MFD Station 11

One of my favorite guerrilla gardens is at MFD Station 11. There is a large container on the lawn there which was originally a handwash station like those found in grade schools in years past. I speculate that it came from the old Marcy Open School one block away at the time the old school was demolished...but that is just speculation.

When I first discovered this site it was being gardened by a neighbor lady named Florence. Gardening this container was Florence's way of giving back the the firemen from Station 11 who were the first responders when Florence's husband suffered a fatal heart attack at home.

This is such a fabulous site for public space gardening and I kept an eye on it for two years waiting for a time when it might become available for a new gardener. I took it over two seasons ago after I realized that Florence didn't come and one of the captains was plunking in marigolds around the edges to keep it looking somewhat presentable.

The one thing that makes this the ideal location is there is access to a water right on the side of the building! No lugging water jugs or hoses here.

I also love the size of it. I'm guessing it is 48" across...so much room for creativity. The firemen and neighbors don't engage too much with this garden, but I know they do appreciate it. In this photo you can see a small flag at the front right side of the container. One of the firemen tucked it in there for the 4th of July a couple summers ago.

Containers are great for practicing design skills and for experimenting with the habits of annuals.

Last year my intention was to create a garden that was a conceptual representation of a fire. I was kinda-sorta successful...

Soon I will be working on a design for this space for this spring. It will be the first stop on my guerrilla circuit...gotta get there before anybody else beats me to it!