Wednesday, April 06, 2011

What it takes to garden in Paris!


Funny how even in the middle of concrete, in the least expected place, people still manage to grow plants and trees and turn them into a real garden. That is what I discovered by pure coincidence yesterday morning at the end of a dead end in the 18th arrondissement (impasse de la Chapelle). This garden is part of the "shared gardens initiative" which aims at promoting "urban ecology" apparently (well so the web site says...). Well, not sure I would feel very green in this environment, but I'm glad it exists!

12 comments:

  1. I am glad it exists too. I love finding flowers in unexpected places.

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  2. My idea of "just enough garden" (who has time to mow a lawn?). And just imagine how stark those buildings would look without the pretty yellow blooms in the foreground!

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  3. my girls brought daffodils to their teachers at school yesterday...lovely sign of spring that has finally come to MA. :)

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  4. I dig this ecobox and what it intends. As for mowing lawns, Alexa, I am planning to mow this weekend...if time permits. ;-) The garden plants, however, are about a month away in these parts. Suddenly I'm craving fresh tomatoes and green beans. Eric, I also like the juxtaposition of this box against the buildings. Nature always finds a way.

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  5. Focus: qualité de l`air ! ( take a look at the colorful heading in Le Monde today)

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  6. Nature perseveres and beauty blooms in the concrete jungle. There is hope for us yet! Thank you, Eric. 8^)

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  7. Yes, it's surprising how often you do come across these things, but you often have to go off the beaten track to do so. They often seem to crop up against railway lines of one sort or another, have you noticed that?

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  8. I don't think these poor flowers could ever replace the concrete first sight at the bakground! But it was worth trying!
    The "ecobox" sign is cool in the photo :)

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  9. I love daffodils! Such joyous declarations of spring arriving. I applaud these people having such a garden (I just hope their growing herbs for a famous French omelette as well!)

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  10. If only I could live in Paris this would be garden enough for me ;o)
    I actually have some mini garden tools, I once bought in Paris, they would be perfect for this "garden".

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  11. People have flower boxes on apartment balconies and window sills. We have plants in our homes. We plant things wherever we want and can. We make it as green as we can. Why not? Any little bit is nice.

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  12. Love the composition of this one. Nice juxtaposition!

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