NEW DELHI: A man who secretly plants flowers in cities has been threatened with "arrest, fines and imprisonment" by Washington's Metro authority after he planted morning glory and other flowering plants at the Dupont Circle station exit.
Henry Docter has planted flowers in public places in four continents for the past 34 years. This is the first time that his beautification efforts have run afoul of authorities, the Washington Post columnist Robert McCartney reported last week.
"I've never gotten in trouble for planting flowers," Docter reportedly said. "Never has anyone overreacted with such an absence of common sense."
Metro claimed that it is only concerned about Docter's safety as the flower boxes are set in steep, cobblestoned inclines. But the Phantom Planter, as Docter likes to call himself, said that Metro is exaggerating the risk. He said he had no difficulty negotiating the service ramps to get to the 176 flower boxes that were lying vacant. Docter even offered to wear a protective harness and sign a liability waiver to water the plants and care for them.
Metro would never have woken up to the Phantom Planter had he not sent them a letter on 3 June this year saying that he had planted the flowers and wanted to keep on looking after them. He did this because he was worried that in the summer heat they would wither away if not watered regularly. In October, he had planted 150 daffodils and tulips in the same boxes. They bloomed and then died naturally.
Docter claims he has planted more than 40,000 flowers in spots ranging like the Israeli Embassy and Navy Memorial in Washington DC and even in distant cities in Argentina, Spain and Cambodia.
"Flowers are nature's way of affirming how beautiful life can be," Docter who is a part-time lawyer, children's book author and collage artist, told McCartney.
To get community support Docter has launched a website called letmyflowersgrow, which has a petition appealing to the Metro authorities to let him do his good work.
Metro spokesman Dan Stessel conceded that Metro's real estate department might have gone too far with its June 11 "cease and desist" letter to Docter, according to McCartney's column in the Washington Post.
"The word 'imprisonment' is one we probably would have omitted had it originated in our general counsel's office," Stessel reportedly said.
The Metro is now wanting to work out an amicable solution and "work with the community".
Henry Docter has planted flowers in public places in four continents for the past 34 years. This is the first time that his beautification efforts have run afoul of authorities, the Washington Post columnist Robert McCartney reported last week.
"I've never gotten in trouble for planting flowers," Docter reportedly said. "Never has anyone overreacted with such an absence of common sense."
Metro claimed that it is only concerned about Docter's safety as the flower boxes are set in steep, cobblestoned inclines. But the Phantom Planter, as Docter likes to call himself, said that Metro is exaggerating the risk. He said he had no difficulty negotiating the service ramps to get to the 176 flower boxes that were lying vacant. Docter even offered to wear a protective harness and sign a liability waiver to water the plants and care for them.
Metro would never have woken up to the Phantom Planter had he not sent them a letter on 3 June this year saying that he had planted the flowers and wanted to keep on looking after them. He did this because he was worried that in the summer heat they would wither away if not watered regularly. In October, he had planted 150 daffodils and tulips in the same boxes. They bloomed and then died naturally.
Docter claims he has planted more than 40,000 flowers in spots ranging like the Israeli Embassy and Navy Memorial in Washington DC and even in distant cities in Argentina, Spain and Cambodia.
"Flowers are nature's way of affirming how beautiful life can be," Docter who is a part-time lawyer, children's book author and collage artist, told McCartney.
To get community support Docter has launched a website called letmyflowersgrow, which has a petition appealing to the Metro authorities to let him do his good work.
Metro spokesman Dan Stessel conceded that Metro's real estate department might have gone too far with its June 11 "cease and desist" letter to Docter, according to McCartney's column in the Washington Post.
"The word 'imprisonment' is one we probably would have omitted had it originated in our general counsel's office," Stessel reportedly said.
The Metro is now wanting to work out an amicable solution and "work with the community".
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