Tag Archives: pothole garden

Gardening at TED!

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I was asked to speak at TedxHackney on the weekend, which was quite an honor. The theme for the event was happiness. Daniel Vais created an awesome programme of speakers which looked at ideas around happiness from all different angles.

I’ll post the podcast soon, but for now, here’s a sneak peak at my happy feet installation, and also my pothole garden in a suitcase that I used during my presentation!

I’m in Milan getting ready to garden for the opening of design week, thank you to everyone for their ideas for Italian themed gardens on facebook, I’ll post pictures shortly!

Keep an eye on my green fingered updates from Milan on Facebook, youtube and Twitter.

Spring has sprung

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Finally it has arrived! To celebrate, I teamed up with Time Out London and (feeling very London-proud) I recreated this famous London Landmark replacing pods with pots!

We chose to garden next to The Ministry Of Defence, not the most inconspicuous of guerilla gardening locations. We had a visit from a lovely policeman who joined us for a while and told us we had made his day! He didn’t quite say he’d join us on our next adventure, but he did remark how the garden put a smile on his face (if only we managed to talk to him for holes of happiness).

Thanks to my nifty team of gardeners/filmmakers who helped put this together – Cheyne, Xavi and Malin. The music track on the video is from my friend Nadia Ackerman, she’s recently released a great album the Ocean Master, go check it out! Thanks also to everyone who helped me brainstorm ideas over on my facebook page for this garden.

Here are a couple more snaps from our adventure…

It’s world water day on the 22nd of March, so spare a thought for the millions of people around the world with no access to clean water next time you’re watering your garden (wherever it may be). Or even better, go check out what they’re up to.

Keep an eye out for my gardens over the next couple of weeks if you’re in London…or I’m on Facebook, youtube and Twitter.

Gardening in India

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Most of my little gardens have sprung up around London, specifically East London. On a recent trip to India I couldn’t resist pulling out my trowel and getting my fingers dirty.

I’m not sure what the locals made of it, but it sure made them smile!

I’ve been astounded at the reaction to my little film holes of happiness, I can’t believe we’ve had over 55,000 views already on YouTube!

It’s almost springtime in London – if you’re inspired to create your own pothole garden, please do send me a photo to post here on my blog.

Keep up with my gardening antics on Facebook, youtube and Twitter.

A fashionable little garden

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What to wear gardening isn’t something I often really think about (apart from maybe on world naked gardening day). But it’s London fashion week so I headed off gardening with my most fashionable buddy Kate over the weekend and we made a little garden to celebrate these wonderful clothes by Mary Katrantzou. Enjoy.

Keep up with my gardening antics on Facebook, youtube and Twitter.

A little spiky visitor

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I recently became aware of the charity called PTES. They have a wonderful little site full of hedgehog friendly tips, check it out http://www.hedgehogstreet.org/

I was so inspired by what they are doing, I decided to create my own hedgehog friendly pothole garden. You wont believe who stopped by and checked it out…

While my little visitor is an African variety, PTES is all about protecting local species. Here are some more snaps of my new best mate…

A big thanks to Anne and Simeon (official Hedgehog wranglers) and Cheyne for the video!

This week I also learned of this awesome pothole garden hunt in tassie – check it out!

Keep up with my gardening antics on Facebook, youtube and Twitter!

Let it snow!

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London was covered in a thick blanket of snow overnight, not exactly perfect gardening weather. But hey, this is London and you can’t let the weather get the better of you, right?

What are the ideal props for a little snow garden I hear you ask. Mini skis and a sled, of course.

Keep up with my gardening antics on Facebook, youtube and Twitter!

PS Thanks for all the positive comments write-ups over the past couple of weeks, especially the wonderful Kate McAuley from i-am-not-a-celebrity.

Holes Of Happiness

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One thing that always amazes me is how people react to my gardens. So much so that I’ve created this short film, Holes Of Happiness (with the help of Cheyne and friends).

We tried to capture peoples first reactions to our gardening antics, and we asked them about what they were looking at and why they thought they existed.

Let me know what you think!

Keep up with my gardening antics on Facebook, youtube and Twitter!

Knitting up a storm…

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Inspired by a lovely little piece of knitting sent to me recently, here’s my latest little garden, created in Moss Place East London.

