The Montsouris reservoir building supplies drinking water to south Paris and has 2.5 hectare grass covered roof currently. Plans have been drawn up to grow vegetables on this large roof. The Paris council and political officials believe this will be relatively easy to set up as the soil is there already and the area can accommodate three or four producers. The Deputy Mayor stated that compost and not manure will be used on the site.
By coincidence, the luxury Mandarin Oriental hotel in the city centre has just opened its own roof top organic vegetable garden, growing courgettes, tomatoes, celery and onions as well as a wide range of herbs. This produce is used in the hotel’s own Michelin-starred kitchen.