Tag Archives: ron finley

A report from Brockley

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The other day we walked up by the Brockley Best Hand Car Wash and saw an excellent example of guerrilla gardening in action that even the great Gansta Gardener Ron Finley would be proud of.

We’ve walked past there a fair few times before but never noticed any gardening going on. Whether it’s the actual car cleaners themselves or someone utilising the triangular space of land on the corner of the forecourt there’s a load of tomato plants that are looking well loved and healthy. Someone’s giving them a good watering and feed by the look of it and it was a nice suprise to the eyes!

Across the road from there is something else we never noticed before even though we’ve been told about it a couple of times (cheers Steve). Lorenzo’s Records has been in the locality for 3 years and it’s a great record shop. Sadly we didn’t stay long but we’ll be visiting again. Narmy from there told us about the excellent LP from Mort Garson (below) when we mentioned Weeds up to me knees and how it was about gardening as well as music. We’d forgotten that Justin Patrick Moore of the excellent Radio Phonics Laboratory book mentioned this to us a while back here after we recognised the LP sleeve. What with it being so Weeds related we thought we’d post it again. Great recommendation Narmy!

 

We bought a handful of singles from the shop including this one that we’ve never heard before from Ezz Reco And The Launchers With Boysie Grant called King Of Kings. There’s some crazy lion noises at the start and towards the end which adds to the tune. On first listen we thought it was some of strange warp on the vinyl.

You think you know the area you live in and it’s great to know that there are still hidden (music and gardening) treasures that can take you by suprise.

Checking back in on Ron

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Here’s two wonderful vids about the great “Gangsta Gardener” Ron Finley which really inspired us today. It’s been a while since we’ve featured him here but if you remember Ron was fed up with the lack of fresh edibles in his neighbourhood in South LA (he had to travel some way away just to get some organic tomatoes) he planted some veg in the empty bed outside his house. Rather than being chuffed that someone cared for where they lived, the local council nicked him for “gardening without a permit” (how bonkers is that?). This spurred him onto starting food growing projects and getting people in the local community into the food growing bug. More about Ron’s great exploits at his website here. There’s a bit of eff-ing and geoff-ing in the vids but don’t let put you off from Ron’s great gardening message!

A good few years ago Ron very kindly sent us a nice gardening 5. I know it was some years ago but it’s a great selection. Have a look here.

Another one for Ron

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Ron on radio 4Big shout to “The Gangsta Gardener” Ron Finley who features on this week’s Radio 4 Food programme here.

It all started with a simple act. Ron was fed up with the lack of fresh edibles in his neighbourhood (South Central LA,) so planted some veg in the empty plot outside his house which usually was a dumping ground for the odd mattress, fridge etc. “There’s nothing wrong with that” you’re thinking.

His local council didn’t think so and took him to court for “gardening without a permit,” how daft is that? This spurred him on into getting people in the local community involved in the veg growing bug, starting food growing projects on waste ground etc and now his message is spreading worldwide thanks to his continuing work. In his own words “We gotta flip the script on what a gangsta is — if you ain’t a gardener, you ain’t gangsta.” 

There’s a film called “Can you dig this” about Ron and the other people involved in the project and the changes it’s provoked. Search it out!

And here’s some musical choices from Ron from when he picked some tunes for us a short while back here.

Home Grow – Keith Cross

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9XJRSp3Xtg
Be Free – J.Cole

Breathe – Blaze (Ashley Beedle’s Exhale Vocals Mix)

Apparently – J.Cole

Cheers to Sonya M of the Facebook group Last Gang in Town for letting us know about Ron in the first place! Big up Ron!

A (very choice) five from across the pond

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Ron F with a great onion!A very big thanks to Ron Finley top gardener from across the pond (above, holding what possibly might be a north holland blood red onion, one of the packs of seeds I got off ebay cheap the other day. Or is it a variety of leek?) for picking these five top tunes for us. Cheers to Sonya M of the Facebook group Last Gang in Town for letting us know about Ron in the first place!

Home Grow – Keith Cross

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9XJRSp3Xtg
Be Free – J.Cole

https://soundcloud.com/brimstone-sounds/gangstas-with-shovels-sizzla-kalonji-produced-by-brimstone-sounds-and-article-infinity
Gangsters With Shovels – Sizzla (Kalonji)

Breathe – Blaze (Ashley Beedle’s Exhale Vocals Mix)

Apparently – J.Cole

Cheers again to Ron for sending us the excellent tracks. Do yourself a favour and whack up the volume and listen to the tunes, further proof that Gardening and music DO mix!

Best wishes to all dub (and non-dub as we don’t discriminate here) gardeners all around the world for 2015 from us here at weeds up to me knees. May the frosts stay away from your tender plants!

This one’s for Ron!

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ron-finley-garden-main

Big shout to Sonya from the Last Gang In Town for letting us know about Ron Finley the Guerilla Gardener from L.A.

Fed up with the lack of fresh edibles in his neighbourhood in South LA (he had to travel some way away just to get some organic tomatoes) he planted some veg in the empty bed outside his house. Rather than being chuffed that someone cared for where they lived, the local authorities done him for “gardening without a permit” (how bonkers is that?). This spurred him onto starting food growing projects and getting people in the local community into the old veg growing bug. Read more about his gardening exploits and all the good he’s doing. In his own words  “We gotta flip the script on what a gangsta is — if you ain’t a gardener, you ain’t gangsta.” Big up Ron!

**UPDATE** We’ve just heard from Ron and he told us his favourite method of getting rid of those damn slugs and snails is the old school Beer trap!