Friday 11 June 2010

‘Guerrilla gardening’ in action.






In the UK, Lewes, East Sussex, there is a community garden springing up in a run-down industrial estate.

A few have started starting an ‘Earth Repair’ project. They have removed the rubbish, cut back the brambles, made paths for the people who use it as a walk, making living willow arches, bowers and hideouts for children.

Reclaimed pallets are being filled with soil, edible perennials and vegetable seeds are being planted and young gardeners are teaching other people how to make compost and grow biodynamically.

In Lewes a ‘desert’ of waste land is again starting to bloom, or, as Isaiah says "Like a lily the land will blossom. It will rejoice and sing with joy".

8 comments:

Stella said...

How wonderful. It would be good to see more of this in unused urban areas.

adrienne campbell said...

I'm so glad you visited our pop-up garden Peter. The other instigators: Lex, Ella and I, feel that this is just a little holon, a little token seed for healing the whole industrial area. We've started to swim in the river and plant its banks with willow; we have our eyes on the car park beyond the willow arch and see that in the future that will provide work for young people growing food in raised beds for our town. Please visit again!

Rev. Peter Doodes said...

"We've started to swim in the river and plant its banks with willow".

How wonderful, and I wonder how many years since people have swum in the river?

All three of you have my 100%admiration for your project and work.

Andrew Clarke said...

This is fabulous. There should be more of it. There is still hope, if we act. Some years ago I heard that after years of it being a bio desert, the Thames River had fish in it again.

Rev. Peter Doodes said...

The Thames was, when I was a lad living in London, more of an open sewer than a river in its tidal regions Andrew, but now that all has changed.

Fishing and sailing are now commonplace, which shows just what can be done if the will is there.

Anonymous said...

Obedient bye, genial soul mate :)

Anonymous said...

Lofty bye, sweet friend :)

Anonymous said...

Lofty bye, considerate chum :)