By Liliana Usvat
Blog 246-365
.jpg)
Regardless of whether you are an urban, suburban, or rural dweller, there is inevitably a patch of neglected turf in your neighborhood that might need a bit of TLC to green it up.
If you see hidden gardening potential between sidewalk cracks when others see decay and abandon, well then, you might be a budding guerrilla gardener and not even know it! The guerrila gardening phenomenon is sweeping the globe as folks are finding innovative ways to come together for the optimization of neglected land and paved surface area. It’s a turf war for some, a poetic gesture for others, but either way, citizens are rolling up their sleeves to create gardens in the most unlikely spaces.
History
Guerrilla gardening is simply defined by Richard Reynolds as “the illicit cultivation of someone else’s land.” It is the practice of growing flowers or vegetables on what is usually public land.
New York USA
Blog 246-365
.jpg)
Regardless of whether you are an urban, suburban, or rural dweller, there is inevitably a patch of neglected turf in your neighborhood that might need a bit of TLC to green it up.
If you see hidden gardening potential between sidewalk cracks when others see decay and abandon, well then, you might be a budding guerrilla gardener and not even know it! The guerrila gardening phenomenon is sweeping the globe as folks are finding innovative ways to come together for the optimization of neglected land and paved surface area. It’s a turf war for some, a poetic gesture for others, but either way, citizens are rolling up their sleeves to create gardens in the most unlikely spaces.
History
Liz Christy and the Green Guerrillas transformed an abandoned lot in NYC’s Bowery during the 1970′s, and the movement has gained momentum in recent years. Many “resistance gardeners” consider themselves to be vandals of sorts, but with plants or seeds as weapons; often operating covertly at night in empty lots or on public property that would otherwise remain barren.
Guerrilla gardening is simply defined by Richard Reynolds as “the illicit cultivation of someone else’s land.” It is the practice of growing flowers or vegetables on what is usually public land.
And here are some of the places Guerrilla Gardening is coming into its own across the world:
Vancouver Canada
On a non descript spot of land between a warehouse and a busy street, young people are taking direct action to reclaim the earth for local food production.
Until recently, the little strip of land in front of the Purple Thistle was unused grass surrounded by industrial landscape and heavy traffic. Now it’s a community garden, tended by young people who are in and out of the Thistle, a youth run centre.
Sustainability is a key purpose for this garden. In the limited amount of space given, it has an herb spiral, berry bushes, fruit trees, grains, greens and multiple other vegetables growing in it. There are also bees on the rooftop.
The lighter side of the guerilla gardening campaign would probably be community gardens or grassroots gardening, which also brings folks together (during daylight hours) for neighborhood improvement and local food security. Whether as collective green graffiti or as an attempt to reclaim the neighborhood and make improvements for all, guerrilla gardening is a form of eco-activism that is catching on despite its controversial methods.
London England
“Holes Of Happiness some pothole gardens that have been popping up around East London.”
Guerilla Gardening: Strategies for Greening Up the Neighborhood
Like all the sites on Reynolds’ "front line of guerrilla gardening", this roundabout is within a half-mile radius of his Elephant and Castle home. Known for its disastrous, large-scale town planning, this part of London is a fitting hub for small, human-scale and largely unplanned initiatives for shared public spaces, such as guerrilla gardening. This is anti-town planning in action, in the armpit of town planning.
Planting is the result of a hotchpotch of donated plants and cuttings.
New York USA
Not only do many of New York’s gardens provide fresh produce for lower income neighborhoods, but they also implement sustainable practices like composting and rainwater harvesting. Of the composting gardens, 13 percent accept organic materials from the general public, a service not provided by New York City’s sanitation department. Plus, it benefits the community by eliminating the need to purchase soil and chemical fertilizers.
A third of the gardens employ rainwater catchment systems that capture rain from rooftops and garden structures to water plants and prevent stormwater runoff. About 8 percent of gardens have greenhouses to grow produce year round, and a handful even have composting toilets. Others give back to the community by partnering with local schools or neighborhood groups — nearly half of the gardens work with schools to give kids a hands-on opportunity to learn about food and nature.
A third of the gardens employ rainwater catchment systems that capture rain from rooftops and garden structures to water plants and prevent stormwater runoff. About 8 percent of gardens have greenhouses to grow produce year round, and a handful even have composting toilets. Others give back to the community by partnering with local schools or neighborhood groups — nearly half of the gardens work with schools to give kids a hands-on opportunity to learn about food and nature.
There were at least 490 community gardens throughout the city in 2009
Guerilla Gardening focuses on reclamation, beautification, and even growing food in public spaces (a political act in and of itself as we re-educate ourselves about viable land use, especially with the very real possibility of worldwide food shortages).
Guerilla Gardening focuses on reclamation, beautification, and even growing food in public spaces (a political act in and of itself as we re-educate ourselves about viable land use, especially with the very real possibility of worldwide food shortages).
Los Angeles USA
In 2009 in Los Angeles and Long Beach, three guerrilla gardening groups have sprouted: Los Angeles Guerrilla Gardening (LAGG), South Central Resistance (SRC) and SoCal Guerrilla Gardening.
Scott Bunnell, 49, creator of SoCal Guerrilla Gardening in Long Beach, is a 20-year experienced gardener. He remembers how his passion for guerrilla gardening started after he would see ideal vacant plots of land on his drive to work each morning.
SoCal Guerrilla Gardening has planted new gardens in the Wrigley area of Long Beach and parts of Hollywood. Most of these plants used in these gardens have come from Bunnell’s own personal nursery. Once he weeds out his older and well-established gardens, little baby seedlings can be pulled out and potted up for another garden.
His biggest garden located on Loynes Drive has gotten much neighborhood and media attention. Talks have begun with the Long Beach supervisor of City Maintenance about the installation of a sprinkler system.
Links
