Guerilla gardening

GoY won’t allow me to “like” Balcony!

Very nice Balcony they will brighten the place up.. Our likes are there now Sheila....

So they finally got round to planting them up! It’ll be time to pull them up soon. Can’t say I like. The troughs are rather ugly concrete affairs, they need something trailing over the edge & to be planted a bit higher. The self sown plants were trying their best, their will was there, at least.
An interesting blog. Ty for posting. We were lucky with our lovely troughs in Godalming.

Thanks for posting, I assume the main purpose of the troughs is security & traffic control around the cash machine, stop ram raids?

So at least it's an advance on the normal concrete blocks dumped at the entrance of some precincts.

Let's hope it is a list somewhere to water them

You are right, Grandad, there were put in place after the local police asked the Town Council if they could help. In several of the villages around here cash machines had been ripped up & taken away! This one was blown up a few years ago!!! (Well the original one was as this is a replacement.) In spite of people claiming to have heard the explosion from up to a mile away! we didn't hear a thing. Well, that's not exactly true as I woke up at the time thinking I'd heard something like a thunder clap but went back to sleep again! 😆 My wife didn't even move in the bed! 😆

When the planters were being put in place the Town Mayor was judging the balcony & I was talking to him over the railings. I asked him why they were being put around the cash machine & he explained the police had asked them for help. When I asked him when the planters would be planted up he replied "in due course." A year ago!

I expected in a few weeks but when nothing happened I thought seeing how late it is they will surely plant them up in the autumn when the winter/spring plants are planted out. But again nothing happened! Then the spring planting season arrived & they still did nothing! The weeds were a couple of feet high! Then a an elderly gentleman came along & pulled them all out! I expected him to return later to put some plants in but he didn't return. So when the following week came around I took the Cosmos seedlings & put them in one of the planters that I had emptied used compost from hanging baskets & troughs into. Now Morning Glory seedlings have sprouted as well as a sunflower! The sunflower seed must have been dropped by a bird as I haven't grown them on the balcony for some years. The Morning Glories almost certainly are from the balcony! 😆

I never thought of them being placed there for security. So perhaps it’s going to be left for people like yourself to plant up. Have a go. I’m sure it will be appreciated by a lot of people. You might even get a commendation from your mayor 😊

Thanks for the explanation Balcony, makes perfect sense now, and I'm sure your efforts are appreciated by many even if no one says it.

How about some spring bulbs? Should be some going on sale soon?
Nothing as cheerful as daffs in Spring, but I'd use the short ones just in case someone fancies a bunch instead of buying them.
I have seen people picking them from the central reservations on a dual carriageway near me, so it's not as far-fetched a sit may sound.

I had thought something along those lines as well, Grandad! I hadn't thought of short ones though! You are right about people picking Daffs from public displays but I think it is only a few people as there are - literally - 10s of 1,000s of Daffs in flower around here!

Sorry Balcony GOY will not let me like either.

I love guerilla gardeners!!! I've always fancied trying it. Spreading the colourful joy!!!!!
I think it's a good idea, alright the concrete isn't pretty, but, it's a good idea all round!

I suppose there has to be something in place to protect the cash machine and the planters look better with plants growing in them. It's a good idea for someone to do this, and that someone is you :)

I can't " like" either !

I watered all the plants I put in again & the Cosmos are growing away very strongly! They seem unfazed by the local cats using in as their WC!

I put variegated Geraniums in another one of the planters & Fuchsias with variegated Geraniums in the third. All seem OK at present! Though I did have to take out a plastic 2lt bottle from one of them a couple of days ago!

Next week I will have to do some weeding before they take over the Cosmos plants! The self-sown Sunflower is getting quite tall, at least 18in high! The Morning Glory seedlings have begun to climb up it already!

Nice that you're keeping an eye on the plants Balcony :) I wonder if anyone is wondering who put them there :D

Well, Hywel, people have obviously seen me working on the planters, though they probably don't know who I am!

While I was putting in the variegated Geraniums in the middle planter a lady, & I presume her 40 or 50 year son, stopped to chat to me. I knew the lady from years ago when I was helping a friend of mine from my old church on his allotments (1 1/2 plots). They, the lady & her husband, had 2 plots just across the central path from us & we often had some good times of conversation. She & her son both complimented me & encouraged me in the work I was doing! Every time they go down to the allotment & return home they pass by the cash machine & the now newly planted up containers.

I can't add any new photos to this blog but I have uploaded 3 to my photos page.