G-RAD.ORG (PROJECTS) PLANT! (FULTON HEIGHTS) ONE OF THOSE DAYS

ONE OF THOSE DAYS

APRIL 18, 2006 3:32 PM

seems like everyone i'm talking to has had one of those days
frustrations, disasters, loss, it's all hitting the fan today
that means that things are only getting better
i am optimistic despite setbacks
we are still strong, "heartache to heartache we stand..."

anyways, our day at the garden was flovered with all of these emotions
we got a pretty slow start
since Nurses was stranded, and since Babies attempt to retrieve Nurses was less than smooth
but after the late arrival we all ate cereal
we were supposed to bring our favorite cereal, but it was one of those days, so we had to settle for second favorites...
we got out to the site, and decided to work gathering more rocks to structure our garden bed
Nurses ideal chunk ended up in the swamp so we went to plan B

we hoped to work on irrigation, so we attempted to salvage
a large plastic billboard sign, to use as a water collection surface
Nurses and I discovered it on Saturday
so we hauled it the 3/4 mile back to the plot

it was awkward

but we made it back

after laying out the billboard, we realized that it was a billboard for lease sign
so i called the number and pretended to be a customer
we decided that using the large tarp would be stealing
so we decided to return it to where we found it
oh well, time for our group portrait
notice the sour faces

but hope was restored in a major way on our walk home
we talked to a couple of neighbors and told them about the project
one of these neighbors was Sandy (THE MOM OF TEDDY!)
Babies managed to snap this photo

have any other groups had discussions about the implications of using "appropriate technology," "salvage," "obtanium," "found objects," "private property," etc?
what's ok to use? to discard?

we have talked about this some, as our site is very much private property. i think the "appropriateness" of using private space and materials is an inherent aspect of this project - unused urban spaces are usually private property, that's why they aren't being used. but the fact that it isn't being used says something about the value that the owner has given it.

just as some of our sites have been discarded by their owners, so to are the items on these empty lots.

for example, your 'for lease' sign, it will be doing much greater things as a funnel for water to use for irrigation rather than a discarded piece of 'trash' - right?

PLANT! and other projects like it act to engage this unused space whether it's private or public - if no one is responsible, where does the responsibility lie?

BENNER | APRIL 18, 2006 9:17 PM