guerrilla gardening

Have you ever walked down the street and felt sad for all the unwanted spaces that are just left vandalized and filled with rubbish? Did you wish that somebody would do something about it? well you know as well as I do that it’s never going to happen so why not take control and do something about it yourself?

Guerrilla gardening is political gardening, a form of nonviolent direct action, primarily practiced by environmentalists. Activists take over an abandoned piece of land which they don’t own to grow crops or plants. The practices are non- violent, unlike guerrilla warfare that can cause bloodshed. Guerrilla gardeners believe in reclaiming land from perceived neglect or misuse and assigning a new purpose for it.

image taken from guerrillagardening.org

Guerrilla gardeners will sometimes carry out their actions late at night geared up with gardening gloves, watering cans, compost, seeds and plants. They plant and sow a new vegetable patch or flowering garden. Others will work more openly, actively seeking to engage with members of the local community, as illustrated in the examples that follow.

Firstly you need to identify a piece of unwanted ground, perhaps an old allotment or even a planter in the precinct. Think about how much better you would feel with it filled with plants and looking like it was cared for. Even if you just scatter some seed here and there you are taking control of your environment, which you have every right to do. You don’t need to dig up a roudabout, even a few bulbs under a road sign make a difference.

Perhaps get together with a group of friends, I’ll bet that there are more people than you think out there who care about there environment. There is a community where you can advertise your planned attack, here http://guerrillagardening.org/community/index.php

Many people are already out there doing it, however many of then choose a more decorative approach to their plans and don’t always choose suitable plants for the environment they are plated in. I want to encourage the use of edible plants, perennials and fruiting trees, and use permaculture principals to cheer up unwanted spaces but also make them productive.

If there is anybody who feels like lending a helping hand get in touch.