Grow Your Own Magazine

Three years ago I was given permission to grow veg and flowers on a piece of wasteland outside our back gate. The chap from the Parks depart at the town hall came to see the land, and stated that as far as he was concerned, I could do what I liked with it. It is public land, but no through access, and at that time, so overgrown that the grass mowers refused to cut it because it contravined health and safety policies.
He warned me that I might have trouble with vandals, and I took this on board. Over the years, I have had no trouble or young people on the estate visiting the place, which I have to say(the hippy that I am!) is a bit sad. This is because it is a lovely place to visit and sit. I have put a seat there and an arch where, vines and honeysuckle grow.
This year, I have the usual stuff growing in raised beds, runners, peas, tomatoes etc. I also made two flower beds which have been blooming very well. Over three years has seen a return of wildlife in this patch. Dragonflies, blue butterflies, fieldmice, squirrels, and a vast assortment of very pretty birds and nests.
Yesterday, when I returned from work, the grass cutters had mowed down the flower beds, the high Jerusalem artichokes, and the lavendar bushes that had taken three years to establish. They minced the lavendar so no harvest from the flowers, but cut the flowers at soil level and left them strewn over the ground. I saw them just as I came in, but because the land is around the corner, had no idea what they had done. I phoned the Town hall explaining what had happened. Today, a person phoned me back and turned the whole situation around, stating I had no right to grow stuff on the land. Fortunately, I was able to give the exact date, year and person who gave me permission. But, my statement to them was, why cut down something of beauty anyway? They left the nettles at the end of the land! The person stated that he was the new boss now and the situation has changed. He will allow me to continue this year, but next year may be different. I explained that the reason I was given permission was that the grasscutters hated doing that piece of land. When I took it over it was chest high in nettles and grass...nobody wanted to get near it. Furthermore, my neighbours have enjoyed the place, also people walking along the ancient lane that runs adjacient to the land often stop and admire the view and talk to me. There has been a positive response from our community and no vandalisim ........until now......from offiicials!!! How bizzarre is that!!!

I know how you feel i have a school at the back of my house some years ago when i got my first greenhouse came home from work one afternoon only t find it was smashed to bits when you see all your hard work go to wreck and ruins can sure knock the heart of you though your problem is a lot different though.

Max.

Sad, though, when the people whose job is to beautify our surroundings are the very ones who have destroyed it. It really defies logic.

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated September 29th - Bean drying.

I would write a letter of complaint to the cheif executive of your local council, and include pictures if you have some, invite him or her down to see what has happened, and how you have managed the area. Express your sadness in the reaction by one of his officials (a public official), and explain the previous arrangement you had with his predecessor.

You should get at the least a letter of apology, and possible the offer of reinstatement, and if you don't go down the route of the local media, they would be interested in this, they like anything that shows the present councils in a poor light.

I used to cut grass for the local council during the summer, but I would have trimmed the areas upto your cultivation and left your hard work intact. Pure sour grapes, to be so malicious.

What a shame after all your hard work hope you get this sorted out but alas too late for the things they have destroyed.
They obviously cant see a thing of beauty to be admired by all.
How would they like it if it had been their gardens or something they had developed, obviously not gardeners themselves.
Let us know how you get on

Thank you for your replies. Yes, I will let you know how I get on. Well, onwards and upwards with some new planting I guess. I'm hoping to visit a lavendar farm in Kent on the 5th and 6th of July. It is their lavendar festival, so planning to buy some new plants. I just love everything about lavendar and so good for encouraging the bees and other wildlife.

Hello Sunflower, what a shame, I think you are dealing with mindless officials who are not too bright. As you have no legal rights there I think your best hope is to deal with the numbskull who is now in charge. Ask him (politely) to come and see you. Explain your case, let him think it is all his idea. Get him on your side. Let him feel like Sir Gallahad (or Hadagall) and hopefully he will tell the people under him to leave it alone. Good luck.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

hi sunflower, i feel really sad for you it seems that in this day and age as soon as anyone in authority see's anything working or anybody enjoying themselves, they just jump in with their size 9's and destroy it. they find it impossible to do thier own job efficiently therefore will not allow anything to outshine them. i would certainly write to the leader of the council and ask him to explain the actions of the people that work under him for you. even if it is public land just the fact that you have bothered to tidy it up and make a place of beauty, when the council couldn't be bothered with it should have ensured its safe future.

all the best scooby

Could you not offer to purchase the land for a nominal sum? My friend did this and the council were quite happy to sell him the land ajacent to his house!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Thanks again for your replies and support. We did think about asking to buy the land, but got no further than that. Today, I'm wondering whether this cutting down of flowers is a sign that they have earmarked the land for building purposes. Three years ago it would have been unthinkable to build on this land. Too small, too much money to invest in water pipes, electricity, sewage, and access. But now I'm looking at the land with new eyes.....what the Council might see. Because of Government pressure to meet the target of building new houses maybe they are going to earmark this little bit of land for a block of flats! When he gets back to me, I will ask some leading questions. !!!