I had to laugh at the very beginning of this, because that is exactly what I have been doing, reading all of this starting in 2021. I am up to fall of 2022, but of course read new posts as they come. I live in coastal Los Angeles, next to the major airport. There are no wild places nearby that are not fenced (the Blue Butterfly Preserve), except the beach. I drive by it whenever it is convenient. I love thinking of the great Pacific ocean stretching for so many thousands of miles west, ending where I am right here. If the earth weren’t round, it’d be a helluva sight.
I’m ashamed I clicked this because I was curious what your advice on making a gob of money would be, and as always you delighted me. I learned and laughed discovered the mint you meant. Good luck, Kevin! And thanks, Mike.
GO KEVIN GO although yeah BikeWalkBarb's comment about native plants is definitely a thing to consider. Hmm, I might need to poke around Alamosa & see what sorts of plants could be tucked where ...
Maybe your Summer visitors will be one of the 9000 people ahead of the reporter on our news this morning trying to get a ticket to Balmoral! We live in a similar tourist spot on Australia's East Coast. Not even 2 fatal shark attacks in the past year or so keep them away.
Love the concept, just wish you'd do it with native plants. Mint takes no prisoners. And Kevin would miss you! He belongs in a nice pot by your front door to perfume your comings, goings, and teas.
There's a "Pirate Garden" not far from my neighborhood that matches the guerrilla gardening description, although it has a gate so it feels semi-sanctioned by someone. It's awesome: a riotous mix of berries, vegetables, herbs and flowers backed up by trees. I'm lucky to live in a town that has a lot of dedicated green spaces that serve in part to capture some of the rain and runoff before it reaches the tail end of Puget Sound. Some of these are unbuildable ravines, others a small corner of a block. They're not labeled as parks (we have lots of those too). They sometimes have fences, sometimes have an official path that serves as a shortcut between blocks for pedestrians. I'm off to look at the new public sites typology and figure out what to call them.
Sorry but I won't be able to show this article to my wife or her friends. Since she finally retired our yard is completely full of plants and she takes long walks around town with her friends 3 or 4 times a week. I could easily see her packing a trowel and seedlings into a backpack and trespassing on every empty spot in town.
As to the golfer invasion, you have my sympathy, but at least it's not every year. So far ...
fondly remember a walk I took years ago in a somewhat rundown area of Toronto. The old 3-storey houses had all been subdivided into mini-apartments and the owners weren't inclined to spend money on anything but the most basic maintenance. As I walked past a crumbling brick wall, I noticed some tiny flowers that had escaped from who knows where and taken refuge in the cracks on the broken sidewalk. Of course I stopped to talk to them. My companion thought I was crazy, but when something delights you with its tenacity and beauty, you have to acknowledge it. I love the idea of guerilla gardening.
I wish Kevin well! He’s a thug though so actually I’m sure he’ll be fine. I occasionally‘encourage’ three cornered leek to grow locally because it makes great pesto. I used to live in St Andrews and have happy memories of working in the castle during The Open. Madly busy but great fun celebrity spotting. Friends did once have their house trashed by journalists who’d rented it so make sure to have good insurance.
A fun read … as usual … and long and rambling … as usual. I sort of felt I should be doing something else, like editing a book chapter or finishing the draft of the intro to a volume I’m coediting. But what the heck, as my wife says, you are supposed to be retired. Hmmm, academics don’t retire unless they are senile or dead, or finally recognize they don’t have more to add (fat chance of that in most instances). You again remind me I need to start regularly scribbling my rants about all sorts of things to do with China and Asia, present, past, and very distant past. Been down some wonderful rabbit holes recently chasing interesting stuff that I’m sure a few others will find interesting … and may won’t.
Oh you subversive and delightful man. I'm going to start scouting around for a rewilding place other that my back yard. We're been working on that bit for years. The previous homeowner loved mowing grass (god knows why) and planted lovely lawns on more of our acre, but turning off the water and allowing the wild seeds to blow in on the wind as well as planting our own additions has been a fun though difficult at times goal.
I had to laugh at the very beginning of this, because that is exactly what I have been doing, reading all of this starting in 2021. I am up to fall of 2022, but of course read new posts as they come. I live in coastal Los Angeles, next to the major airport. There are no wild places nearby that are not fenced (the Blue Butterfly Preserve), except the beach. I drive by it whenever it is convenient. I love thinking of the great Pacific ocean stretching for so many thousands of miles west, ending where I am right here. If the earth weren’t round, it’d be a helluva sight.
