The gardens of la Villette are spreading

In the heart of the Parc de la Villette, in Paris, sixteen giant flower stands, installed eight years ago on 2000 square m of old wasteland, have fascinated both old and young, lovers of kitchen gardens, avid to penetrate the secrets of plants or simply enticed by an island of greenery providing a link between town and country. Wandering through the "Jardins Passagers", one discovers hundreds of plants of all sorts, and orchard, a rockery, a meadow, beehives, aquatic flora and insects, and plots cultivated by neighborhood gardeners or by children as part of educational projects.

Not just observing but also working the soil, sowing, processing the harvested fruits and vegetables: the place is especially popular because it stands at the border between Paris and its suburbs, surrounded by districts populated by a high proportion of disadvantaged persons.

To give the visitors their due, the development project calls for a 50% increase in total area and the creation of four new spaces.A 400 square m ecological and intergenerational garden, run by a neighborhood gardeners' association, will enhance exchanges of ideas and expertise, particularly between the schoolchildren and the residents of the homes for the elderly. The nature garden and conservatory, tended by students of a landscape training unit of an agricultural school, will provide both an object for study and a venue for practical work. Its 600 square m will accommodate rare wild plants, a wetland, and a pond with naturally filtered water, as well as an arboretum. Nearby, teachers, educators and social workers can seek training in large numbers in eco-responsible farming methods, to pass them on to their charges. And the ecological house will offer other alternatives: classrooms for the children, hothouse gardening, group receptions, offices dedicated to the Jardins Passagers team, etc.

At the same time, many workshops will be set up for awareness raising in environmental and nutritional issues. For example, retracing the route of fruits and vegetables from garden to table.
Or highlighting the role played by garden insects in the ever renewed cycle of nature.

In sponsoring the project, the Veolia Environnement Foundation backs the Jardins Passagers in its twofold mission: to be a resource center in urban ecology and sustainable development; and to help create or recreate social bonds for all, particularly for disadvantaged or marginalized publics.