Guerilla Gardening – Prepare for Combat

Posted by Cathy England
August 18th, 2009
Filed in Savory and Sage Tidbits
Tags: green movement, guerilla gardening, planting

Guerilla gardening is a term that is becoming more popular and well known, particularly in large urban areas where folks who would like to garden do not have yard space to do so.  Guerillas are also people who find it unacceptable to leave perfectly good gardening space wasted.  What they all have in common is that they want to make something grow in a place that is unconventional, unapproved, or sometimes, illegal.

Some group are organized, and have structured plans of attack, while other guerrillas work solo, much in the theme of Rambo. However, and by whomever it is done, the philosophy remains the same. There are lonely, untended, or potentially fertile areas that are not being used to their full potential.

History of Guerilla Warf – Ur, Gardening

This movement is worldwide, and can be traced back to the seventies when gardeners began to realize the underutilized spaces in their community. They organized to forego the red tape of getting permission, with the understanding that perhaps, once planted, there would be no complaints from anyone. Sometimes they strike in the dead of night when they are least likely to draw attention. Sometimes it is a matter of planting a few annuals or perrenials, but in some cases, vegetables are planted where they can either be harvested by the sneaky gardener, or by other people in the community.

Guerrilla gardeners use a lot of planning. It is important that the area being planted is populated with relatively hardy plants that may not require a lot of maintenance. It would be irresponsible to go to such lengths to plant, only to have delicate plants die from pedestrian traffic, drought, or disease.

The sneak attack gardener also must put some thought into where the planting will be. Is the location in proximity to someone who will care for the plant. Lastly, the time, manpower, and tools must be assembled. For many, this is a task that needs to be done as quickly and quietly as possible. It sounds stressful to operate in this way, and stress and gardening do not seem to go so well together.

Guerrilla Gardening in Your Own Backyard

So, if this method of gardening under the cover of darkness does not appeal, does it mean that some form of the practice cannot be performed where you live?  Absolutely not.  There are many things that the more timid among us can do to acheive the same general idea.

• Organize your neighbors-It is a sure bet that there are a number of your neighbors who see your garden and ask questions, or state that they would love to be able to have a garden, but they do not have the time or do not want to be tied to their yard in the summer.  Educate them.  Gardening in general is beginning to boom, and more and more people have some curiosity about it.  Offer to help them get started, give them a list of easy to grow methods and crops, offer to tend their gardens if they are away on vacation.
• Gently persuade your neighbors-Mail out or hand deliver seed packets with instructions on where things could be planted other than a conventional backyard plot.  If they have no sun in the backyard, encourage them to plant flowers in the front yard, or to place a fruit tree in the backyard.  Another personally tested guerrilla method is to plant extra tomato or cucumber seedlings in the spring, then repot and give as gifts to neighbors with instruction on easy container care.
• Look for where the wild things are-My neighborhood is edged on two sides by woods and a ravine.  A good summertime activity is to walk my dog with a handful of “gone-by” black raspberries, and inconspicuously tossing them along the edge of the wild and unmown places.  The hope is that in a year or two, I can supplement my backyard harvest with those that I have accidentally “dropped” into the woods.  By the same token, seed pods from perrenial flowers can easily find their purchase in the soil without much intervention on your part.

Guerilla Gardening is about making greener places where uglier places once were.  The method for how this is accomplished is less important than the mission itself.  There is no reason for perfectly good tillable soil to go to waste with lawn that  requires upkeep, or with common places where the fruits of your labor can be enjoyed.  Another idea, would be to talk to the local authorities and just ask for permission to plant in the town square.  You’ll never know unless you try.