Teah Spears
30 April 2009
ENG 1020
Mr. Houp
The Art of Guerilla Gardening
Picture yourself walking through a bustling campus or strolling through your neighborhood. You have taken this same path several times before, perhaps every day, never noticing anything but the people around you and cars going by. Then, one day, that long, unexciting walk evokes a thought as you look around. You see abandoned land where something used to exist. “What was there?” “What could be there?” These are the same questions that led to the first community garden to be started by “Guerilla Gardeners”.
“Guerilla Gardening is political gardening, a form of direct action.”(Guerilla Gardeners) It is the “illicit cultivation of someone else’s land”, and primarily practiced by environmentalists. This form of gardening is related to land rights, land reform, and permaculture. Activists take over an abandoned piece of land, in which they do not own, to grow crops or plants. Guerilla gardeners believe in re-considering land ownership in order to reclaim land from neglect or misuse and assign a new purpose to it. Although gardening does not have any type of threat to society, taking land and using it as your own is illegal. Being involved in such a risky hobby gives you the chance to get in touch with ones “James Bond” side. There are no rules to the way people want to proceed in this form of gardening, but there are tips on how to successfully start a guerilla garden and avoid jail at the same time:
1) Spot some orphaned land
2) Plan a mission ( preferably at night)
3) Find a local supply of plants
4) Choose plants for front line battle (think hardy and impactful)
5) Get some Wellington shoes (to protect your feet and make a quick getaway)
6) Bring sturdy bags to carry plants in
7) Regular watering (yes, the work isn’t finished)
8) Seed bombs
9) Chemical Warfare (boost plants with natural chemicals)
10) Garden with a girl (She’s the brilliant diversion, should the cops pass by)
11) Spread the word (put up flyers to get more people and press involved)
12) Have transportation (that can hold you, plants, and trees if possible) (Reynolds, Guerilla Gardening)
Guerilla gardening has existed for many years and was formed through community gardening. Many people were not aware of this form of gardening and political action before the early 1970’s when it was put in the public eye by one woman who had a thought and will for change.
In 1973, Liz Christy, a local resident of New York City, along with a group of gardening activists known as the “Green Guerillas”, used old vacant lots to plant window boxes and throw “seed bombs” in. (Seed bombs consist of a mixture of powdered clay, worm castings, your seeds of choice, and water. The mixture is then rolled into little balls and dried in a cool place for three days. They are then thrown into random places and when it rains they will open up and start to grow.) Liz Christy and the “Green Guerillas” saw potential in the abandoned lot and went before the City to find a way to put use to the land. Volunteers then helped to make the beginnings of the first community “guerilla” garden by spreading donated top soil, installing a fence and began planting. On April 23, 1974, the City’s office of Housing Preservation and Development approved the site for rental. The community gardening idea soon spread like wildfire throughout New York, and more people wanted to know how to start similar projects.
Cities all throughout the United States have joined the guerilla gardening movement and has quickly become a “hybrid secret society”.(L.A. Times) Los Angeles has 62 listed community gardens and has their own guerilla gardening troop who just celebrated “ International Sunflower Guerilla Gardening Day 2009”. They have even developed a program called the “Common Ground Garden Program.” For 30 years, the UC Cooperative Extensions Common Ground Garden Program has made gardening possible for low-income, underrepresented families in Los Angeles. “The program goals are to improve nutrition; increase access to fresh, low-cost produce; offer gardening education; build bridges between neighbors and communities; help create employment opportunities; and encourage a cleaner, greener Los Angeles. Families learn how to garden, grow their own food and prepare it in a healthful manner. In addition, the program trains community volunteers and Master Gardeners, who in turn, volunteer their time to community and school gardens.” (UC Cooperative)
Like the L.A. community of guerilla gardeners, Utah, Texas, Washington, California and even London have all, along with many others have joined this revolutionary art and cause. I wanted to experience what people internationally, for centuries have done, so I set out to make my own “statement”.
