urban greenvasion returns for 2019

May Day is the beginning of the gardening year. Everything up until now has been preamble. So what better time to get started on Urban Greenvasion 2019? For anyone who needs reminding, Urban Greenvasion is about getting multi-level, functional, wildlife-friendly greenery into all areas of the urban landscape. Trees to weeds, bees to fleas, foxes to peregrines and back down to slugs again, we need it all and we need it now, cooling our urban heat island, trapping particulates, sucking up floodwater and supporting better urban health for all. Here it takes the form of concept discussions, diagrams and lists of potential issues/benefits.

I thought it might be interesting to do a quick round-up of the ideas so far:

• Insect Elevators Snaking up the side of buildings, these multi-level planter arrangements allow insects easily to move from ground level to roof level in the urban environment, while also providing serviced habitat pockets for minibeasts.
• Green Gutters These add a planting element to rain drainage schemes at ground level, reducing run-off and creating green threads for insect travel.
• Building Waterfalls These open up the traditional downpipe to create a green-fringed vertical water-run down the side of a wall. This provides water access and a vertical planting opportunity, as well as some very interesting design challenges.
• Box verges These flexible planting boxes allow any city street to be lined with deep planted verges which can be left wild or decoratively planted to suit the needs of the neighbourhood.
• Yellow Line Planting Almost thrown away at the end of a blog about a bus-journey, this idea sees deliberate planting of native flowers along roadsides to support pollinators.

Not covered, but mentioned and discussed along the way are the already existing concepts of green roofs and walls, the private sector's main current approach to the problem. The council and municipal green chains, threads and islands (the wording varies, but it basically means linking green/wild areas to create wildlife corridoors) also get a mention. Here and there I talk about trees and bees, although it's not all about the trees and there are plenty of insects other than bees.

Much as I don't like to trail what's coming, ideas up for discussion next include Enid Blyton Gardens, Vergedressers, Open Access Planting, Green Threads, Green Curtains, Gutter Ruffs and Shopperies. Rants about class, exclusiveness, snobbery and does-more-harm-than-goodism may also feature.

Here's to a greener urban world.