- In Nantes, as in Marseille for example, the parks reopened on Wednesday.
- The confinement exacerbated the attachment of walkers and residents to these green bubbles.
- In Paris, the parks and gardens remain closed.
It is not only the reopening of the beaches that makes the inhabitants leap with joy. In several major cities in France, public parks and gardens reopened on Wednesday. And walkers and residents have not hidden their pleasure. In Nantes, the Jardin des Plantes, a historic park near the train station, had been closed since mid-March. Its reopening was "impossible to miss" for Mireille, who usually works in the neighborhood. "Before confinement I came here almost every day. I had never thought about the attachment that I carried to this park but I can tell you that I really missed it. "
“I too was in a hurry to come back, says Nadège. This park is like a bubble in the heart of the city. You feel out of time with its lawns, its waterfalls. In addition, the vegetation is magnificent in spring. "The benefits of contact with nature are well established," confirms Yves, a doctor.
The small closed alleys
Christophe, on the other hand, sees the Jardin des Plantes as a "good release" for his two toddlers with whom he lives in an apartment in the area. "I'm relieved that it's reopened. Frankly, the patch of grass at the bottom of the building, I couldn't take it anymore. Running in the aisles without paying attention to cars, approaching animals, yes, we missed it. Too bad the playground remains closed. "
Indeed, the Garden of Plants is not yet quite as before. In addition to children's games, several small alleys had to be closed in order to avoid crossings that did not respect the necessary social distancing. The greenhouses also remain closed to the public, as does the goat enclosure. “It may not have been necessary to close the small aisles. People are not used to sticking to each other when they cross paths, ”sulks Mathilde a little. "Health security is the priority", explains Catherine Billiou, technical manager of the garden.
"We will never make up for lost time"
Vegetation also evolved during these eight weeks of confinement where three quarters of the gardeners were shut down. "Even if the public does not realize it, it has grown a lot," confirms Catherine Billiou. Now you have to put it back clean, that is to say weed, cut, trim. The cool thing is that we let lots of wild plants express themselves. It's good for biodiversity and it gives us ideas for the future. "
The preparation of the summer massifs is postponed to the end of the month. “Spring is a pivotal time for gardeners. And we will never make up for lost time. So we had to make choices. Our habits are totally shaken but we adapt, like everyone else. "
In Paris and Strasbourg, as in all the red classified departments, the parks and gardens remain closed to the public.
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