The rooftop market garden of the Esplanade Tranquille

Did you know that 290 square metres of cultivable soil can be found right in the heart of downtown Montreal? It’s the rooftop market garden of the Esplanade Tranquille Pavilion! Not accessible to the public, it’s nonetheless bursting with life!

Rooftop market garden of the Esplanade Tranquille 2023

The teams of therre start-up companies supervised by the Urban Agriculture Laboratory (AU/LAB) are busy at work here every day: À fleur de cœur, Jardins KUMI Gardens and Zaatar. Both an agricultural experiment and a circular economy initiative in the Quartier, the rooftop market garden is also being built in partnership with the City of Montreal.

What's growing in the rooftop market garden?

The first section of the roof is dedicated to growing different varieties of flowers, most of them from specialty tulip bulbs. Further down, it’s populated by kale, basil, oregano, thyme, lemongrass, lavender, chamomile, lettuces, peppers and radishes. Another part of the large food garden is devoted to saffron, and a final section to Southeast Asian vegetables and herbs.

And for whom are these crops intended?

The rooftop market garden—the ultimate circular-economy project—sells most of its harvests directly to individuals in the Quartier and to local restaurant owners and Café Tranquille upstairs. 

Products of Récoltes de ville

Récoltes de ville is an AU/LAB initiative that showcases the products of urban agriculture. Grown locally and processed by passionate producers, these products reflect the taste and innovation of our city. Keep an eye out: if you see the Récoltes de ville sticker, it means that 80% or more of the produce comes from Montreal.

Some products come directly from the rooftop market garden of the Esplanade Tranquille. These unique creations are a true testament to the potential of urban agriculture. Come and discover these products on sale at the Café Tranquille counter, and consult our catalog to find out more.
Tomatoes for the rooftop market garden of the Esplanade Tranquille, 2023
Rooftop market garden of the Esplanade Tranquille 2023
Tung choy (native to the Far East) from the rooftop market garden of the Esplanade Tranquille, 2024

Who are the farmers of the rooftop market garden?

Five start-up companies selected as part of the MontréalCulteurs program cultivate the soil of the rooftop garden, each pursuing a mission of circular economy and sustainable development. 

Paola Saavedra, Fleurs en Ville

Jardins Kumi Gardens

By starting jardins KUMI gardens, a project of Ecogardens by Kiki, your urban gardener Kristen aims to bring fresh, hyper-local produce to your your plates. Drawing on her 15 years of gardening experience and her training in agronomy, she uses agroecological and biointensive practices and offers consultations and workshops too. Kristen is delighted to grow and share the Japanese and Asian vegetables inspired by her grandmother Kumi with you!

Zaatar

This project is a small Mediterranean-style farm focused on growing aromatic herbs and vegetables, with dried zaatar (wild thyme) as its main high-value crop. Zaatar is a drought-resistant perennial plant that requires relatively little water and maintenance, making it well suited to small-scale farming and sustainable production. In addition to zaatar, the farm will produce leafy vegetables, chillies, tomatoes, basil and other aromatic herbs.

Zaatar

Kristen Perry (Jardins KUMI Gardens), Hiba Yassin (Zaatar) and Carole Castonguay (À fleur de cœur)

Culturally vibrant

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