Talkback: Guerrilla gardening and planting tulips - Talkback

Gardeners' World Web User

14/10/2011 at 13:54

Good post Kate - thanks.

Gardeners' World Web User

14/10/2011 at 14:15

I love the idea of guerrilla gardening - greening up our drab urban areas and adding a splash of life and colour to the monoculture of grass that is often grown on roundabouts and other public areas. I am sure that the organisers didn't intend for existing native plants to be removed or damaged, but perhaps they just need to give a bit more guidance to the well-intentioned guerrillas who join them on their adventures.

Gardeners' World Web User

14/10/2011 at 15:31

There is lots of innovative wildlife friendly planting using native species being done by local authorities on verges and in public areas, which never gets the headlines it deserves.

Gardeners' World Web User

14/10/2011 at 16:51

Guerrilla gardeners deserve medals and there own TV show! M.O.G I totally agree we have a great area near us that everyone admires. It has hedgehog houses, slate and tiles and old wood mixed in with wild flowers it is superb. Thanks Kate....all you have to do now is set the date for the first 'guerrilla day'

Gardeners' World Web User

14/10/2011 at 17:23

Oh come on! One isolated event of tearing down ivy.. and in almost all other instances guerilla gardening is a very positive movement I'd say. I really don't understand the point of this rant. The expense guerilla gardening has on wild plants is at least in my part of the world almost non-existent. Mostly guerilla gardening is done where nothing else grows..?

Gardeners' World Web User

14/10/2011 at 17:54

I live in Chester and they seem to want to cut everything in site. We have an old railway line which has been turned into a cycle and walkway running for about 15 miles, it's brilliant. Why do the Council need to keep cutting back the edges and lose all the lovely wild flowers? Roundabouts are drab and boring, what a lost opportunity for atracting wildlife. I drove down the A55 into Wales and the central reservation was a mass of ox eye daisies, when I came back they had all been cut, why? Warrinton on the other hand has a policy of sowing wild flowers on the grass verges. Stunning and worthwhile, well done to them!

Gardeners' World Web User

14/10/2011 at 19:28

Interesting article, don't think I will cut down what Ivy I have now. Not against the guerilla gardening idea though, from the little I have read I like it. Why not make something beautiful? I agreee with Jon the Geek's post

Gardeners' World Web User

14/10/2011 at 20:01

Thank you for this brave and true blog post. Guerilla gardeners often get carried away by the thrill of putting their mark on a "neglected" space. But their actions can be so harmful to biodiversity (as you have shown). "Beauty" for humans can have deathly consequences for other creatures. I'm sure that most guerilla gardeners mean well, but I wish they would think a little further and learn a little more. It will happen in time, I hope.

Gardeners' World Web User

15/10/2011 at 07:30

When guerilla gardeners remove all the drinks cans,crisp packets etc from sides of carparks and enrich the soil and plant pretty flowers instead I support their efforts by suggesting they stick to a policy of biodiversity and nectar rich plants to feed the insects that bring us our food. Cities do help bees more already than the monoculture on large farms do in the country and its is blogs like Kate writes that wil make sure this continues. Our guerillas planted daffodils in the grass opposite bus stops. The same grass could have crocuses in it like in a neighbouring community. But , credit where credit is due - Bristol corporation are pursuing a wildlife friendly policy more and more in their roundabouts, verges and parks, and observant people like Kate are seeing the results.

Gardeners' World Web User

19/10/2011 at 23:06

It's all about awareness and ability to live alongside each other without one wrecking what the other has built isn't it? In our community garden we have an avid forget-me-not planter. As fast as she plants, someone else hoes them out! Kate the post is really insightful but even you use the word 'instead' ...when we should be teaching "as well". That's not just for gardeneing but could be a really good place to start!

Gardeners' World Web User

28/11/2011 at 18:44

I couoldn't disagree more with the comments from HA / Cameragardening. This isnt a rant; you find me one ecologist who thinks guerilla gardening is a good idea!

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