2019 – Miyawaki Planting in Paris – Porte des Lilas

Plantation

2 years later

Planting period: november 2019

m²

plants

volontaires

Following on from our first planting along the Boulevard Périphérique in Paris, we were able to carry out this second project at the Porte des Lilas in Paris, again in partnership with the City of Paris. The mobilization of volunteers was massive, despite the pouring rain.

The development of this plantation was slightly delayed compared with our first project and those to follow, for several reasons:

the planting area is on land inaccessible by vehicle, so we had to take advantage of a night-time blockage of the ring road (planned for maintenance work) to be able to move the machines from the road, but the soil work had to be done under severe time constraints, and could not be as thorough as on the other projects. The soil and soil improvers were less homogeneous, making the ground less favorable than usual for optimum tree growth;
the almost constant rainfall during planting made operations difficult, particularly in the clay soil, which was not conducive to such massive planting;
the almost constant rain during planting made operations difficult, especially in the clay soil, which was not very suitable for such a massive planting;
the year 2020, crucial in terms of site maintenance to prevent overgrown weeds from overtaking the trees, was one of containment, keeping volunteers away from the plot.

These factors combined explain why the plantation has fallen behind in terms of tree growth. However, the trees are still doing well and growing at their own pace, while biodiversity in the area has been significantly boosted.

Planting site: 20th arrondissement of Paris

The plantation is located along the Boulevard Périphérique, near the Porte des Lilas, on a plot of land managed by the City of Paris, along a small path forbidden to traffic, even pedestrians (it’s a dead end anyway), close to the Cirque Électrique.

GPS coordinates : 48.87577, 2.41041

The plantation in pictures

Plantation in 2019

Click on the image to see the caption 😉

Working the soil at night: City of Paris employees take advantage of a blockage in the Périph for maintenance to prepare the soil for the plot. Impressive work!

We need to continue our efforts to incorporate the manure on site by hand.

Fortunately, despite the rain and the setbacks, the volunteers are still rocking it!

Here we go!

Young and old, always welcome! On this plantation, we welcomed three generations of the same family: bravo to them!

The support of the City of Paris was demonstrated by the visit of the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, who came to encourage us and put her hand to the soil. A great recognition for our young association.

The soil was difficult to work, due to its own characteristics and the weather conditions that made it even heavier than usual.

On paper, coming to plant under the horns of the ring road and the November rain doesn't sound like much of a dream. But on the field, we feel a cheerful atmosphere!

In all, it took 3 days to complete the planting.

Three days... pretty intense.

We couldn't have done it without you!

And it's always worth it...

Evolution over time

Field operations with a reduced workforce: the COVID-19 health crisis forced us to adapt to do our best, between confinements and traffic restrictions. Photo © Philippe Roussilhe

During the summer, some seedlings suffer from the sweltering heat of this site, which is very exposed to sun and wind. This little maple has dried out at the stem, but is starting again from the base: an example that underlines the resilience of the seedlings we use, capable of adapting to extreme conditions. This tree will take longer to grow, but it's still alive!

Thanks to the strings stretched over the mulch, it stays in place longer.

A year and a half after planting, spontaneous grasses are still seriously competing with the young trees on this site. Although the overall growth is less impressive than on other sites, biodiversity abounds and the flowering plants are home to a considerable number of insects and birds (notably goshawks).

Good morning Lady Bug !

Not yet a forest, but already a long way from a drought-yellowed grass bank!

When weeding, we keep an eye out for spontaneous weeds, so as to disturb the new inhabitants as little as possible.

3 years after planting, this mini-forest looks much more sparse than our other projects. A lesson in the importance of tillage and site maintenance...! However, the trees continue to grow, and compared to the grassy slope that used to turn yellow in the sun here... The site is clearly benefiting from planting!

Despite a slower start than elsewhere, the Porte des Lilas mini-forest is starting to look good!

This cherry tree measures 2.6 m - other cherry and maple trees are over 3 m tall