If you haven’t noticed there are whole lot of neutrals in Paris, which makes the green spaces around the city extra special. While there are hundreds of parks of all styles around the city, but this summer there’s a special Jardin Ephémère in front of Hotel de Ville, on until July 9th. (Hotel de Ville serves as the main city hall for all of Paris, and is where I’ve ice skated in the winter and watched Roland Garros and the opening/closing ceremonies of the Olympics on the jumbo screen). My friend Sarah was in town this weekend and we happened through the garden and had a great time. City sponsored events are some of my favorite, and this was no exception, so I thought I’d share a glimpse inside before it turns back into a normal courtyard again. Are there any temporary gardens this summer in your city?

Another awesome poster is how I discovered this was happening!

I love the way that people can enjoy the space and take a break from the day. Also nice how you can see Notre Dame in the background.

Unfortunately, there’s scaffolding covering BHV department store these days, but you can get a little peek of jardin ephémère from their 5th floor observatory…. But this is not the only temporary garden this city has seen lately.

Changing gears, earlier this summer I checked out L’Art du Jardin in the Grand Palais (which has since been an indoor drive-in theater, Cinema Paradisio). Always interesting to see how the transform the space, but it’s such a big space – built for the World’s Fair – that sometimes it’s hard to really make it all work. For this one, I found the 20€ entrance fee a bit steep for what it was, and there’s something about the vibe inside that was a bit lacking, but I thought I’d share it here in case anyone wants to check it out in future editions.

Check out this map to discover all the parks of Paris! You can read about the hidden gardens of Paris here, and there’s even a book called The Hidden Gardens of Paris too.

P.S. Need a summer project? Sign up to make maps anytime! :)