Thursday, April 5, 2018

Jardin des Combattants de la Nueve

Jardin des Combattants de la Nueve (Garden of the Fighters of Nueve) was another little pocket garden I discovered during our visit to Paris in January. Like London (which we visited in 2012), Paris has a wealth of small gardens tucked in here and there. The difference between the London gardens and those I happened upon in Paris was the small detail of language. I could easily read the signs in London. In Paris I had to guess about the purpose or history of the garden (only knowing every third or fourth word).

So I appreciated this garden for what it was, knowing I would be able to research it later. The best website I found with details was Secrets of Paris, and the post titled Smoke-Free Garden Oasis in Central Paris.

"The Jardin de l'Hôtel de Ville, renamed Jardin des Combattants de la Nueve...honor(s) the Spanish Catalan combattants who were the first liberation troops to arrive at the Hôtel de Ville in August 1944, were once right outside the mayor's private apartments at the City Hall. Under former Mayor Delanoë these private quarters were replaced with a daycare and nursery school. But since the gardens aren't used on weekends and holidays when the kids aren't there, the current mayor Anne Hidalgo decided in January to allow the public access on those days."

Halte-garderie = day nursery

This interesting little structure appears to be a sort of greenhouse/potting shed.

With tender plants lined up against one side.

The Canna (?) looked almost fake.

And now I laugh about this container full of cigarette butts, given the fact the blog I linked to above raved about this being a "smoke free oasis"...
Inside the structure were all sorts of happy plants.
Is that a (sad) Magnolia macrophylla?

The stately building to the garden's side (the Mayor's quarters/daycare/nursery school) had these fabulous suspended staircases leading up to the doors.

And a gnarly old Wisteria vine working it's way around the wrought iron railing.

Nearby was this interesting bamboo/glass mash up.

It looked remarkably healthy for being pressed up against glass.

The sun even made an appearance during my visit!
Oleander? Maybe?

This being Paris there were commemorative statues.

But there were also raised beds.
And chicken coups...
With chickens!

Weather Diary, April 4: Hi 60, Low 46/ Precip .02"

All material © 2009-2018 by Loree Bohl for danger garden (dg). Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

18 comments:

  1. Are those white camellias I see in bloom? Love all the little gardens they have dotted here and there.

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    1. Yes they are! And don't you find London to be similar? With it's multitude of small gardens I mean?

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  2. Some parts of these posts seem so much like Paris and then other things are like, Paris, really??

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  3. I don't know why, but the bamboo against the glass made me laugh. Maybe it was the image of a person with their face pressed against a window that flashed through my head...

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    1. I just found myself feeling sorry for it.

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  4. I wonder if the children in the daycare program get to putter in the garden? I hope they're not the smokers!

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    1. Ha! Now that made me laugh! I can just picture a bunch of 5-year-olds huddled behind the structure puffing away.

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  5. Oh, I love those staircases over the grounds below. I remember seeing those in Savannah, and I should have taken some photos. They were very similar. I've never been to Paris (or France at all). Thanks for sharing these highlights!

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    1. You're so welcome Beth! I hope to make it to Savannah someday.

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  6. I found the carved planter for the oleander fascinating. Possibly an ancient baptismal font? It probably has a great backstory.

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    1. Oh yes, it certainly could be. It's gorgeous isn't it?

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  7. Can you imagine being a child playing in that garden or being an adult working there? I'd never want to go home.

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    1. And I didn't! (want to, I did though, of course)

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  8. My Pink Martini Pandora feed is a perfect musical backdrop to this post.

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  9. That greenhouse is quite interesting. You found a lot of gardens we were completely unaware of. But why were there chickens?

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  10. I couldn't refrain from commenting. Well written!

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