April 20, 2009- The first thing I had to do was look for a good place, now by “good” I mean somewhere my hard work won’t get stepped on, weeded over, chopped up, or picked. That “good” place wasn’t going to be at my apartment complex; so I set out to the Middle Tennessee State University campus. It took me three days to figure out that the small plot directly outside of Mr. Houp’s English class was the best place. I spent a class period checking out the area and making sure it had adequate sunlight along with shade, and the soil was rich enough to cultivate my plant. There were some other plants already there so I had to measure to make sure the roots of my plant had room to branch out. I took a picture of the plot to give me a before picture and an idea of where I was going to place my herb. At this point I wasn’t too sure on what I would plant and how I would go about it. I was taking baby steps, but only had about a week and a half to make my baby steps into leaps.
April 24, 2009- I went online to research good plants to guerilla garden with and found that thyme, lavender, and other herbs were quite sustainable. I decided to speed my gardening process up and went to the nursery at Wal-mart to buy thyme seedlings. I had planted them in a container at home and kept them maintained for a few days until I was able to plant it into the plot.
April 27, 2009- I went to class and planted my herb. I didn’t have a shovel so I had to use a thick stick with an angle. I know I had to look suspicious, but I enjoyed every second of it. I took some pictures and if I do say so myself, I like what I’ve done with the place.
April 29, 2009- I wanted to enhance what was already planted there and hopefully continue to add to it. I chose to plant herbs because I love to cook and could go pick my own herbs after class. I had no special purpose or reason for this type of plant or why I was planting this other than food and self-sufficiency, but I would like to plant flowers to represent my siblings, with one being a sunflower for my little brother who passed away. I started doing this assignment as what it was, a project with a due date, but came out of it wanting to do more. Learning the history and ways guerilla and community gardening has affected people throughout the world and experiencing it for me was quite interesting and inspiring. Everyone should go against the grain every now and then, and become a true Guerilla Gardener.
Reynolds, Richard. "Guerrilla Gardening Tips." The Guerrilla Gardening Homepage. 04 May 2009 http://www.guerrillagardening.org/ggtips.html
Social Guerrilla Gardening. 28 Apr. 2009 http://socialguerrillagardening.org/
"Los Angeles County - Common Ground Garden Program." Los Angeles County - Extension Office Home Page. 29 Apr. 2009 http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/Common_Ground_Garden_Program/
30 April 2009
ENG 1020
Mr. Houp
The Art of Guerilla Gardening
Picture yourself walking through a bustling campus or strolling through your neighborhood. You have taken this same path several times before, perhaps every day, never noticing anything but the people around you and cars going by. Then, one day, that long, unexciting walk evokes a thought as you look around. You see abandoned land where something used to exist. “What was there?” “What could be there?” These are the same questions that led to the first community garden to be started by “Guerilla Gardeners”.
“Guerilla Gardening is political gardening, a form of direct action.”(Guerilla Gardeners) It is the “illicit cultivation of someone else’s land”, and primarily practiced by environmentalists. This form of gardening is related to land rights, land reform, and permaculture. Activists take over an abandoned piece of land, in which they do not own, to grow crops or plants. Guerilla gardeners believe in re-considering land ownership in order to reclaim land from neglect or misuse and assign a new purpose to it. Although gardening does not have any type of threat to society, taking land and using it as your own is illegal. Being involved in such a risky hobby gives you the chance to get in touch with ones “James Bond” side. There are no rules to the way people want to proceed in this form of gardening, but there are tips on how to successfully start a guerilla garden and avoid jail at the same time:
1) Spot some orphaned land
2) Plan a mission ( preferably at night)
3) Find a local supply of plants
4) Choose plants for front line battle (think hardy and impactful)
5) Get some Wellington shoes (to protect your feet and make a quick getaway)
6) Bring sturdy bags to carry plants in
7) Regular watering (yes, the work isn’t finished)
8) Seed bombs
9) Chemical Warfare (boost plants with natural chemicals)
10) Garden with a girl (She’s the brilliant diversion, should the cops pass by)
11) Spread the word (put up flyers to get more people and press involved)
12) Have transportation (that can hold you, plants, and trees if possible) (Reynolds, Guerilla Gardening)
Guerilla gardening has existed for many years and was formed through community gardening. Many people were not aware of this form of gardening and political action before the early 1970’s when it was put in the public eye by one woman who had a thought and will for change.
