In Aiffres, in Deux-Sèvres, a company is developing vegetated tombs: steel bins, filled with clay and covered with a plant bed. They contrast with traditional granite and bring a touch of cheerfulness to cemeteries.
No more plants dying on the granite tombstones? In Deux-Sèvres, a Niortais resident, Fred Perment, created the Juliana tomb, a planted burial site which could revolutionize our cemeteries.
The tomb is made of corten steel: “It’s a specific steel that develops a patina through rust”explains Fred Perment, who designed this tomb. “It gives it a protective shell, it’s something that will last a very, very long time.”
Inside this tomb, in keeping with the times, clay balls help conserve humidity. They are covered with a textile which allows them to accommodate the potting soil. A sedum plant carpet adds the final touch.
For the plant bed, the Lodela company chose sedum, a slow-growing plant that requires little maintenance. • © Cyril Paquier – France Télévisions
“It is a plant that is very resistant, requires little maintenance, and is slow growing”specifies Jérome Clergeau, director of the Lodela company. “The big advantage is that it will be flowered every spring, so we don’t control the color when we install it, but we will generally have white or red colors.”
The stele is also made of corten steel, and can be personalized as desired, thanks to laser cutting. One of them, for example, must soon be shipped to the south of France: “We have a sailboat, a traditional Mediterranean boat, and here, the skyline of the city of Sète.”
This stele will soon be installed in the south of France. • © Cyril Paquier – France Télévisions
A planted grave costs a minimum of 3,600 euros, and its price may vary depending on customizations. The young company from Deux-Sèvres is in its infancy, but orders are already pouring in from all sides.
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