Guerilla Gardening – Brightening the city streets

Pothole by Infrogmation

Pictured above is a sight you’ve probably seen a few times, or felt when driving over smaller versions in your car. The poor city council just can’t keep up with these. Even though that’s what you pay taxes for!

Introducing Guerrilla Gardening which, similar to Guerrilla Knitting, is a way through which people try to brighten up their city.

GuerArsenal by 240ranges.nl

All throughout Europe people are gathering their garden tools and filling potholes and neglected public city properties with flowers and plants. Folks are motivated by the lack of personal garden space, because not everyone is lucky enough to have an apartment or house with a garden or balcony, or by the dreary sight of broken streets, weed-filled roundabouts and the ground surrounding street signs for example.

A good explanation is given by the German Guerrilla Group ‘Grüne Welle‘.

One gardener in particular is quite special, The Pothole Gardener is a fellow by the name of Steve Wheen, who not only fills potholes with plants and flowers, he makes an entire art piece! Through adding miniature furniture, he creates entire scenes. Some lasting a few weeks, others unfortunately are  ‘killed’ within seconds. But that is the risk that comes with planting a small garden by the side of the road. Is does not deter him though and if you check his website you’ll see his many colorful creations.

A few other examples are:

• Verdir (France)
• Grünt Mit (Germany)
• Guerrilla Gardening (Netherlands)
• Guerrilla Gardening (Italy)

So if you’ve spotted a sore sight in your street, a pothole or a weed-filled patch of dirt, grab your tools and get digging!