Real Guerilla Gardeners don’t plant and run, they maintain gardens. If you’re not going to stick around for the weeding, watering, and removal of the occasional dead plant, then you’re not actually beautifying the neighbourhood, you’re just creating a bigger mess than you started with.
I’d get cross about it, but I don’t believe Channel Ten really go around planting and building stuff without talking to someone at the local council first
7 comments
Comments feed for this article
March 12, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Stomper Girl
Last one I saw (the end of, we only watch the bit that comes on before the show after) they put plastic flowers in the boxes. Figuring they won’t need much maintenance but was also convinced they’d be stolen within the week. I *think* the garden was in St Kilda after all.
March 12, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Rebekka
The garden was in St Kilda, and it was entirely fake. My impression has been that they’re being quite careful to pick things that need as little maintenance as possible. Also, there has been the odd vague suggestion that they’re asking locals to do watering etc – the one at the railway station (I think it may have been the first one) they definitely got the station master to agree to water the plants.
March 12, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Laura
I have only seen a bus-side ad for this, but yeah, you’ve pretty much summed up my exact thoughts on the matter.
March 12, 2009 at 3:13 pm
kelly.jones@adelaide.edu.au
yup, couldnt bring myself to watch it for these reasons; weasted resources piss me off, especially when wasted fro ‘effect’. Also, while you have Channel tens full attention on the matter can you have a word to them about the very porno promo they have on for one of their many ‘Bondi” programmes which shows a rear end shot of the lined up backsides of three women in very brief bikkinis on hands and knees on the waters edge. Its really pissing me off!
March 12, 2009 at 3:47 pm
froginthepond
I’ve written a ‘Dear Channel Ten’ letter. didn’t work. They (and the ad regulatory body) still think it’s perfectly okay to promote ZOO magazine with semi-naked women during The Simpsons at 7.30.
I very nearly watched Guerrilla Gardeners with the kids. Then I realised it was highly likely that I would get rather cross with channel 10 all over again.
March 12, 2009 at 3:54 pm
innercitygarden
Yeah. I just stick to venting on the blag. And not watching again.
It’s not bad enough that you couldn’t possibly watch it with the kids, but it’s kinda offensive to all the real guerilla gardeners, and it misses the point of gardening being an ongoing thing.
They also miss the rather important “teachable moment” where people could learn about how you get approval, and why some things don’t get approved for good reasons (like drivers being able to see each other), and how you build real community gardens. Real community gardens involve consultation, and members of the community feeling like they have some ownership, it’s the whole beauty of them, which is totally lost if tv’s c-grade come in and impose their designs and the big green shed shop’s cast-offs.
March 12, 2009 at 10:44 pm
M
Yes, this show did strike me as odd for the reasons you point out. Haven’t watched it because I just couldn’t agree with the concept. However, being TV, the ‘guerilla’ actions would be planned out months in advance with all the right paperwork in place.