Living in a community means that fighting is inevitable. Be it parking issues or loud music, it is not uncommon for neighbours to squabble and get into verbal arguments. But the residents of Dalyell Road, London, got into a full-blown post-it notes war!
The reason? Flowering Lupin on the street!
The source was a note sealed in plastic and thumbtacked to a tree. It read, “Please don’t pick my flowers. Thank you.” Twitter user and feminist writer Rachel Thompson shared images of the war online.
People on my street are having an almighty row over who owns some flowers. There have been no raised voices, just handwritten notes placed inside plastic wallets and pinned to a post. pic.twitter.com/2sSRMkpUtr
— Rachel Thompson (@RVT9) May 26, 2019
This did not go down well with others and they objected by leaving new notes on the tree. An unnamed resident (whom Twitter is calling “Green Pen“) wrote,
“In an area massively affected by gentrification, it’s sad to see people claiming ownership of even the flowers.”
Another said, “Flowers on the public pavement are owned by all the community, not just the house they happen to fall in front of.”
To which the first local responded, “Are you serious? This is not about ownership or gentrification, this is about someone trying to make the street a nicer place for everyone by planting flowers and people stealing them and stamping on them. How can you try and justify that?”
After the backlash, the author of the original note plucked out the flowers in question and left behind a typed paper that explained,
“The council do not pay anything towards planting or watering nor do they provide any maintenance. These flowers did not grow wild and were here because they were planted, watered, maintained and replaced by local residents.”
But “Green Pen” further argued that “Helpful to know that the flowers were part of a community project. However, if that is the case it was very misleading to refer to them as ‘my’ flowers. What a shame that you have taken it upon yourself to dig up the community flowers.”
Sorry to report that the debacle has ended with the original note-poster digging up the flowers to take them “elsewhere” pic.twitter.com/tB0b50bABL
— Rachel Thompson (@RVT9) May 26, 2019
The final note in the argument read,
“Love, you’ve got plenty of spare time on your hands. Why don’t you plant some flowers? ‘Mine’ are going elsewhere.”
Now the tree has one handwritten note saying that the flowers have been distributed among the neighbours.
Update: the original poster (and owner of the besieged lupin) has posted another note! The plants have found new homes with neighbours and in nearby containers. Peace has been restored to Dalyell Road. pic.twitter.com/NikMJw8EEU
— Rachel Thompson (@RVT9) May 29, 2019
This thread has since gone viral with Twitter being thoroughly entertained. Some are taking sides and others are saying this needs to be turned into a movie!
The utter pettiness of this is just so heartwarmingly British.
— Peter Hoskins (@PeterHoskinsTV) May 26, 2019
This was wild and I loved it
— faith ♥ (@faithbxx) May 26, 2019
I want the romcom ending where said note writers meet, fall madly in love and spend the rest of their days planting flowers in drab urban corners.
— Calum Cameron (@calumcameron) May 27, 2019
https://twitter.com/skempinska/status/1132818270531268609
This has 'Netflix Original' written all over it
— Paul Harris (@harrisio) May 26, 2019
What is the most amusing argument you’ve had with the people on your street? Tell us.