In profile statements it seems that Foreclosure Park was my first Guerrilla Garden. Not so. In the early years of occupying my former home, I caught sight of this sign. Barely visible from the street only steps away, the sign was covered by scrubby brush that had grown up around it.It seemed not a good idea to leave a memorial garden untended and five or six years ago, I began cleaning it up and renovating it. It has been a slow process. Over time, I have cut down probably 20 volunteer scrub trees. These trees created too much shade for a Butterfly Garden to thrive. Gradually, with repeated applications of Round-Up concentrate, cutting, and burying stumps under mounds of black compost, and amending, amending, amending the soil, this year the garden promises to emerge from its chrysalis and qualify again as a true Butterfly Garden.
I hope Marilyn Benjamin would be pleased. I don't know who she is. I've made some minimal efforts to find out, but no luck. If anybody can fill me in, I would be ever so pleased.
BTW--Friend Horace (see Foreclosure Park 4.9.2010 post) lives across the street from this garden. I was pulling Creepy Charlie out of the bed last night and he came over to visit. He has grown more frail since I last saw him, but in general seems well.
