Let’s fight the filth with forks and flowers is the motto of the Guerilla Gardeners. It is a London-based community whose example is spreading very quicky to many other towns. Their challenge is to transform the abandonned and unloved patches of land in the city, which the council are supposed to be looking after, and make it grow with sunflowers, tulips…with life!
Anyone can join really. The main obstacle is that it is not allowed because it is not their land. The theory is that you need permission from the council to garden the urban development sites or neglected and shabby corners. Because of this, Richard Reynold and his supporters sometimes have to garden in the evenings.
The idea is spreading and Guerilla Gardeners around the world are creating small pieces of urban art on potholes and small-scale gardens (Steve Wheen). They are making statements every time they manage to carry out their “illicit acts of gardening”
Despite the challenges he has to face, no one can doubt that Richard Reynolds is sowing the seeds that are necessary to create environentally-friendly and pleasant areas to live. Not only that, the message is probably more important than the produce. It just takes forks and seeds to make our life more natural and our towns more beautiful.
Urban Garden: Guerilla Gardening
Underground Movements: Gardening
Below is a talk given by Richard Reynolds where he explains the challenges and achievements of guerilla gardening. He also talks about Elephant and Castle, South London, where I spent my childhood years, so I’m very fond of hearing about it. Listening activity: guerilla gardening
If you are an English language learner and you would like to share your ideas about it, go ahead and post a comment or share your opinions, videos and articles on Twitter. All you have to do is tweet your opinion followed by #one_click. For more information on how to use twitter and the hashtag #one_click go to: http://wp.me/P3tqiu-7J
Here are some questions to help:
Is there any abandonned area in your town which could be transformed into something else? If so, what would you do?
What do you miss in your town? What should there be more of? Or less of?
One Click Closer 