Guerilla Gardening

While the air was cold and brisk and winter-y this weekend, the sun was shining beautifully and beckoning me to spend some time outdoors (so very German of me...). So when a coworker invited me to join her on a guerrilla gardening effort on Sunday, I didn't hesitate to pack up my mini shovel, gardening gloves, and camera and head over to Mauerpark to join her.

She had recently purchased 260 tulip bulbs from a shop in Holland online and was determined to plant them in the park this winter. It'll be a present for her girlfriend, whom she'll show the bloomed tulips to in the spring when they blossom and say, "I planted those for you!" Can you imagine anything more romantic?

Needless to say, we got a few confused stares, but the only person brave enough to come over and ask us what we were doing was a sweet little 10-year-old girl. She seemed satisfied enough with my answer of, "we're making the park a prettier place." I can't wait to walk by here in spring and tell everyone, "those are my tulips!"

After we were done digging 40 holes, planting five bulbs in each, and then covering them back up, we headed further into the park to watch the usual Sunday karaoke. Mauerpark is often the site of protests and demonstrations, but this Sunday institution shows its happier, friendlier side. The perfect way to spend the rest of cold-but-sunny late Sunday afternoon.

ps. I'm still too chicken to ever get up and sing in front of this many people, but maybe one day... Would you dare?!