On the Île aux fagots, the marsh gives way to an evocation of Japanese gardens, stroll gardens and tea gardens: these two types of spaces are in fact notable for their strong relationship with water, a little like the Hortillonnages, in an unstable balance between human activity and aquatic forces. Designed by the visual artist Sheena Seeks, this Zen reinterpretation of the “Venice of vegetables” highlights the link between man and this vital element for the planet. The walk is arranged around a large pool, whose round shape symbolises the planet. An orange boat, a metaphor for Mother Earth, floats nearby. As he progresses, the walker arrives at a tea house, a traditional sign of the land of Rising Sun, but whose structure, in corrugated iron, is reminiscent of its Picardian siblings, erected in the gardeners’ fields. Although the inspiration is Asian, all the materials here have in fact come from the site, creating a garden which is both Amienois and Japanese.

The visual artist and landscape designer Sheena Seeks was born in Edinburgh, working first as ceramic sculptor before turning to garden design. Today she uses her artistic experience to create spaces in harmony with nature, where sculpted forms in recycled materials often appear.