Barques des Hortillonnages - Le Jardin des Vertueux, Floating gardens and canals park in Amiens, France.
Barques des Hortillonnages - Le Jardin des Vertueux is a waterway park in Amiens where small garden plots sit separated by canals that form an intricate network for navigation. The plots host vegetable crops and other cultivated plants that are harvested and sold to local markets.
The gardens began in medieval times when local farmers converted marshland into productive agricultural plots by building an intricate system of water channels. This historic irrigation network enabled large-scale vegetable production to continue for centuries.
The gardeners who work here, known as hortillons, use traditional farming methods to grow vegetables and sell their produce at the weekly market in the Saint-Leu district. Visitors can observe how these long-standing practices continue to shape the character of the waterway gardens.
Visitors can take electric boat tours to explore the waterways and garden plots up close. These tours run at different times depending on the season and vary in length from shorter outings to more extended experiences.
Some plots are managed by volunteers who focus on organic growing methods and educational programs about sustainable gardening. These areas demonstrate alternative approaches to traditional vegetable farming and offer visitors a view of modern environmentally conscious practices.
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