In 1973, Liz Christy, a local resident of New York City, along with a group of gardening activists known as the “Green Guerillas”, used old vacant lots to plant window boxes and throw “seed bombs” in. (Seed bombs consist of a mixture of powdered clay, worm castings, your seeds of choice, and water. The mixture is then rolled into little balls and dried in a cool place for three days. They are then thrown into random places and when it rains they will open up and start to grow.) Liz Christy and the “Green Guerillas” saw potential in the abandoned lot and went before the City to find a way to put use to the land. Volunteers then helped to make the beginnings of the first community “guerilla” garden by spreading donated top soil, installing a fence and began planting. On April 23, 1974, the City’s office of Housing Preservation and Development approved the site for rental. The community gardening idea soon spread like wildfire throughout New York, and more people wanted to know how to start similar projects.
Cities all throughout the United States have joined the guerilla gardening movement and has quickly become a “hybrid secret society”.(L.A. Times) Los Angeles has 62 listed community gardens and has their own guerilla gardening troop who just celebrated “ International Sunflower Guerilla Gardening Day 2009”. They have even developed a program called the “Common Ground Garden Program.” For 30 years, the UC Cooperative Extensions Common Ground Garden Program has made gardening possible for low-income, underrepresented families in Los Angeles. “The program goals are to improve nutrition; increase access to fresh, low-cost produce; offer gardening education; build bridges between neighbors and communities; help create employment opportunities; and encourage a cleaner, greener Los Angeles. Families learn how to garden, grow their own food and prepare it in a healthful manner. In addition, the program trains community volunteers and Master Gardeners, who in turn, volunteer their time to community and school gardens.” (UC Cooperative)
Like the L.A. community of guerilla gardeners, Utah, Texas, Washington, California and even London have all, along with many others have joined this revolutionary art and cause. I wanted to experience what people internationally, for centuries have done, so I set out to make my own “statement”.
April 20, 2009- The first thing I had to do was look for a good place, now by “good” I mean somewhere my hard work won’t get stepped on, weeded over, chopped up, or picked. That “good” place wasn’t going to be at my apartment complex; so I set out to the Middle Tennessee State University campus. It took me three days to figure out that the small plot directly outside of Mr. Houp’s English class was the best place. I spent a class period checking out the area and making sure it had adequate sunlight along with shade, and the soil was rich enough to cultivate my plant. There were some other plants already there so I had to measure to make sure the roots of my plant had room to branch out. I took a picture of the plot to give me a before picture and an idea of where I was going to place my herb. At this point I wasn’t too sure on what I would plant and how I would go about it. I was taking baby steps, but only had about a week and a half to make my baby steps into leaps.
April 24, 2009- I went online to research good plants to guerilla garden with and found that thyme, lavender, and other herbs were quite sustainable. I decided to speed my gardening process up and went to the nursery at Wal-mart to buy thyme seedlings. I had planted them in a container at home and kept them maintained for a few days until I was able to plant it into the plot.
April 27, 2009- I went to class and planted my herb. I didn’t have a shovel so I had to use a thick stick with an angle. I know I had to look suspicious, but I enjoyed every second of it. I took some pictures and if I do say so myself, I like what I’ve done with the place.
April 29, 2009- I wanted to enhance what was already planted there and hopefully continue to add to it. I chose to plant herbs because I love to cook and could go pick my own herbs after class. I had no special purpose or reason for this type of plant or why I was planting this other than food and self-sufficiency, but I would like to plant flowers to represent my siblings, with one being a sunflower for my little brother who passed away. I started doing this assignment as what it was, a project with a due date, but came out of it wanting to do more. Learning the history and ways guerilla and community gardening has affected people throughout the world and experiencing it for me was quite interesting and inspiring. Everyone should go against the grain every now and then, and become a true Guerilla Gardener.
Reynolds, Richard. "Guerrilla Gardening Tips." The Guerrilla Gardening Homepage. 04 May 2009 http://www.guerrillagardening.org/ggtips.html
Social Guerrilla Gardening. 28 Apr. 2009 http://socialguerrillagardening.org/
"Los Angeles County - Common Ground Garden Program." Los Angeles County - Extension Office Home Page. 29 Apr. 2009 http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/Common_Ground_Garden_Program/
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