Gardening Laidback Gardener Tip of the Day

International Save-a-Plant Week

20170922B

Actually, there is no International Save-a-Plant Week … but I think there should be one.

20170922A International Peace Garden, gardenpromenade.ca.jpg
Gorgeous late summer flower beds at the International Peace Garden, Ottawa. All these plants will soon be pulled out and destroyed. Photo: gardenpromenade.ca

This would be a week in late September or early October when gardeners would be allowed to help themselves to cuttings of annuals and dig up tender bulbs in public spaces. I’m thinking of all the splendid plantings of so-called annuals that are actually tender perennials—plants like coleus, dahlias, begonias, flowering maples, cannas, feather grasses, hibiscus, echeverias, ornamental bananas, elephant ears and so much more—that presently fill traffic islands, roadside carpet beds and city park flower beds.

These gardens are actually stunning right now, but all of these plants will soon be pulled up and destroyed by teams of municipal employees. In warmer climates, they pull “summer annuals” to make room for winter ones; in cold climates, they’re often replaced by tulip bulbs … or the beds are simply left empty until the following spring.

A Bit of Organization

20170922C.jpg
This would have to be organized: we don’t want people rampaging through public gardens like Swedish soccer fans! Photo: Frankie Fouganthin, Wikimedia Commons

Of course, I’m not promoting allowing novice gardeners to rampage through public parks, taking cuttings and pulling plants indiscriminately. Many plantings are permanent ones and you need a bit of experience to tell the difference between perennials and shrubs that need to be left in peace and the temporary plantings that will soon head to the trash heap. You’d need to set up special days and schedules and have an employee or master gardener who knows their plants there to oversee and direct.

Or let local garden clubs harvest plant material, then offer it to gardeners.

Failing that, municipalities should at least put their pulled plants in piles in designated spots and let people rummage through them. And if you don’t think anyone would pick their way through piles of wilting refuse plants, you don’t know gardeners!

Criminal Mind

I must confess that each year at this season, while I see those luscious beds brimming with gorgeous plants that have no idea they’re about to meet their maker, I’m sorely tempted to sneak out after dark and do a bit of guerrilla plant harvesting myself. In fact, only the thought of arrest and possible imprisonment really holds me back.

20170922D cinemablend.com.jpg
I’d rather think of myself as a horticultural Robin Hood than a plant thief. Illus.: cinemablend.com

I’m not even afraid of public embarrassment: you could put me on the front page of the local newspaper with a caption “Garden Writer Caught Stealing Coleus Cuttings” and I wouldn’t be ashamed at all. I know a lot of people who would see me as a sort of horticultural Robin Hood: stealing from Big Brother to give to the people.

So, what do you think? Don’t gardeners everywhere—and the plants that are about to die!—deserve an International Save-a-Plant Week? Bring it up at your local municipal council meeting. Maybe something can be done!20170922B

Sign up for the Laidback Gardener blog and receive articles in your inbox every morning!

Garden writer and blogger, author of 65 gardening books, lecturer and communicator, the Laidback Gardener, Larry Hodgson, passed away in October 2022. Known for his great generosity, his thoroughness and his sense of humor, he reached several generations of amateur and professional gardeners over his 40-year career. Thanks to his son, Mathieu Hodgson, and a team of contributors, laidbackgardener.blog will continue its mission of demystifying gardening and making it more accessible to all.

1 comment on “International Save-a-Plant Week

  1. It’s a good thing we’re okay with that

Leave a Reply