Public gardens?

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When I was walking around Seattle last summer I noticed quite a few public gardens that had sprung up by ordinary citizens. They just took abandoned pieces of land and planted vegetables and flowers in them. The thing that shocked me the most is that people respected the gardens and did not ransack them for free food and what not. Are there public gardens where you live? Have you ever thought about starting one?
 
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There are no public gardens in my area, but we have really beautiful and enormous parks. I love walking in them, lying on the grass and looking at old trees. It relaxes me more than anything:)
I've never thought about starting a public garden. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be legal.
 
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I've never seen any around. It is an interesting idea, but is it legal? Some towns may have a problem with people just taking over plots of land. Not to mention, the owners of the land may have a problem with it. I wouldn't care if I started one and people scavenged it. If I did start one it would be for the public to use. We do have a community garden here though. I think it is better to just use those because at least you know you are allowed to.
 
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They do it some in San Antonio in the more poorer parts of town where the real estate values are low and developers and spec builders aren't interested. There was one on the news a few months ago that had been in operation for a number of years and someone bought the land, bulldozed it and built low rent housing which will become, I am sure, just another gang riddled ghetto in a few years, or months
 
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When I was walking around Seattle last summer I noticed quite a few public gardens that had sprung up by ordinary citizens. They just took abandoned pieces of land and planted vegetables and flowers in them. The thing that shocked me the most is that people respected the gardens and did not ransack them for free food and what not. Are there public gardens where you live? Have you ever thought about starting one?

That's the thing I loved about my hometown. They're quirky and love livening up the place haha. It's like the whole knitted wraps for trees and the dressing up of Lenin in Fremont. Everywhere I went in Seattle there were tons of microparks all over the place, hidden away in random neighborhoods, ect. I miss it so much. The Midwest has nothing like that where I live.

@ kevinkimers: Generally abandoned lots are often tied up in legal battles with dozens of liens, owners who have long since passed on, out of state owners who can't be contated, ect so there's not much the city will do to discourage the planting of plots since they're not permanent structures. There's no actual laws being broken because you're not breaking and entering, putting in a structure, and you're not squatting. You're just taking something that's abandoned for all intents and purposes and just putting plants on it

The Midwest has lots of empty land and lots where some people are trying to do the same but it's not working. The mentality for it isn't here. There's hardly any sense of communal appreciation the for the places people live in and since crime's sky high in this region and a huge lack of education coupled with high rates of unemployment and low paying jobs- people don't care about keeping things nice. That and the lack of fostering creativity makes it hard for people to keep at it.
 
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I don't think any one around here would squack a bit if someone were to plant some vegetables in an abandoned lot, because it is food and providing for your family. The most that would happen is that the owner would tell you not to do it anymore. Seattle is one of those interesting cities in which everything goes. As Cereus says, people actually knit sweater wraps for the trees around here. It is art and very cute. I cracked up the first time I actually saw one.

It just seems as though we would not want perfectly good land to go to waste if nobody is going to do anything with it anyhow for the forseeable future. I would totally go plant some veggies and fruit if I had a lot near me.
 
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I bet this differs from state to state. I know of an area in two different cities where I am that I think are public places to plant your own produce. It's kind of cool even though I have never done it. Nobody seems to bother it either. I've seen people maintaining their stretch of the produce. I love the idea of it but I'd need to learn more about it. It doesn't seem like they'd just let anyone go and plant something when ever they want.
 

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