They may not last very long, these tiny hit and run garden in London but they certainly brighten up a dull day in austerity Britain and they are far preferable to those holes in the road that show us how the old UK is fraying a bit round the edges.
Steve Wheen who is a 33 year old cyclist knows just what a nasty bump you can feel through your saddle when you career over one of those potholes – he decided to make a point.
Steve isn’t just an inventive urban guerilla, he is also a very clever miniature gardener who is creating his own Chelsea flower show of doll’s house proportions all over the grimy streets of London’s East End.
I love the precariousness of these little oases with their toyshop props and vivid colours.
We are transported to a transient moment of pleasure – it is as if the tiny characters from one of my favourite children’s books, The Borrowers, had briefly dared to come out into the open.
Steve Wheen doesn’t claim to be the first to practice miniature gardening but he has made something here in London that is uniquely his own. If you want to see more you can go to his website http://thepotholegardener.com/ and take a few moments to watch his miniature film: