Guerrilla Gardening

It’s always cool to see landscape-related posts on blogs that aren’t dedicated to the topic. This morning BoingBoing had a post about a garden hidden below grates in the sidewalk. It was suggested in the comments that it could be an act of guerrilla gardening, and it got me thinking and reading more about it.

The Wikipedia article was a really good starting point. They pointed out that Johnny Appleseed was a guerrilla gardener of sorts, spreading apple orchards on land he didn’t own. It seems like guerrilla gardening these days has more of a political slant to it, though. In a New York Times article, one guerrilla gardener called it a “movement” and wrote a “political history” of guerrilla gardening. Today’s guerrilla gardeners are organized and on a mission!

After reading the stories on GuerrillaGardening.org, the online hub for the movement, I wanted to get out there and subvert the law in the name of gardening too! It all sounded so exciting and romantic. What young person doesn’t like the idea of subverting the law in the middle of the night, fighting for a noble cause? The excitement of guerrilla gardening, combined with the social aspect (it seems most work with friends) is excellent motivation to get out there and garden. How can you argue with that?

It all got me thinking, though. Does the fun of guerrilla gardening make it less of a political movement? It seems like the police don’t really seem to care, and I didn’t read of any instances where some owner was upset with the rogue improvements. Where’s the real risk or intrigue?

Here’s a scenario I really find romantic and somehow more authentic. A single person walks/bikes/drives by a neglected median strip every day to and from work. One day, the sheer ugliness of their drive gets to them. After work they go to the garden center, pick up a few plants, and take matters into their own hands. From then on, their commute (and the commutes of others on that road) are a tiny bit better. The commuter isn’t doing it because their friends are, or to make a political statement. They’re stepping out of their commute and making a small difference in their lives and the lives of others.

Anyway, I really do hope guerrilla gardeners of all stripes continue to do what they do. The next time I see a dusty patch of land, I might just do something about it.

# • Posted on Jun 26, 2008 • Tags: