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Gardening Happiness Found ... in Potholes
Imperfections in roads and sidewalks become miniature works of art — and unlikely sources of joy — at the hands of a London gardener
Guerilla gardener Steve Wheen wants to put a smile on your face, and he's starting in the most unlikely places — potholes varying from a 5-inch sliver on the pavement to cracks that can be seen from an office window that's 10 stories up.
"The connection between pothole gardening and happiness is simple: My work makes people stop and do a double take. Most of the time they walk away from the garden feeling uplifted. Potholes annoy everyone, and my goal is to take something crappy and turn it into something happy," says Wheen.
"The connection between pothole gardening and happiness is simple: My work makes people stop and do a double take. Most of the time they walk away from the garden feeling uplifted. Potholes annoy everyone, and my goal is to take something crappy and turn it into something happy," says Wheen.
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| Wheen, a Google creative by day, says that "everyone wants something from you on the way to work," whether it be money or a charity sign-up. "My gardens are giving something back to the person passing by, even if it's just a smile," he says. |
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| Almost all of Wheen's gardens have a motif, with the upcoming Olympic games in London being one his most popular themes. This particular minigarden features a small tree and rings mimicking those used in men's gymnastics. |
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| This pothole garden has a more overt Olympic theme; it features the five rings that represent the five continents involved in the games. |
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Track and field, anyone?
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| Wheen celebrated Queen Elizabeth's 60-year jubilee in June 2012 with Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. This garden was planted right outside of the Dalston eastern curve garden during the Chelsea Fringe festival in London. "I've had some interesting people come along to garden with me. I can't believe I've now gardened with royalty," says Wheen. |
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A throne-like red velvet chair anchors the garden, with Union Jacks and a mini member of the Queen's Guard completing the Britannia theme.
As you'll learn after watching Wheen's popular short film, each garden doesn't take too long to create: A few handfuls of soil, turf, shrubs or flowers, and a miniature prop or two are enough to begin your own pothole gardening journey.
As you'll learn after watching Wheen's popular short film, each garden doesn't take too long to create: A few handfuls of soil, turf, shrubs or flowers, and a miniature prop or two are enough to begin your own pothole gardening journey.
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Some people have taken Wheen's gardens as a beautiful way to protest the state of roads in the United Kingdom. But Wheen just looks at each pothole as a creative outlet; each time he sees a crack in the pavement, his imagination goes into overdrive, and he starts looking for props and flowers to fill it.
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Another issue highlighted by the gardens is trash: A plastic bag left in the middle of the sidewalk is just a few steps away from a garden tableau.
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| Wheen has been gardening for years and has always thought that potholes make the perfect imperfect pot; he's all right with the idea of living with the urban landscape's imperfections. He says, "If there weren't potholes, I'd have no place for my little gardens." Houzzers, tell us: Have you beautified potholes with your own minigardens? Show us your guerilla gardening skills by uploading photos in the Comments section below. |
Ideabook published on July 5, 2012.
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For those of you who have any pot holes, I have a guide on how to fix them, although in the traditional sense - http://hometipster.com/how-to-repair-pot-holes/
Hope it helps.
I hope someone at the NYT reads your story.
~~~BlueSkyWoman~~~~ in NYC