Guerilla gardener plants wildflowers in the street to attract bees and combat climate change

Green-fingered Grace Hills, 36, seeded around 15 patches of barren land with crops and bug-friendly flora to create the ecological oasis in Eden Crescent, Leeds.

Inspirational video (click to play above) shows how the road is now home to apricot, apple, pear, cherry and plum trees - connected by miniature ‘wildflower meadows’ - which are perfect for bees and other pollinators.

Garden of eden

She grows plants on unwanted public land without formal permission - to transform the 30ft to 50ft patches. She said the impressive lines of planted verges had been dubbed ‘The Garden of Eden’ both after the street’s name and biblical references.

Grace has called it ‘The Garden of Eden’ because it’s on Eden Crescent. She said: “I think if we can grow food on our doorstep, as well as it being zero air miles and no plastic, it’s going to be helpful for the future.”

Children go green

Grace began her horticultural project before the pandemic, while she was transforming the garden of her three-bed semi-detached home with green initiatives - and says local children now help her with the street gardening project.

“I call it a wildflower meadow, or corridor, as a generic term. But there are some garden plants in there.”

Safety concerns

A Leeds City Council spokesperson said they were supportive of the 'sentiments' behind Grace's approach to gardening. But they urged others tempted to turf over their verges and sow them with seeds to contact them for the relevant permissions.

They said: “We fully understand the sentiments behind this initiative, in many ways they are in line with the council’s own to help address the effects of the climate emergency. However, there are good safety reasons why nationally there are processes in place for undertaking works on the public highway.

“We would urge anyone wishing to pursue such initiatives to contact the council at the earliest opportunity to seek help, support and guidance on what is appropriate.”