Published by Pananiafreerangers
This is more an opening blog than an "About me"....but we tend to do things a bit differently.
Planting edibles where traditionally there were ornamentals is not a new idea.
Since we began in October 2015, we have seen a rise in Australia of people participating in guerilla gardening projects and planting verges.
I began about a year ago. I stealthily planted a few tomatoes and other veg in the front garden and on the verge. Soon after, an exceptional young man quizzed me on whether I was afraid people will steal it. I told him that was kinda the idea. He never questioned it after that and has since taken all the offerings of plants and veg left out on the plate. He admitted feeding the kale to his rabbit but then, that's probably where kale should go! Not my favourite leafy green!
The notion that food can be free and shared with others without any interaction or pre-existing relationship with the grower seems to be as radical as letting children out of detention and settling refugees in Australia. My new friend questioned it, accepted it and is now involved by dropping his grass clippings off from his lawn mowing work that he conducts with trailer hitched to his bike. He took some potted up pumpkins to his clients.
Over the years, I have been involved with our local council via other community actions and quite frankly, I don't have the energy to deal with the bureaucratic bullshit any more. I am at the point in my life where I find that the increasing intrusion of the bureaucracy into daily life has me rolling my eyes skyward at least once a day. I can't pinpoint exactly where the disdain and eye-rolling began, I think it may have been in my first career attempt in childcare. I wanted to put in a garden (not specifically edible) but was given a page long list of plants I couldn't plant due to a possible allergic reaction. Strike 1. Strike 2 was when I was involved in the University student council in opposing student accommodation that was going to alienate the suburban neighbours. We had all the support under the sun from Councillors and pre state election candidates only to lose at the Joint Regional Planning Panel 3 votes to 2...the 3 votes being from representatives that would suffer no impact of this development. Strike 3 was when the university cut down protected trees to procure another business interest (a childcare that charged an unaffordable day rate for students). I then realised activism and challenging the status quo from within was pointless. The processes the non-compliant are advised to follow are simply tokenistic measures put in place by big business wanting to be seen to be doing the right thing.
Through a mutual friend and my "eclectic" verge garden I found an accomplice who after a few cups of tea and sharing of plants, decided that she would like to be involved in reshaping our community through vegetables. The focus was to see if we could expand our sharing and caring thinking through organic organising. We advertise what we do on social media and see what will evolve without a hierarchy or bureaucracy attached to it. Our aim is to support all contributors and contributions, no matter where or how they come about.
The first adventure, we planted a stagnant and dull "native" garden at East Hills with Ice Cream bean, lavender, rosemary, tomatoes, corn, a possible pear and pumpkin. A local family following the movement came and planted some avocado seeds and planted some climbing peas on a teepee made from sticks. Others began taking my offerings of free plants and seedlings. We had a generous donation of about 35 tomato plants that literally walked off my front yard and into the homes of my neighbours.
We also put a small garden up at a community running track. The anonymity raised interest - and it felt as though we were doing something really really naughty! This garden was destroyed (possibly by Council) and a lovely sign showing support for the garden was erected.
Next we filled the ugly concrete planters at Panania shop with herbs and witty signs made from ice cream lids. I have had various reports of people stopping, looking, reading and smiling. What an outrageous crime we have committed - no doubt captured on a surveillance camera, somewhere! On the same day, I released some free range pumpkins in another dull, native garden near the State and Federal member's offices. We are busy thinking up political and activist slogans to accompany these "free range vegies". At this time in Australia the veg are the only ones free - until they get poisoned, mowed, whippersnipped, bulldozed!
On Christmas Eve, my kids and their friends played a non-traditional knock and run where they delivered potted up watermelons on my neighbours' doorstep whilst simultaneously cackling and running away. Nice to see kids being naughty doing something that doesn't harm.
We are hoping to earn an income from our gardening/urban farming at some point but for now we are satisfied that others in the community have started to think about other ways to reach out to others with veg and a pinch of activism and a dash of kind-hearted humour.
The story continues....Jaq
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