The association that has managed them for years is raising an alarm about the Shared Gardens of Saint Roch, which are at risk of disappearing.
It seems that it is for the purpose of widening the roadway.
According to a statement, “following the partial restoration of the surrounding wall, the Metropolis has ordered us to justify our presence. Having obtained no lease to date, while being mentioned on the Metropolis website, we would like to recall the hope and spirit in which we have worked and our various actions towards the residents” – signed by Dr. André Minetto, vice-president of the association, whose president is Madame Jeanine Costamagna. Both are well-known figures in the associative life of Nice.
A bit of history …
We entered in October 2013 the Daumas-Vauban plot, purchased for 370,000 euros from the heirs of the former owner Mr. Roux, after it had been preempted. This was after multiple unsuccessful attempts through letters, petitions, and démarches to save this land promised for alignment, as the last vestige of the agricultural past of the neighborhood, with the goal of creating educational gardens for the surrounding schools and colleges. Everything was refused, and unable to resolve to see this magical place disappear (according to the words of Mr. Jean-Marc Giaume, our Territory Deputy), only this solution remained, which was tacitly accepted by the authorities for five years.
This plot was transformed after intense cleaning and weeding into a shared garden intended for the residents of the neighborhood for a duration of their choice. To date, there is a substantial waiting list, proof of the enthusiasm these gardens evoke.
Maintaining a plot involves facing multiple questions and also finding solutions: the use of compost, the ideal watering time, mulching, seed choices, organic protection against insects… Through this journey, residents reestablish a connection with the earth.
We also encouraged residents to leave us their fruit and vegetable peelings to make compost.
Signs have been put up to raise public awareness of our actions, environmental protection, and the patrimonial value of this land: water drawn seven meters below the ground thanks to the pump we installed, bees and tits that come to the plot (especially for the bees when the avocado tree is in bloom), bats… Signs also ask residents to respect the planet (reduce your CO2 emissions, plant a tree this year…)
Besides adult audiences, in 2017, following authorization from Mr. Lauriano Azinheirinha, Deputy for Education at the time, we were able to welcome classes from Saint Roch School, over several weeks. It was a celebration for the children to plant, water, touch the earth, listen to bird songs (as this plot is also an ecological niche and biodiversity refuge). They left us numerous drawings and thank-you messages.
People also come to recharge on the plot (some being disabled). It is a place to escape the city’s pace and finally take the time to take time. There have been meals, several celebrations, including those of neighbors, with visits to the territory.
We contributed to the drafting of a thesis on incredible edibles by a young researcher who investigated our actions and projects.
Avocado picking is always a celebration. Some volunteer spontaneously to gather these magnificent fruits weighing 500 to 800 grams. This century-old Nissart avocado tree speaks to many people, including those from the islands. And our oldest elders have known it forever. Again, it’s an opportunity for meeting and exchange. This plot creates social bonds between people of very different origins, ages, and conditions. There is something universal about this garden.
Finally, our latest project was to restore the collapsed part of the enclosure wall on the Daumas side, to replace the rusty and dangerous fence.
The present and … the future?
Welcomed by the residents, this operation is now being reproached by the Metropolis: why?
Other shared gardens are flourishing everywhere: why should Saint Roch be deprived of this treasure inherited from the past but linking with the future in line with the COP21?*
Since the beginning, we have been seeking regularization, like other shared gardens, to avoid misunderstandings like the current one. We also wish to formalize and sustain our actions, especially with the neighborhood schools.
The Daumas Vauban plot must be preserved as an ecological and historical heritage and as a common good for the benefit of all.
