Glasgow Guerrilla Gardening

The next few weeks will see a big increase in activity as we get the rest of the bulbs planted. Already we’re on track for a bright and colourful spring 2010 having now planted over 5000 bulbs since launching our appeal. We’re still looking for more bulbs in order to reach our target so all donations of bulbs or cash are welcome.

We need the following bulbs in order to reach our 10,000 target – 1000 English Bluebells, 950 Wood Anemone, 700 Snakeheads and 500 Crocuses. If you can get your hands on any quantity of these no matter how small we’d be delighted to accept your donations.

We’ll next be meeting on the 7th November at 11:30 am to plant winter aconites and grape hyacinths as well as any donated bulbs you might have. We have 900 aconites and 1000 grape hyacinths waiting to go so the more folk who come along to help us with planting the better.

The next November meeting on the 14th November will be at a time later than usual because I’m taking part in a Gardeners Q & A at the Scottish Retirement show in the morning so we’ll be meeting up at 2pm at our Townhead site to plant some more bulbs and tidy up the falling leaves.

We’ll be back to our usual time of 11:30am on the 21st of November for more leaf removal and bulb planting.

The last dig for November will be at 11:30am on 28th November at Townhead and again the emphasis will be on bulb planting and leaf removal.

A big thanks to everyone who has donated or helped out throughout the year -it is thanks to your generosity and hard work that we are now so near our target. If you haven’t helped out yet but would like to become involved it’s not too late to join in. You can either come along to one of the digs to help out or even just to hand over some donated bulbs or make a donation via paypal using the donations button on this blog.

If you are coming along to a dig, please bring gloves and either a trowel, bulb planter or fork as these cannot usually be provided. If you’d like to bring bulbs any from the above list would be great or if you’d prefer to bring a plant we are very short of pansies, cyclamen and hellebores.

Thanks to those who turned up and especially the passers by who mucked in and helped plant the bulbs.

Thanks.

Location:   http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=parson+street+Glasgow&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=18.388688,30.717773&ie=UTF8&ll=55.864915,-4.237901&spn=0.00425,0.007499&t=h&z=17

Just south of the A on this map, on the path that links parson Street to Stirling Road.

What to bring???

A big thanks to all those who have been coming along and an even bigger thanks to those who have donated or contributed to the 10000 bulb campaign. As of Saturday we have planted around 4000 of our 10000 target.

some photos from Saturday 17th October 2009:

Taken from North Kelvin Meadow:

“Hi all

Your all invited to a bulb planting event at North Kelvin Meadow on
Sunday 11th October at 2pm. That’s a week this Sunday so mark it in
your dairies.

We’ve got 400 bulbs all ready to plant. If all goes well the Meadow
should be a wash with colour next spring / summer.

Things to bring?
Yourself! Bulbs should be handled with gloves so bring an old pair.
Bring a trowel or spade if you have one (we have a few spare). That
it.

How long will the event last?
Don’t worry about coming down for a long time  - 30 minutes to an 1
hour is all that’s required.

How to plant a bulb?
Each bulb needs to be planted to a depth of 3 times its size. So dig a
small hole and place the bulb with its top facing upwards. If not sure
what is the top then plant it on its side. Cover with soil making sure
there are no obvious air pockets. If you need some decent soil to
surround the bulb then take some from the big white bags in the far
corner. Its as easy as that! What’s more, many of them should flower
year after year.

Can’t make that time?
Feel free to plant bulbs at other times if you have them. The more the merrier!

What’s the latest with the Land?
Not really that much! The Council still want to sell it, but haven’t
found a buyer. The local community increasingly see it as a place that
shouldn’t be built on. As the land is used more as a green space by
the local community the case strengthens to keep it as such.

Hope to see you then”.

For more information, please visit http://northkelvinmeadow.com/

You may have noticed that we are raising funds for a mass bulb planting project at Townhead.

29th – 11:30
30th – 1 pm
31st –  7 pm

Our aim is 10,000 bulbs: http://www.glasgowguerillagardening.org.uk/10000/

Guerrilla gardeners are reclaiming Glasgow’s neglected spaces … one plant at a time

21st August: 7pm: Townhead

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=G4%200PX&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

It was almost year ago that we all got together and started doing some work as a group. To mark that, we are going to meet up at Townhead at 7.  A quick bit of tidying up then we will head to Mono on King Street for a celebratory drink of tea/coffee/ginger beer or just beer, we will be there around 8pm.  We will be the ones with the muddy boots.

UPDATE: http://northkelvinmeadow.com/2009/08/21/court-case-21st-aug-09/

Karen Chung and Douglas Peacock, along with the ‘North Kelvinside Green Space Initiative’  have been summoned to appear at the Sheriff Court in Glasgow on 21/08/09 at 12 noon to defend an action that has been brought against them by Glasgow City Council. GCC wants to stop the raised beds, the bat boxes, the use of the renovated brick building and people working on the land at the Meadow.

http://northkelvinmeadow.com/2009/08/18/growing-vegetables-on-25-year-vacant-council-land-ends-up-in-court/

Also: http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.2526360.0.Guerrilla_gardeners_in_court_to_defend_allotment.php

http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/121592/Council-s-court-bid-to-kick-out-eco-volunteers/

http://www.thesun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/2597497/Glasgow-City-Council-takes-local-gardeners-to-court-over-land.html

http://www.twodoctors.org/2009/08/glasgow-city-council-loses-the.html

We have been contacted by some folk down in Erskine who are wanting to do some guerrilla gardening ‘under the bridge’. Not many details as yet, if you want to know more, please get in touch and I’ll forward your name and contact information on.

Thanks
Michael

Message from transition scotland:
www.transitionscotland.org
www.transitiontowns.org

Hello,

Are you part of a community led group interested in creating happy, healthy and sustainable local lives and livelihoods?

Then please come along to the WEST Scotland Transition Regional Gathering in West Kilbride. It on Saturday 11th July, 9.30 – 4.30 and its FREE. To book a place please register by opening the poster above, go to the link, fill in your details and send to us – Deadline Tuesady 7th July 5pm.

Scrumcious FOOD will be provided free, help with TRAVEL is available, + a CRECHE for children. Also, if you require free transport from Glasgow and back there will be a minibus – to book a place please email luci@transitionscotland.org by MONDAY 6th July 5pm, thanks

Transition Scotland Support is collaborating with local Transition Initiatives around Scotland to host regional gatherings. The idea is that these will offer people in each area the chance to get together and see how they might be able to help and support one another to work towards local sustainability.

Whether you’re part of a local Transition Initiative (or want to be!) or are involved in other projects related to local food, sustainable transport, affordable housing, local energy generation, community ownership of assets, creating local jobs or promoting green living, we’re hoping you’ll come along and spend a day getting to know other people working in similar areas in their communities, swapping stories and sharing resources.

We hope you can make it along!

:end message
gathering-poster-11-july