Random acts of public weeding
Posted on July 11th, 2008 – 8:05 AMBy Jaime Chismar
My name is Jaime — and I weed planters and beds in public spaces.
No, I don’t carry a pair of gardening gloves everywhere I go. But, I do pluck a weed — or two — from public planters as I wait for the bus, walk to work or stand in line for a show. With gardening on the brain, I simply can’t stop myself until the first frost.
I confess this because I know other gardeners MUST guilty of the same trespass.
Do you pull an unsightly sprout from a bed of annuals outside your office? Pluck a brown leaf or two from a sad shrub on your lunch break? Fantasize about removing suckers from the trees on you boulevard? Please tell me that I’m not alone!
30 Responses to "Random acts of public weeding"
I confess…..I deadhead petunias…I can’t help myself….guilty as charged.
i weed the playground at our park. it embarrasses my daughter greatly.
i fertilize flower beds and gardens in my neighbors’ yards and in public places. it’s fun and i enjoy being sneaky.
Not only pluck but plant too! When you live in the city you see plenty of wasted space. Buy plants or seeds on clearance towards the end of the season and the next year the neighborhood looks a little better!
Stranded, I hope you are using organic fertilizer. As an admittedly overzealous organic gardener, I would be super upset if somebody was putting Miracle Grow in my garden. Also, some of my stuff, like nasturtiums, don’t flower if fertilized too much.
Overall, I don’t think it’s wise to do what you’re doing for reasons of possible over-fertilizing and contributing to runoff. I know you’re trying to be nice, but weeding may be the kinder act!
>> It’s fun and i enjoy being sneaky.
I totally agree, pluck n plant.
There are guerrilla gardening groups all over the country who replant in weedy road dividers or boulevards. There are a few parking lots in downtown Minneapolis that totally need a face lift (i.e 425 Portland Avenue).
I confess - I weed and deadhead, too. I often have to wait for my husband (sigh - I knew & accepted this when I married him) so I make good use of that time whenever I can. Latest sneak weed/deadhead - the planters outside a motel.
hmmmm i have an idea..
I once bought barrels of daffodils in bulk for naturalizing in my yard and had entirely too many even after donating to friends, so took the rest down by river parkway and planted them there amongst some others. I often replant toppled or uprooted annuals in planters, or deadhead on busstops or empty my water bottle on desperate plants.
I weeded my mother-in-law’s garden bed recently as we waited for her to come to the door. My husband was mortified.
As a former smoker, i was ostrasized to the out of doors to engage in the nasty habit. Personally I think the facitilities dept had a completely different idea in mind…the flowerbeds adorning the front entrance to the building would always look terrific as my fellow smokers and I would always be deadheading and weeding the beds while taking a break (we even used the butt recepticles and picked up after theless thoughtful smokers!)
There have got to be garden centers ready to chuck perennials and annuals at some point right? Jamie, I wouldn’t want to invest too much time and labor in 425 Portland if Ziggy just tears it down in a year or two, but it could make for a good story for a Guerilla GreenGirls Mission somewhere else, maybe the Armory which has historic designation and isn’t going anywhere?
Jaime -
The Guerrilla Gardening book (based on the website) is available at the U Bookstore.
Kathy <– deadheads boulevard flowers on her nightly walks in the neighborhood
I love the idea of a Greengirls Guerrilla mission!
Early to a doctor appointment last week, I waited and weeded! I think they opened a few minutes early after seeing what I was doing.
with cocktails
I’m in for the GreenGirls Guerilla mission. Just set up the locale and I’ll be there with trowel in hand; I can even donate lots of Columbine seeds.
My name is deb - and I too am guilty of public weeding and planting. I go to the store to repair squirrel damaged hanging planters and weed and deadhead everything I pick up. I yank out weeds in cracks, I even “bulked” up a neighbors new planting on the house they need to sell ( it was really puny) as who wants neighbors to have a bad sale?
I am so into a GG guerilla mission! Sneaky, late night gardening by moonlight sounds fabulous!
I play with the kids out front every night and have been found, on my knees, in neighbors gardens plucking away at the weeds. It may be a wrong but it feels so good…
if we *did* do a mission, where would you want to plant?
could you do a contest? Get nominations for “worthy” locations - a church, non-profit office, low income family, new home for a needy family? Something worthwhile to make life a bit brighter for someone in need.
I bet Habitat for Humanity would love to hear from you.
Su… you maybe onto something… It’s kinda late in the season for annuals, but perennials…
This is a great post. …public weeding, deadheading, watering, I’ve done them all. I’m glad I’m not the only one who has these problems. I have also been known to water my friends house plants when they look really sad. LOL. I can’t wait to show this to my husband…maybe he won’t think I’m so crazy anymore.
Urban Homeworks is another great organization…
Count me in for any Guerilla Gardening Mission! If it’s for a worthy cause I could try to persuade the owner of my little local nursery to donate a few plants…I kind of think he might!
What seeing if St. Joseph’s Home for Children needs some sprucing? Or a women’s shelter? Or a Senior Living center that doesn’t have a pretty green area?
I like the idea of something permanent, and Urban, for a Guerilla Gardengirls Mission. So each year it can be seen by many, and watched and cared for regularly. Maybe one of the downtown Catholic Charities or churches. I kind of like the idea of the Armory though, as that is passed by often, is near the current Strib location, and isn’t going anywhere. It also has a good military theme, good tribute to the troops. It has some nice big spaces for greening (perennial gardens anyone?), and has some good barriers to avoid destruction. Another public spot that desperately needs attention is the corner of 5th & Nicollet by the Light Rail, lots of planter space never touched by anyone sice installed, but the only charity involved there are the thousands of people who see it every day. That wouldn’t be permanent though, will be torn down as soon as that block is developed, but I don’t think that is going to happen in the next few years in this economy.
This has always been one of my pet peeves
cities do all this planting of trees and plants and then NEVER touch them again…along hwy 610 and 252
Snelling Avenue next to Hamiline University has all these planters with trees that are in horrific condition. They are in front of schools and park areas. They need help.
Greengirls Jaime Chismar, Connie Nelson, and Robyn Dochterman are dishin' the dirt from the backyard garden and beyond. Whether you're a greenthumb or greenhorn, they're eager to learn from your misshaps, mistakes -- and most importantly, your sweet successes -- all growing season long.
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