Can you dig it?
- By Will Sandy -
- Jan 13, 2012
…YES YOU CAN
It may sound like a line from the nineties hip-hop track by A Tribe Called Quest, but this isn’t a call to kick back and relax.
Don’t get me wrong, everyone needs a bit of down time, but when was the last time you did something for the first time, broke your routine, explored a part of town you’ve never seen before? Starting to look at things differently is one thing, but what about transforming them for yourself? Take a look at the area you live in on your next walk to the station or on the school run. See how many disused, neglected and unwanted spaces there are around that could do with a little more TLC.
Pro-active planting, cunning cultivation, guerrilla gardening, whatever you want to call it, is growing, propagating and taking root in your local community. The concept is nothing new; growing plants in the public realm has been going on for centuries. The ‘Diggers’ in Surrey cultivated common land in the 17th Century as a consequence of astronomical food prices and the Dig for Victory campaign, instigated during WWII, was a nationwide initiative to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs in order to supplement the reduced food supply. The allotment has been a valued community asset for generations despite its current demise and is clear today that these initiatives are still as strong as ever.
In London, the likes of Bonnington Square, Vauxhall and Meanwhile Gardens, Westbourne Park – both created in the 70s - are shining examples of what committed communities can achieve when working together and are still flourishing to this day. The new kids on the block or the young stars behind the growing guerrilla gardening movement are the inspiration behind such projects as The Edible Bus Stop in Stockwell. No trace of ‘The Good Life’ here. Nowadays urban guerrilla gardeners are more feisty and cutting edge, with an army of professional talents behind them. They know exactly what they want and how to achieve it.
However, this is not just about growing food; it’s about connecting people and provoking thoughts in order to generate reactions. Green spaces allow you to slow down, breathe and take in what’s around you. They allow you to take time out from your daily routine.
The opportunities to create this space are also not socially exclusive, as high end aesthetics can be created on low-end budgets. Initiatives like International PARK(ing) Day (check out the video below), now a global event, illustrate how easily this can be achieved. A bland set of parking bays near London’s Southbank was transformed for one day into 5 themed mini show gardens. The centre piece was a 1959 El Camino pick up truck planted with a bay tree entitled ‘Parking bay’, another served as a green catwalk to platform high-end fashion made from sustainable resources. A little obscure you might think, but the area was buzzing with energy and vitality and achieved what it set out to do, that is to challenge the limitations of our built environment.
The team behind these installations is now working on new ideas for this year’s Chelsea Fringe Festival. The concept to transform some of London’s busiest streets into temporary parks and green spaces is achievable, the plan now is to try and extend the idea onto a more permanent basis.
So what’s to stop you getting out there and reclaiming a piece of your own neighbourhood, making your own mark? Well it can be as simple as you want to make it. Purchasing a pack of seeds isn’t going to break the bank but if sown on that tatty piece of ground that you pass each day, you will achieve a dramatic effect. With very little effort, a piece of neglected urban detritus is transformed into a blaze of colour and will cheer up those who pass by. If a larger area seems a little too daunting, chat with your neighbours, find out who owns the land and try to take over the guardianship of the plot (local councils are a good resource to source information and assistance). Organise an event to tidy up the area, bring any plants that you can persuade people to donate for the common cause and then plant them up. The Edible Bus Stop started in exactly this way and it has now become one of South London’s exemplary community gardens, with plans to extend the concept throughout London as a green community route.
Alternatively if you’re not sure about going ‘guerrilla’ straight away, then contact your local community garden and see if they can help you get started. A full list of community garden projects can be found on websites such as Federation of City Farms & Community Gardens and Project Dirt.
Once you get digging you will not only see how the greening of these forgotten spaces dramatically changes the look and feel of your local area, but realise that the added benefits more than compensate for the investment of time. It gets you outside, provides exercise, allows you to meet other like-minded people in the area, plus you can literally reap the harvest of your efforts. A common cause unites people bringing about a sense of pride in the community.
So, what are you waiting for, go on, “just dig it…”
Image: Photini Pavlidis
By Will Sandy.
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