5/26/2008

On Guerilla Gardening

Hello,
I'm about halfway through the most marvellous book by Richard Reynolds about Guerrilla Gardening. I've been dimly aware of this wonderful sport for a while now but I didn't really know a lot about it.

I love this sort of thing combining as it does my love of mischief and cocking a snook at authority in the best way possible -sailing above them like a helium filled balloon. More seriously It's inspired me to to something about the bins at the back of my close. Clearly my previous strategy of putting rubbish in them isn't working. Nor has my refusal to pick up the crap left by my wonderful neighbours. Tempting as it is to pick it all up and put it through their letterboxes bit by stinking bit I can't be bothered with a war. They'd only retaliate with more midweek parties. Honestly they're a nightmare. Anyone who thinks anti-social behaviour is the sole preserve of the underclass should try living next to these stuck up little turnips. I'm a hairs breadth away from painting CLASS WAR all over the close. Anyway once I've tidied up the bins I thought I'd get a few window boxes, hang them off the fence at the bin area and grow a bit of mint and lavender.

I'm also eyeing up all sorts of bits of spare ground to improve with a few blooms so let's have your gardening tips. I want suggestions for attractive low maintenance stuff to sow in forgotten corners.

Cheers

8 comments:

BenefitScroungingScum said...

Rosemary is also really low maintenance, doesn't need much sunlight and grows well with lavender.
I've got jasmine as a climber up a drainpipe, it was originally one of those rather sad looking 'rings' for 99p in the supermarket. Much happier outside, will grow in the shade, but in a sunny spot it'll climb and climb and smell heavenly.
Good luck with your guerilla grow, please post some photos?
BG

Clairwil said...

Thanks for this. I love the scent of jasmine. I'm concentrating on stuff that smells nice for the bin area -though I'll probably toss in a few wildflowers to attract bees and butterflies.

And yes there will be snaps.

mystic mog said...

watched them on TV the other night - wish they would come round and do my garden !!
(just surfed in via various blogs) catching up after several years in the wilderness)
cheers
mog

iLL Man said...

I have the same problem with my bins, except the crap gets strewn across my back green.

Good luck with the planting anyway.

Anonymous said...

Richard has done a few short films on Current TV about this subject. You can watch him here: http://current.com/items/76369942_guerrilla_gardener

Anonymous said...

Have found that a couple of "bungy" luggage straps across the top of the bins help stop the rubbish scattering !
cheers
mog

Clairwil said...

Cheers all,
My main problem is getting certain neighbours to but the rubbish IN the bin at all. For some reason they like to leave bags beside the bin. Though the bungy straps might help persuade them to change their ways.

iLL Man said...

The absolute zenith of laziness. Take the stuff all the way out to the bins then think 'Fuck it!, it's too much hassle lifting it into a bin'.