaptable and easy to deal with.

For example, I didn’t have the minimum hectarage specified for a horticultural business, but it came out and inspected my land and accepted it. It wants to encourage new land-based businesses. Too many people are leaving the countryside.

How was your first year?

It was an atrocious year in terms of trade, but I knew it would be because I had such limited stock. My main objective that year was to promote the business. I attended shows, began networking, set up our website and started work on a garden book that I take to shows to illustrate my designs. I also placed cards in shops and tourist offices.

What makes your business stand out?

One big selling point of my plants is their rarity. However, because my range is so familiar to me, I hadn’t fully appreciated this until I did shows and saw people staring in amazement because they had never seen such plants before.

Once people have become interested, I can show them how to match colours and shapes in their gardens – because design is at the heart of everything I do.

What are your plans for the future?

In the longer term, the nursery will act as a springboard for related businesses: garden design, lectures, workshops, although frustratingly all of these bolt-ons will have to be set up separately.

The nursery is classed as horticulture. The other activities are not, so they cannot be part of the same business.

The growth of the business is taking a little longer than I would have expected in the UK, but it will work. I will make it work.