I’m ashamed I clicked this because I was curious what your advice on making a gob of money would be, and as always you delighted me. I learned and laughed discovered the mint you meant. Good luck, Kevin! And thanks, Mike.
GO KEVIN GO although yeah BikeWalkBarb's comment about native plants is definitely a thing to consider. Hmm, I might need to poke around Alamosa & see what sorts of plants could be tucked where ...
I've got more mint than I can handle and the same can be said for sage, so I'm going to be on the lookout for a good place for a wild herb garden.
Loved the description of your town invaded by golfing tourists too stressed to enjoy it.
I also thought if Kevin is suitable for planting in the wild since mint is an invasive species much as the golfers in July in your town.
Maybe your Summer visitors will be one of the 9000 people ahead of the reporter on our news this morning trying to get a ticket to Balmoral! We live in a similar tourist spot on Australia's East Coast. Not even 2 fatal shark attacks in the past year or so keep them away.
Great post, Mike! Thank you.
Love the concept, just wish you'd do it with native plants. Mint takes no prisoners. And Kevin would miss you! He belongs in a nice pot by your front door to perfume your comings, goings, and teas.
There's a "Pirate Garden" not far from my neighborhood that matches the guerrilla gardening description, although it has a gate so it feels semi-sanctioned by someone. It's awesome: a riotous mix of berries, vegetables, herbs and flowers backed up by trees. I'm lucky to live in a town that has a lot of dedicated green spaces that serve in part to capture some of the rain and runoff before it reaches the tail end of Puget Sound. Some of these are unbuildable ravines, others a small corner of a block. They're not labeled as parks (we have lots of those too). They sometimes have fences, sometimes have an official path that serves as a shortcut between blocks for pedestrians. I'm off to look at the new public sites typology and figure out what to call them.
Wishing Kevin all the best in his new home. 🏡
Sorry but I won't be able to show this article to my wife or her friends. Since she finally retired our yard is completely full of plants and she takes long walks around town with her friends 3 or 4 times a week. I could easily see her packing a trowel and seedlings into a backpack and trespassing on every empty spot in town.
As to the golfer invasion, you have my sympathy, but at least it's not every year. So far ...
fondly remember a walk I took years ago in a somewhat rundown area of Toronto. The old 3-storey houses had all been subdivided into mini-apartments and the owners weren't inclined to spend money on anything but the most basic maintenance. As I walked past a crumbling brick wall, I noticed some tiny flowers that had escaped from who knows where and taken refuge in the cracks on the broken sidewalk. Of course I stopped to talk to them. My companion thought I was crazy, but when something delights you with its tenacity and beauty, you have to acknowledge it. I love the idea of guerilla gardening.
And that is how Kevin took over the world...
I wish Kevin well! He’s a thug though so actually I’m sure he’ll be fine. I occasionally‘encourage’ three cornered leek to grow locally because it makes great pesto. I used to live in St Andrews and have happy memories of working in the castle during The Open. Madly busy but great fun celebrity spotting. Friends did once have their house trashed by journalists who’d rented it so make sure to have good insurance.
A fun read … as usual … and long and rambling … as usual. I sort of felt I should be doing something else, like editing a book chapter or finishing the draft of the intro to a volume I’m coediting. But what the heck, as my wife says, you are supposed to be retired. Hmmm, academics don’t retire unless they are senile or dead, or finally recognize they don’t have more to add (fat chance of that in most instances). You again remind me I need to start regularly scribbling my rants about all sorts of things to do with China and Asia, present, past, and very distant past. Been down some wonderful rabbit holes recently chasing interesting stuff that I’m sure a few others will find interesting … and may won’t.
Go Kevin! May he flourish through the year. I love that idea connected to the boring urban landscapes...off to investigate Graham some more. Thank you
Oh you subversive and delightful man. I'm going to start scouting around for a rewilding place other that my back yard. We're been working on that bit for years. The previous homeowner loved mowing grass (god knows why) and planted lovely lawns on more of our acre, but turning off the water and allowing the wild seeds to blow in on the wind as well as planting our own additions has been a fun though difficult at times goal.