If you’ve walked along the early blocks of Clement Street recently, you may have noticed small planter boxes affixed to parking meters and the occasional sign pole.
Reader Derek got curious about who was behind the tiny beautification project when he saw a couple of them outside Fleurt and Eats.
The Fleurt staff wasn’t sure, so he stopped in at the Sloat Garden Center on 3rd Avenue just off Clement to inquire. They didn’t know either.
Derek made a final stop at Foggy Notion on 6th Avenue just off Clement – they also have a planter on the meter outside their store. But despite them being a likely, arty source for something like this, they plead innocent, telling Derek it is “just some guy beautifying the neighborhood”.
So it remains a mystery who is installing these little botanical delights, and caring for them. Most of them house small succulents and other drought resistant plants.
Any readers know the mystery gardener? Leave a comment to let us know.
UPDATE: A commenter named “pole gardener” has confessed to installing these tiny gardens, writing “I’m glad you like the gardens, I’m the person putting them up. I would invite all of you to maintain/adopt them as you see fit, including watering and replanting. I was working on building planters for very small spaces, which included staircase gardens when I came up with this idea. I don’t have a garden, wish i did, so these seem to do the trick. I think remaining anonymous is preferable.”
Sarah B.
Another reason I love this town and this neighborhood. As much as I’d like the person to remain anonymous (because it adds some whimsy), I’d like them to know how much I love what they’re doing.
They’re so beautiful… I hope no one takes them down!
Very nice! I hope they last and aren’t ruined/torn down/etc. Thank you anonymous gardener!
Wow. Something clever the mission has not thought of first? & How long until someone complains and Eric Mar files some stupid injunction against. (Yeah, I’m cynical. But I DO like this. Very nice).
Thank you anonymous person who hopefully sees this. You made my day!
Thank you, also, to the other anonymous person who called 911 and ran inside my apartment building, knocking on doors, getting everyone safely out, when our roof caught on fire last Wednesday at around 1:30 pm. Not only did you save our building, but you helped some of our more senior tenants escape and avoid breathing who-knows-what kind of stuff in the burning smoke.
So many people came to our aid, helped in all sorts of ways, and genuinely made what could have been a big tragedy into a smaller situation. Thank you, Richmond district!
If anyone reading this doubts there are good people in our neighborhood, maybe it’s just you.
These are indeed super cool. Kudos to whomever is doing this! They look like they take a lot of effort to design and build and place.
They are beautiful and the neighbors enjoy them. Can’t wait for Eric Mar to write new legislation to ban them.
Looks ugly, I mean having a cactus which is basicly a weed on a parking meter is the doumbest idea someone could have of adding greenery to the streets. Besides it being ugly and pointless it will me a haven for spiders and bugs. No thanks!
It seems like the plants might get damaged when the parking meters get emptied. I don’t know how it works, but it probably involves coins spilling out of that hatch into a bag below. I do like them, so I hope it works out.
How delightful! It’s wonderful that someone cares enough about the neighborhood to beautify it like this. Many thanks.
i know but unless i get permission this urban gardener will remain a mystery.
Love it! These planters are little glimpses of light and beauty that peek through the tedium and sometimes grimness of everyday life. I hope they will be allowed to stay on the meters. Thank you, dear mystery gardener!
Check out Presidio Liquors on 6th and Cal. The guy that works there has been going crazy beautifying that corner. Its quite special. I would put my money on him.
I like these. But, is it likely the MTA will take them down and destroy them?
Hello,
I’m glad you like the gardens, I’m the person putting them up. I would invite all of you to maintain/adopt them as you see fit, including watering and replanting. I was working on building planters for very small spaces, which included staircase gardens when I came up with this idea. I don’t have a garden, wish i did, so these seem to do the trick. I think remaining anonymous is preferable considering it is quasi-littering and I hope to make more. Take care!
Keep them coming,please!
We could use more street trees in the Richmond as well to help beautify the neighborhood, and help our planet. They also help to increase the property values. 🙂
@pole gardener – Thanks for your contributions and for laying claim to your work!
Sarah B.
Rob S. Said,
Looks ugly, I mean having a cactus which is basicly a weed on a parking meter is the doumbest idea someone could have of adding greenery to the streets. Besides it being ugly and pointless it will me a haven for spiders and bugs. No thanks!
Rob take a look around you, garbage, graffiti, rot. Then someone does such a nice thing by hanging these planters. And last time I checked a cactus is not a “weed.” Keep it up pole gardener!
Thanks pole gardener! You might want to discreetly study the DPT meter collectors to ensure your plantings are not mashed when they hose out the coins. An alternative design would be for your plantings to be placed on either side of the circular access cover. Small bromeliads on mesh with moss would work well for this and would be as simple to strap onto the poles as your present woodwork.
For those of you who are not familiar with the process, DPT meter collectors are no longer permitted to handle coins (we all know why) so they open the meter directly above the plantings with a special Allen wrench and then attach a custom (special government-design, taxpayer-funded) hose to the meter. The hose’s collar has a handle to turn the coin cup in the meter upside down and empty the contents into a wheel-mounted numbered lockbox. The collector then removes hose, closes circle cover and walks to the next meter.
Thank You so much pole gardener!
Random acts of kindness and beauty are what helps renew may faith in humanity.
I want to add my thank-you to pole gardener for his/her efforts! SF urban gardners have been planting trees in the richmond for a while now–i love to see them along cabrillo, for example, but these little “meter” plants are really sweet. I hope they aren’t bothered. Clement could use more beauty!
Good work Pole Gardener! Public beautification is always welcome. Keep up the effort 🙂
Thank you Pole Gardener and whoever took pictures for us to look at. These succulents are cheap! Appreciate your time, money, and creativity.
Sorry, I meant to say, these succulents aren’t cheap, meaning they cost a pretty penny.
Hi Pole Gardener,
I am a reporter for Channel Two (KTVU). I’d like to do a news story on this unique act of beautification. Please contact me at robroth2@gmail.com with your contact information. We can keep you anonymous if that is your wish. I would need to hear from you today. Thank you.
@Rob – I passed your info on to pole gardener via email as well.
Sarah B.
Since moving to SF 5 years ago from New York (Manhattan), I’ve missed the trees, flower beds, window boxes, all the greenery that is everywhere in Manhattan and greater New York. A big thank you to you, “Pole Gardener” for greening up the Outer Richmond at least a little bit.
HEY ANONYMOUS PLANTER. FIRST LET ME COMMEND YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS. GREAT IDEA. THOUGH ONE PROBLEM CAUSED BY THE PLACEMENT OF YOUR POLE GARDEN IS IT GETS IN THE WAY OF UTILIZING THE METERS. ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED TO READ THE FINE PRINT ON THE TOP OF THE METERS SOMETIMES. IF YOU COULD READJUST THE GARDENS SOT THEY ARE SKEWED TO THE SIDE A BIT SO PEOPLE CAN STILL EASILY ACCESS THE FRONT, THAT’LL BE GREAT. ALSO 1 LESS ARGUMENT FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO TAKE IT DOWN.
There is something right with a world in which someone takes the time and effort to do something so beautiful for the common good. Anonymous gardener: Thank you, your are one of my heroes.
Thank you Pole Gardener! And Thank you KTVU/Rob Roth….. this is why I watch your station, you find & cover great local stories!
Thank you, Pole Gardener. I took a stroll through the hood today and saw all of them! They made me smile, and my family in town visiting fell in love with the neighborhood even more. Please don’t stop. I also dropped a wildflower seedball in one of the treeboxes on the sidewalk on 4th, so hopefully we’ll get to enjoy that sometime, too. 🙂
Ok, sorry to be Debbie Downer about this, but until we get adequate bicycle parking throughout the district, bicyclists need to be able to lock their bicycles up to meters. So I just ask that they be placed carefully on the meters so that bicyclists can still park. Thank you!
@Sue – The latest update on this story can be found here:
https://richmondsfblog.com/2012/09/06/sfmta-removes-clement-streets-pole-gardens-from-parking-meters/