Calling all Johnny Appleseeds

I know that gas prices are sky high and that the city budget is tight. And I know that there is a lot city-owned land for the Parks and Rec. Department to take care of, including a ton of bona fide city parks. Still, I am annoyed every time I drive by plots of public land that look like this:

This particular piece of land is a traffic island located on Andrea Drive, the South Willow Street turn-around located between the Bank of America branch at 1000 S. Willow St. and a Dunkin' Donuts. This jungle is one of the biggest examples of overgrown plots of land in the city, but it's far from the only one. From medians to sidewalk corners to some city parks, there's a glut of neglected property in Manchester.

During the nearly four years I've lived here in New Hampshire, I've learned that there is a general reluctance to ask government to solve problems - especially if it might require additional tax dollars. That's why I think guerrilla gardening would be a perfect solution for the city's neglected land problem.

Brought to prominence by a Londoner named Richard Reynolds, guerrilla gardening sees city residents "adopt" - without permission - plots of neglected land. In some cases, guerrilla gardening is done to beautify an area by the planting of flowering plants and attractive shrubs. Other times guerrilla gardeners will commandeer such plots for the production of herbs and vegetables. Either way the end result is a greener, more attractive city, with zero cost to taxpayers.

Here in Manchester I would recommend starting small, perhaps by adopting overgrown tree beds like these on Cedar Street:

Anyone in?

Comments

[Brian]

I think it's a brilliant idea... and I know loads of others will join in--once you get the legalities out in the open and make sure we are safe in doing such. Manchester PD are funny... never know what they will arrest you for.

But the city is doing something... or perhaps it is a guerrilla gardener--I see a truck with a trailer behind it that holds a tank of water, they drive around the streets of my neighborhood watering and mulching the trees on the sidewalk. They don't have a company name on the truck nor a "City" logo...

I'm in!

[Jason]

I was just talking about this idea during Adopt-a-Block last weekend. Did you ever do any? Still interested? I have a friend who wants to do raised garden areas and flower beds places. It could be done with old railroad ties that are being torn up around town.