John Little is an urban gardener in Essex, UK and he describes how species like bramble and nettles grow so well on dumps and wasteland because of so much nitrogen in the subsoil.
Of course, if you want to grow pretty things instead, you could cover the dump with good topsoil. But it’s expensive, time consuming and often unrealistic.
So, he’s doing it differently. Working out which prettier plants, like salvia or verbena, also grow happily on that pile of waste the builders dumped.
And then introducing those species into urban spaces which would be just a mass of brambles and nettles otherwise. In time, those bring more wildflowers. Insects. Bees. Trees. And people. And being around even a little bit of nature lifts our moods and even mental health.
So, if things are tough (and sadly that seems true for a fair few), focus on your own personal version of planting a verbena or salvia on the wasteland. Feed and nurture it, and let it prosper over the nettles. Hey, you may even want to actually plant something in you can!
William James once wrote: “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.””
Even on your wasteland, however desolate, the act of planting and nurturing your own verbena does make a difference. To you. Me. Others. Even the planet.
It may be just one plant today. But that’s how beautiful meadows start.
PS: if you’re interested, here’s a link to the article about John: https://lnkd.in/dqYHijHF.