Thank you so much Louise for sending me this lovely little knitted flower which now has a home outside Buckingham Palace, London.

I’d like to dedicate this post to those close to me who have suffered from the effects of cancer this year. Fingers crossed that next year is a healthy one. If you’re doing some last minute shopping for Christmas, why not consider giving in celebration? It’s a great way of giving that helps to benefit Cancer Research.

All the best for 2012.

Keep up with my gardening antics on Facebook, youtube and Twitter!

A few bricks short in Brick Lane…

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Brick Lane, the heart of East London’s street art scene, got a little bit of green fingering over the weekend.

This massive pothole, which has been there for over a month, made the perfect setting for my latest little creation.

Keep up with my gardening antics on Facebook, youtube and Twitter!

Little moments of happiness…

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Here’s a little film featuring my little gardens…

Thanks to the talented Nadia Ackerman for letting me use her wonderful song.

Keep up with my gardening antics on Facebook, youtube and Twitter!

Getting dirty for down under…

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I blogged recently about my chat with Ryk Goddard on ABC Radio. After our discussion, I agreed to create a little garden for Ryk with an Australian theme. After some searching I managed to find some Kangaroo Paw in London…it’s harder than you might think!

Ryk also discussed Hobart’s Phantom Knitter with me, a lovely project that’s got plenty of press over the past few months.

Well The Phantom Knitter posted me the cuttest little piece of knitting, which I found a home for in Trafalgar Square this morning.

Here’s a little video we made of our antics and a couple of pics. Enjoy!

The Aussie garden…

And The Phantom Knitter goes global!

I also recently submitted a post to My City Is – check it out, it’s a great little project (even though I might be a little biased!) www.mycity.is

Keep up with my gardening antics on Facebook and Twitter!

Spring/Summer gardens

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As summer limps off and winter rolls in, I thought I’d post some of my favourite green fingered creations from the past Spring/Summer.

The garden I created for the new Westfield on the Olympic site was filmed – here’s the interview:

One of my favourites was the royal wedding garden. I was joined by Kate from I am not a celebrity -

A couple of outings with Stephanie were load of fun, here are some of her brilliant snaps -

pothole garden clothes line steve wheen

Pothole garden East London Guerilla Gardening Steve Wheen Phone Box

wall garden east london pothole gardener

There was also my most ambitious garden ever -

And some of my gardens are even starting to attract some wildlife…

Some Autumnal creations are on their way. I’m also on Facebook and Twitter, come join me!

Some reactions to my gardens…

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I think every post on this blog to date has included a garden or two. This post is a little bit different.

One of the things I really enjoy about my gardening adventures is the different reactions people have to my gardens. Most people enjoy them and take them in the way I intended, but not everyone.

Here are some fantastic shots Stephanie has captured of some reactions to a few of my gardens. Enjoy!

To follow my gardening antics, join me on facebook or twitter.

Some inspiration from down under

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I posted some pics on my facebook page from my recent shoot with Story Worldwide, here is the garden we created (the video is on its way). We had a great morning over on the Olympic site – I created a little picnic garden for all those tired shoppers when the Westfield Centre opens.

 

 

 

A few weeks ago I had a great chat with Ryk Goddard on ABC Tasmania and they’re sending me over some things for a Tasmanian themed pothole garden. I headed to the British Museum to get some inspiration from the Australian Season exhibition. Here are a couple of snaps from the wonderful Australian garden they’ve created.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to everyone who wrote to me about my stolen bike :) I appreciate it!

To follow my gardening antics, join me on facebook or twitter.

100 little pothole gardens at Cross Bones graveyard

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Continuing my adventures south of the river with Stephanie we recently headed to Cross Bones, a post-medieval burial ground for “single women”, a little know site around the corner from Borough markets in South London.

It took quite a while to create these mini gardens, but I thought they were really quite striking!

For more information on the Graveyard, check out the website.

Don’t forget you can join me on Facebook here and I’m also tweeting here.

In memory of my stolen bike

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I had a busy Saturday in South London, first stop the New Covent Garden Market. What an amazing selection of flowers and plants they have at this time of year.

Next stop was this little pothole just around the corner from Borough markets. I created this garden in memory of my bike that was stolen a few months back.

