Friday Flashback: Guerilla Gardeners

Back in 2009 10’s  Guerilla Gardeners followed a group of landscapers and gardeners giving public eyesores a voluntary makeover, usually under the cloak of darkness.

But the renegade show, presented by Dave Lawson, ran into a few troubles and 10’s legal department was reportedly nervous about some of the show’s activities.

One Sydney council didn’t take kindly to their property being touched without permission.

Sutherland Shire Council even decided to rip up an unfinished mission rounabout in Jannali, removing $2500 worth of plants and shrubs.

Producer Nick Murray said, “Many of the gardens we do are on abandoned blocks of public land that no one has touch for over a decade. They are covered with broken glass, weeds and used needles. The councils only complain when we install a garden and some art. Then they claim to have been just about to do something themselves! What rubbish.

“One council even claimed the work we did as their own.”

There was even an outcry that the concept had been pinched, a claim which was denied.

Alas, the show didn’t attract the kind of numbers to keep it on primetime. That left the network with a bunch of episodes to be played out on multichannel ONE.

Around Sydney you might still see the odd telltale sign indicating where the Guerilla Gardeners have been. Please water generously.

 South Dowling and Cleveland Streets more recently