Le Vivrier

A SUMMER FOOD GARDEN TO BRING FRESHNESS AND BIODIVERSITY
From 4 July to 1 September 2025

The Place de la République summer garden opens its doors to the public on Friday afternoon, July 4. This 1,500 m² garden will be showcasing food-producing vegetation in the Sarthe region, whether it be from the present, the past or the future.
of tomorrow.
Evoking the vegetable gardens, fields and orchards of the Sarthe region, visitors will discover examples of vegetable production such as that which once fed farmers and their families, and which is still perpetuated today through the heritage of allotments and shared gardens. The gardeners have combined flowers, vegetables, herbs and fruit trees in the spirit of permaculture.
In a setting of cereals and flower-filled meadows, rows of vines are a nod to the Sarthe wine-growing region. Nearby, high-stemmed fruit trees evoke the development of production orchards with local varieties that have become part of our plant and culinary heritage, such as the Reinette du Mans apple and the Nouzillard chestnut.
In the light of climate change, a few varieties from warmer regions of the world have crept into the garden and onto the garden's shaded areas, heralding a possible evolution in our countryside and farming methods.
Five tree sculptures on the theme of the environment, created by children from Le Mans public schools during extra-curricular activities using recycled materials, are on display in one of the meadow islands.
The garden is a convivial place in the heart of the city, with seating and misting devices. In addition to its beneficial effects in terms of reducing the heat island in the Place de la République, the summer garden features large educational panels on the evolution of the Sarthe countryside from the 19th century to the mid-21st century and on the origin and domestication of edible plant species. A number of panels provide further information on crop associations, vines, apple trees and chestnut trees in Sarthe.
This 2025 edition was produced in its entirety by teams from Le Mans town council, principally its Nature en Ville department. Around sixty staff were involved, from the design of the project to the assembly of the structures, including plant production and the making of the furniture. The garden will be maintained and watered by local authority staff throughout the period when it is open to the public.

A FEW FIGURES
- Planted area: 700 m², including 300 m2 of flower meadows.
- Furniture: 13 sun loungers, eight simple benches, five large benches, three large shaded hexagonal seats and two large pergolas.
- Plant varieties: over 60 varieties (fruit trees: apple, pear, plum, vine, hazelnut; cereals: wheat, oats, sorghum, millet, quinoa; vegetables: cauliflower, beetroot, aubergine, tomato, celery, etc.).

PARTICIPANTS
- Project management, communication, signage: Service Aménagement et
Design Department - Nature en Ville / City of Le Mans.
- Plant production, installation: Parks and Gardens Department - Nature
en Ville / City of Le Mans.
- Furniture and infrastructure: Service Patrimoine et Equipements and Direction
Architecture and Technical Services / Ville du Mans.
- Watering and misting: NCI Paysage

Gratuit

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