Newington Green was the target of covert guerrilla action earlier this week. But rather than a terrorist attack or maquis insurgency, these guerrilla gardeners were tackling the flower beds on the green.
Carla Octigan owns the hair salon and health centre Shine Holistic. As night fell on Sunday evening, she and Amanda Bailey set about the task of digging ferns and other shrubs into the eastern side of the green.
“A couple of years ago the council came around and made all the beds at the foot of the trees bigger. Th
ey said to the shop owners: ‘Will people look after them?’ And I said: ‘Yes.’ But no-one else has done anything,” Ms Octigan said.
It took the two women about an hour and a half to plant the £70 worth of plants.
“Everyone is ranting about the hideousness of the world,” she added. “All the news at the moment is so depressing and so vile and the facts are out there about so much which is wrong. So I take a deep breath and go “Do what you can” and let the rest go. These garden beds are just one of those things.”
