permaculture

["Lee Flier" <lflier@mindspring.com>]

Verne wrote:

>1. The word "Guerrilla" has at it's root meaning "War", and is
>thereforefore not a good mate with "gardening" .

But we ARE at war in the cities - at war with the "construction" companies
who would deign to pave over every square inch of urban space.  If we wish
to have green spaces in the cities, or be able to grow useful food in them,
it is and will be a war.  Let's be sure to call a spade a spade.

>2. Mass planting through mob design doesn't exactly fit the
>permacultural "Observation first" admonition. Is gardening "everywhere
>and anywhere" intelligent design?

No, but it can hardly be less intelligent or more destructive than the
current design of cities and the hugely destructive agricultural practices
that are now required to support cities (not to mention the landscaping that
currently dominates city homes, commercial buildings and parks).

It can also be said that such an act as guerilla planting is the result of
YEARS of "observing first" - and not liking what we see.

>3. Who's responsible for caring for the plantings after the dust
>settles? What if the "bobbies" decide that the traffic
>cone-as-hanging-basket has caused three accidents by the next day?


I don't live in London, and I wasn't involved in thinking up or promoting
this event, but my guess is that the idea behind it is to get people
thinking, not *necessarily* to save every planting.  If a mass guerilla
planting took place, I would imagine some people would continue to care for
the plantings that were near them, while others wouldn't.  That's OK.
Bobbies might destroy plantings in traffic cones, but it would be great if
there were pictures of them in the news destroying them, to make them look
like the "bad guys".  The real "seed" that might be planted in such an event
would be the seed of an idea, the idea that it doesn't take too much effort
to dramatically and positively change the landscape of a city.

I think this is a very provocative idea and we need to be careful to avoid
killing spontaneous ideas and acts in our attempt to promote intelligent
design.  I see a lot of that among permies who seem to think that every
problem can be solved by good design and and ONLY by good design.   Lots of
good things have happened as a result of spontaneous displays of energy,
while lots of bad things have likewise resulted from "intelligent" design
that had all the best intentions.  It's easy to think yourself out of doing
something for which you might have great enthusiasm, and then nothing gets
done.  And no matter how well we design something, if people don't have the
motivation and enthusiasm to adopt our designs, they will remain designs on
paper only.

Nature does tolerate and enjoy a little "foolish" spontaneity in the name of
creativity and inspiration.

--Lee

***********************************
Lee A. Flier
lflier@mindspring.com
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
http://lflier.home.mindspring.com