Photo by David Harmantas

The 4,000 supporters of the so-called Phantom Planter did not get the flowery ending they hoped for.

As Post columnist Robert McCartney reported over the weekend to much outrage, Metro ripped out the flowers that artist Henry Docter planted in the embankment at the Dupont Circle north station entrance. Docter, who has earned a reputation in the city for his guerrilla gardening, planted the flowers without Metro’s knowledge, only tipping off the agency when he began to worry the flowers would be mistaken for weeds.

Once made aware of the flowers, Metro sent Docter a cease-and-desist letter, explaining that for his own safety he could not continue to tend to the flowers. Docter said he would sign a waiver in order to continue maintaining the plants, a plan over 4,000 people supported in a petition. But now, the flowers are gone for good.

“The flowers were removed as part of an overall program to repair the existing paver blocks on the steep embankment adjacent to the escalators,” Metro spokesman Dan Stessel writes in an email. “This work had been scheduled prior to the unauthorized planting of flowers.” He continues:

Metro places great value in aesthetics, and that includes providing good landscaping at our stations. When we do landscaping, however, we must ensure that it is done in a safe manner and that it is in accordance with our standards on maintainability and sustainability. We only plant cover that does not require watering or tending to minimize maintenance expense and effort. Also, any ground cover must take into consideration potential for rodent infestation and damage to existing equipment.

As we have said consistently, Mr. Docter put himself at personal risk by entering into an area that is off limits and not accessible to the public for the purpose of planting flowers that neither we or he would be able to maintain.

We have a robust arts-in-transit program that works to involve the community and various artists who wish to beautify stations through art, plantings or other creative efforts, while ensuring safety and conformance with Metro and community standards. We met with Mr. Docter weeks ago to advise him of that process.

Indeed, Docter met with Art in Transit manager Michael McBride in early June. But according to the Post, no meetings have taken place since then.

Request for comment from Metro about when the embankment repairs will be finished and when new plants may be put in place has not been returned.