Since the decision not to use pesticides in 2008, local council workers have had to learn new gardening techniques which are both more natural and more time-consuming. What with learning to live with weeds, introducing more nature into the city and trying out alternative techniques to chemical weed killer, people’s view of weeds has been revolutionised! However, the benefits of these methods, which protect workers’ health, are so apparent that everyone has rallied behind the approach.

Several techniques have been implemented: mechanical brushes, gas burners, steam devices and more. Each tool has its pros and cons, which are only discovered when they are implemented. At the same time, green space layouts and gardening techniques have been refined to reduce the need for weed killer as much as possible, through plant selection, mulching, straw, prairies etc.

Instead of using the same form of maintenance for ornamental gardens, family parks, squares and riverbanks, each area is maintained differently depending on its characteristics, usage and the frequency of visitors.

Depending on the type of land, the frequency and kind of maintenance required can vary, including how often watering is required, whether or not fertilisers are used, cutting methods, mowing method etc. For example, flowered areas have to be weeded thoroughly and regularly for aesthetic reasons, whereas dead trees can be left alone in a park area in order to encourage micro-fauna.

Source: http://www.strasbourg.eu/environnement-qualite-de-vie/nature-en-ville/ze...

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