onedef92
06-12-2013, 8:37am
Gatineau man turns unfixed pothole in front of his house into garden
Tuesday, Jun. 11, 2013
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m111/onedef92/dsc08623_zps4d9f0263.jpg
Ariane Vigneault waters a pothole garden in Gatineau, Quebec in this family photo.
When a pothole appeared in front of Stéphan Vigneault’s Gatineau, Que., home, he took it upon himself to fill it with dirt — and then flowers. The Post‘s Kyla Garvey spoke to the guerrilla gardener on Tuesday:
When did you first plant the garden?
Last summer I first planted it with a neighbour at night, filled the pothole. We did it at night so that people walked by in the morning and would be surprised by it. We chose a night without moon, and did it. This year we planted it again two weeks ago.
What did you plant?
We started with flowers, like lilies and geraniums, but also corn. The corn is starting to grow right now. We don’t know if there is enough soil for it to develop. Last year there was a squash plant but there wasn’t much time to develop, so it stayed very small.
But if it roadside corn grows big enough will you eat it?
Of course; we’ll see if any of the neighbours want some too.
Why corn and geraniums and not something like a tree or a rosebush?
There’s really no reason, we just went to Rona and bought some flower seeds and a bag of corn seed and thought it would grow well.
What seems to be the general reaction to your green patch?
People walk by and take pictures. They stop and get off the sidewalk to look at it. In fact, last summer a city employee actually stopped in his car, he went to the trunk. We watched thinking he was going to remove it and instead he came back with a little cup and watered it. It’s not meant to be a statement about how the city takes care of the street. It’s actually a nice street. It’s more to make the city more green.
What do you think will become of the pothole garden? Will it last all summer?
Last year it got squashed, by a car, at the end of August. Someone backed up onto it. It’s fragile; people have to pay attention. But it’s right next to the sidewalk there so it’s really not in the way. We planted perennials so hopefully it lasts and we won’t have to plant it again next year.
Do you work in art, or would you consider yourself an artist?
I work in communications. Yeah, the garden was bit more social and environmental, making use of a space, to tell people that you can take small actions that are fun and easy to do that make your city nicer. The city needs more green space.
Tuesday, Jun. 11, 2013
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m111/onedef92/dsc08623_zps4d9f0263.jpg
Ariane Vigneault waters a pothole garden in Gatineau, Quebec in this family photo.
When a pothole appeared in front of Stéphan Vigneault’s Gatineau, Que., home, he took it upon himself to fill it with dirt — and then flowers. The Post‘s Kyla Garvey spoke to the guerrilla gardener on Tuesday:
When did you first plant the garden?
Last summer I first planted it with a neighbour at night, filled the pothole. We did it at night so that people walked by in the morning and would be surprised by it. We chose a night without moon, and did it. This year we planted it again two weeks ago.
What did you plant?
We started with flowers, like lilies and geraniums, but also corn. The corn is starting to grow right now. We don’t know if there is enough soil for it to develop. Last year there was a squash plant but there wasn’t much time to develop, so it stayed very small.
But if it roadside corn grows big enough will you eat it?
Of course; we’ll see if any of the neighbours want some too.
Why corn and geraniums and not something like a tree or a rosebush?
There’s really no reason, we just went to Rona and bought some flower seeds and a bag of corn seed and thought it would grow well.
What seems to be the general reaction to your green patch?
People walk by and take pictures. They stop and get off the sidewalk to look at it. In fact, last summer a city employee actually stopped in his car, he went to the trunk. We watched thinking he was going to remove it and instead he came back with a little cup and watered it. It’s not meant to be a statement about how the city takes care of the street. It’s actually a nice street. It’s more to make the city more green.
What do you think will become of the pothole garden? Will it last all summer?
Last year it got squashed, by a car, at the end of August. Someone backed up onto it. It’s fragile; people have to pay attention. But it’s right next to the sidewalk there so it’s really not in the way. We planted perennials so hopefully it lasts and we won’t have to plant it again next year.
Do you work in art, or would you consider yourself an artist?
I work in communications. Yeah, the garden was bit more social and environmental, making use of a space, to tell people that you can take small actions that are fun and easy to do that make your city nicer. The city needs more green space.