Following in this week's theme we've got a sweet interview with someone whose trying to save some crackle and pop for your poor tires...
What is a guerilla gardening movement without a renegade gardener? Meet Steve Wheen, the “guerilla gardener”. His site, “the pothole gardener” is a series of snapshots documenting his pothole to pothole beautification. If his name sounds familiar it’s because everyone from BBC to blogs all around the world have covered his flower power movement. We asked him a few questions on how one goes about gardening -- guerilla style.
Hello, Steve...
Tell us a little bit about yourself (Where you are from, what you do in London by day)
I'm from Australia originally from Canberra . I've lived in London for over 6 years and I miss the outdoors Australian lifestyle! After growing up with a big back yard and now having no access to a garden living in inner city East London, I miss having access to a garden, and of course gardening.
What IS guerilla gardening exactly and what inspired you to start doing this?
Guerilla Gardening is all about getting out and about and making a positive impact on the space you live in. I was looking for a spring project for my MA, and decided that a geurilla gardening project was just the thing! I wanted to make a positive impact on Whitechapel, and my little gardens is my way of making a contribution to the community I live in.
What is your favorite flower?
My favourite flower is the Daffodil - in fact my Grandfather bred the first red trumpeted daffodil!
Most notable pothole you have filled?
My favorite pothole so far is probably the one attached - I love it because it screams sunshine and I think the little deck-chair symbolizes summer in the UK!
What can we expect in the future? (A new city? Different pothole fillers like grass?)
Indeed I've been experimenting with a whole range of things, as you can see on my blog my latest garden is a mini cricket pitch with some stumps - it's my little good luck garden for the Aussie cricket team...
The flower filled potholes was an obvious idea to the cyclist and it seems those flowers may be enough to save other cyclist from near accidents or deflated tires. Check out more of Steve’s work at “The Pothole Gardener”.
- Deborah
