Simon Freitag, landscaper in Forbach, qualifies for the final of the national Carré des Jardiniers competition

A landscaper from Forbach has been selected as one of the four finalists of the Carré des Jardiniers competition. Simon Freitag will create an exceptional 200-square-metre garden, which he will present in Lyon in December in the hope of winning the title. The entire team at his company, La Couleur des Jardins, is taking part in the challenge.

Since 2011, the country's best garden designers have competed every two years in a contest called Carré des Jardiniers. For the 2023 edition, the panel of professionals has just unveiled the names of the four finalists. Among this shortlist is Simon Freitag, landscaper in Forbach and founder of the company La Couleur des Jardins, along with his partner Alexandre Mozerski.

All participants in this competition, all landscaping professionals, are first judged on their application files. A first selection of ten candidates is then made. After an oral examination and a further cut, the final is therefore contested by four. The jury takes into account the candidates' projects, but also their personalities and the strength of their businesses.

The winner will receive the title of Master Gardener

This year, the Moselle candidate will face two gardeners from Toulouse and another from the Mâcon region. These four finalists will have to create a remarkable temporary garden covering 200 square metres. They will display this original creation at Eurexpo Lyon in early December. The results will be announced on 6 December, on the sidelines of the Paysalia trade show. The winner will receive the title of Master Gardener 2023 and will benefit from an exceptional exhibition. A victory opens, for example, the doors of the prestigious international garden festival at Chaumont-sur-Loire.

Bringing nature into the city

For the 2023 edition of Carré des Jardiniers, competitors must create their garden around a theme: biodiver'cité (biodiversity and city). "We are being asked to work on the green and responsible city of tomorrow. That is, bringing nature back into the city," explains Simon Freitag, who has already delivered a sketch of the garden he will build by December, ahead of the final.

His personal interpretation of the theme promises a lot. "I imagined a garden that would evoke our overly hectic pace of life. This garden will invite people to calm down, to take more time to live, and to put nature back at the centre of our concerns," continues the Forbach landscaper. This exceptional garden will feature an entrance path resembling a piano keyboard. There will be a library, fragrant plants placed under grates resembling metro vents, coloured mirror games, a plant pergola with parasol trees...

The company's employees take part in the challenge

Simon Freitag's challenge will also be that of his employees at La Couleur des Jardins. In the coming months, the main structures of the garden will be built in the company's workshops before being transported by truck to Lyon. Landscapers, carpenters and apprentices from the Forbach company will take part in creating the work. "It is a collective adventure that will strengthen cohesion and give La Couleur des Jardins additional visibility," enthuses Simon Freitag.

Link to the Républicain Lorrain article

Presentation video of the Carré des Jardiniers

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