It’s an idea so simple that you have to ask why no one has thought of it before.
But the truth is, they did.
Reclaiming and repurposing Belfast’s old alleyways, where rubbish gathers as they become derelict and forgotten spaces where only the brave dare to tread, has been the domain of the homeowners.
There have been schemes, notably in the Holyland area of the city, where residents have lavished a little love to create Wildflower Alley.
Earlier this week, it was lit up, locals gathered, hot chocolate was served and music was played as part of the Holyland Winter Festival programme.
It’s a space that would otherwise have gone to waste. The effort put in has given those who live there a sense of pride in their community.
Unfortunately, though, so much of Belfast is going to waste. Wildflower alleys are much preferable to overflowing binliner back streets.
It could be done on a much bigger scale — stretching to 126 miles if every alleyway in Belfast got the same treatment.
That’s how much green space could be created in the inner city according to new project 9ft in Common, which has said an area equivalent to 76 football pitches — four times the size of Botanic Gardens — is sitting idle.
Wildflower Alley is being used as an example of just what can be achieved if the right effort and commitment is made.
With so much of the city centre in a state of disrepair, sprucing up our alleyways would be an ambitious project for everyone to get behind.
The benefits, according to the project, would be enormous.
Not only could it yield a crop amounting to either 1.4 million carrots, a million beetroots, 600,000 bunches of parsley, 350,000 garlic bulbs, 250,000 turnips or 110,000 cabbages annually, the mental health aspect must also be considered, along with the newfound kerb appeal and pride communities would see in the fruits of their efforts.
Those behind the project will be screening a film at the Ulster Museum, demonstrating just what can be achieved and what could be coming to an alleyway near you if the idea takes root and is allowed to flourish.
It would be a shame if the opportunity to shape a brighter, greener, more appealing Belfast fell by the wayside, discarded like so much of the rubbish that blights our alleyways.
If only we open our eyes to the possibilities around us and don’t continue to turn our backs on such a waste of space, Belfast would be a much more appealing place to look at and walk around.