We had some great reactions from some unsuspecting tourists! More pics to follow shortly – don’t forget you can join me on Facebook here and I’m also tweeting here.

Confused garden…

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I was recently commissioned to create a new little garden for confused.com. I was over the moon, albeit a little intimidated by the brief – to create a little pothole garden with a road running through it with a little street sign warning of the potholes in the road!

This is by far my most ambitious garden yet.

Armed with some tiny conifers, alpine grass, a Dianthus and some others bits and pieces, I found this pothole just off Valance Road in East London, rolled up my sleeves and began gardening. Enjoy!

I did shoot a short film of the dig and I’ll post it shortly.

Don’t forget you can join me on Facebook here and I’m also tweeting here.

A and B Tyres

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On my recent outing with Stephanie, we created this little bundle of colour outside A and B Tyres, much to the amusement of the owner.

After being pestered about it for the past few months, I’ve finally got off my butt and created a Facebook page, I’m also tweeting here.

Also, thanks to Hanna Welin for this great write up about our adventures gardening. Stay tuned as I’ve some very exciting news which I’ll be announcing here on the blog shortly…

Wimbledon

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Yesterday I posted some snaps of my Wimbledon garden – as promised here is a short video that Tom and I put together featuring a squirrel and pigeon who were very interested in what we were doing!

Don’t forget to join me on Facebook here, YouTube here and Twitter here.

The pigeons of Wimbledon

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Wimbledon kicks off tomorrow. Happy memories of queuing, eating strawberries and sipping champagne spring to mind. As a big Wimbledon fan myself (I spent a day in queue a few years back) I decided to create a wee garden to celebrate the start of this fantastic tournament.

True to Wimbledon form, it started to rain as soon as we started creating this little pothole garden. We had some interesting local wildlife visit us including a squirrel and a pigeon during the dig (video to follow shortly).

We did, of course, need to mow the grass before proceedings began…

wimbledon tennis London pothole garden Lawn mower

wimbledon tennis London pothole garden

wimbledon tennis London pothole garden raquet

wimbledon tennis London pothole garden East London

wimbledon tennis London pothole garden CU raquet

 

wimbledon tennis London pothole garden pigeon

Join me on twitter.

Call me!

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Here’s a little garden dedicated to the humble London phone box.

 

pothole garden tower bridge london phone box

 

pothole garden tower bridge london phone box small

 

Thanks to Stephanie from London Insight for these great pics of my garden.

Also, a big thank you to Kate from I am not a celebrity for my brand-new-hand-me-down bike.

I’m tweeting from @potholegardener please do get in touch!

A little clothes line…

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Growing up in Australia, my childhood memories are chock full of adventures at the clothes line.

On my recent outing with Stephanie Wolff, I created this little clothes line garden complete with pegs, clothes basket, a fork and a spade.
pothole garden clothes line steve wheen
pothole garden clothes line steve wheen
pothole garden clothes line steve wheen
pothole garden clothes line steve wheen

 

Thanks again to Stephanie for these fab pics! You can read her blog, London Insight here.

Todd Bieber recently sent me this video, which documents his vigilante garden in Brooklyn. It reminded me of the vegetable pothole garden I recently blogged about.

Enjoy!

Some more little gardens…

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While Chelsea flower show might be in full swing (my invite is obviously still in the mail…) so are my little gardens. I headed out today with my friend Stephanie Wolff from London Insight, to create some little beauties. I thought I’d post a few – more are on the way shortly.

As you can see the gardens at Chelsea aren’t the only gardens in London that are having issues with the wind…

Pothole garden East London Guerilla Gardening Steve Wheen Chelsea Flower Show

Pothole garden East London Guerilla Gardening Steve Wheen Chelsea

Pothole garden East London Guerilla Gardening Steve Wheen Phone Box

Pothole garden East London Guerilla Gardening Steve Wheen Clothes Line

Pothole garden East London Guerilla Gardening Steve Wheen All garden

OK so this last one isn’t a pothole garden, more of a wall garden :)

The very kind folks over at PG Tips have given me some tickets (two pairs) to BBC Gardeners’ World Live, which is taking place from the 15th – 19th June at Birmingham NEC. It’s all sponsored by PG Tips in aid of their new range of New Ones.

