guerilla gardeners
[David] Meslin, 27, is a guerrilla gardener. He is among the handful of people who gather every Sunday at dusk by a derelict downtown streetcar loop to plant flowers and herbs beneath the cloak of darkness.
But first, they form a circle, plonk their wares onto the brittle grass and pass a spade around like a microphone.
"I'm here because I think we should take care of the Earth," says 16-year-old Christine Luza, bouncing the tool in her palms.
"I like that we are not taking anything away. We're leaving places with more, rather than less," continues 23-year-old Dolores Sirola, an environmental studies major at the University of Toronto.
But for Meslin, it's all about reclaiming public space.
"People have forgotten that public space is public. They're so scared to do something with it. When they walk out the door, they feel like they're walking into a mall and that they're not allowed to put up posters or garden or draw on the walls with chalk," he says, eyes flashing the colour of periwinkles.
"The whole city is our front lawn. It doesn't belong to McDonalds or Coors or Nestle or General Motors. They have their own spaces. This is public space — for the public, by the public."
The Toronto Star: 'Guerrilla gardeners' join urban underground
Make sure to check out The Toronto Public Space Committee's website!
[ via wood s lot ]