If you’re keen for these tickets, just drop me an email – thepotholegardener@yahoo.com with PG Tips in the subject line, along with your name and I’ll randomly choose two winners on the 9th of June.

Good luck!

A little pothole veggie garden…

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Here’s my latest little garden. It’s a little bit different to my other Garden’s as there’s no mini-furniture, or even flowers (I know it’s not the prettiest but it has a purpose!).

I’ve been inspired by recent projects such as The Green Line and Landshare, and so decided to create a mini-vegetable patch.

The kind folk over at Urban-Allotments posted me some bits and pieces (I’ve never received plants in the mail, but why not!) and here is my mini-veggie patch with lettuce. I’ll keep you updated on how it goes :)

Hopefully I’ll be eating a salad with lettuce leaves from my pothole garden later this summer!

Pothole veggie garden

Oh, and to whoever stole my bike a few weeks back, I hope you’re taking good care of her.

A new garden

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I headed out last weekend for some more gardening – this time with journalist Hanna Welin.

Here are the results, enjoy!


And, yes I’m addicted to the Hipstamatic app on my iphone :)

A Royal Wedding garden part 2

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I blogged yesterday about my adventures with Kate McAuley over in the Queen’s postcode creating a little garden to celebrate the upcoming royal wedding.

Well, we shot a wee video and here it is. Enjoy!

Thanks again to Kate McAuley you can check out her work on I am not a celebrity and Weather to Wear.

A pothole from Mexico

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I was recently sent this picture along with the note:

Whilst driving on Mexico’s Yucatan highway 261 between Dzibalchen and Xpuhil in the Campeche region we hit this massive pothole.  As a result we lost our hub cap which after a bit of searching we managed to retreive (along with two others found only metres apart).  I thought this would be a great addition for your site.  I think the pot holes here are more enormous than London can produce.  We were fortunate some of the 3 wheel bikes that are used by the locals to get between their crops / farms and home were not in the oncoming path of our hub cap missile.

Now that is a pothole (with a very artistic head). Thanks so much for sending that to me, I do love getting mail!

Speaking of getting stuff in the mail I was stoked to get a copy of this book recently, and was even more delighted to read a section on my pothole gardening!

The book, Growing Vegetables, Flowers, Fruits, and Herbs From Containers is available from Atlantic publishing.

My biggest one yet…

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Just around the corner of my house, this hole in the pavement has been annoying me…it’s huge, check it out!

It’s so huge, in fact, that I decided I couldn’t tackle it alone, so I enlisted some help! The Homebase team very generously helped me out by supplying all the compost and plants for this dig, my biggest yet!

This must be one of the biggest potholes in London!

pothole gardener homebase

As usual I ended up with a bunch of spectators who were not quite sure how to take the garden in progress!

Pizza delivery guy whizzing past…





From above

Pothole garden homebase

Here’s the final garden.

Stay tuned for my next garden – I’m heading out with my friend Kate from i am not a celebrity and partner in crime in Weather to Wear (our fashion forecast based on the weather) to bring you a Will and Kate royal wedding special!

Thanks again to Homebase, who provided all the tools and materials to create this garden! You can shop online and buy everything you need for your garden (big or small…), from plants and compost through to garden furniture and greenhouses.

Ranunculus in shoreditch

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The sunny weekend in London inspired me to head up to Columbia road markets and do some gardening. I found a nice new home for these ranunculus just near Arnold Circus in Shoreditch.

Thanks to Tom my new gardening buddy for his help!

Enjoy :)

 

 

A little bloom to brighten up the gloom…

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To help brighten up an otherwise fairly gloomy weekend, I created my latest little garden around the corner from Wilton’s Music Hall.

The kind folk supplying flowers online, Interflora, have offered their support to my blog by giving away 3 fantastic treats from their flower shops (check out the goodies  here, here and here) to subscribers of the pothole gardener. 3 people who have subscribed to this blog will be chosen at random and sent one of the items before Mother’s Day! Simply subscribe to this blog by entering your email address in the box on the right hand side of this page and I’ll post up the winners names on the 30th of March and you’ll get your flowers delivered before Mother’s Day.