Does anybody know anything about Guerilla Gardening? What is it?

[applegrove]

[Travis_0004]

1. Planting a garden on any land they don't have a legal right to utilize.

[applegrove]

2. Is it considered vandalism or is it more of a protest?

[Travis_0004]

3. I guess it depends on who you ask

I wouldn't call it a protest (although I guess it could be). Its probably more likely to be people that just need more space for a garden.

If there is a vacant lot next to you, go for it. Its probably best for the community if somebody is maintaining some of the lot. There may be some spaces that are better left untouched, such as by busy roads, or other places the soil may be toxic.

[rewinn]

10. Protest requires communication. Who are you communicating with?

If your message is "This vacant land should be planted" or whatever - fine that's a good message - but you need to tell it to someone.

Don't keep it a secret. Find the landowner - city or county or whatever - and tell them you think there should be a garden there.

You may be pleasantly surprised to discover that sometimes politicians want to please their constituents. Even the greediest pig needs votes, and a photo-op on an unused piece of land that citizen-volunteers are beautifying is a classic win-win-win for all.

You will never know unless you try. Pick up the phone, send an email - whatever.

Just don't think that you are "protesting" if you aren't putting your message in plain language so people can figure out what it is you want.

[silverweb]

4. There are multiple websites about it.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Google for some terrific ideas.

[applegrove]

5. Not for me. I‘m worried a family member

is being set up.

[silverweb]

6. Oh, okay.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Well, some of those blogs and websites would probably include information on the legal aspects of guerrilla gardening. I'm sure if there are potential legal hazards, others have already found a way to avoid or deal with them.

[rewinn]

7. It's always best to contact the property owner ...

... if possible. Put yourself in their position: would *you* like someone coming on your land?

If they found out, the best your family member could hope for would be to have all their work destroyed.

Now, if the property is abandoned it may be that the city (...or whereever...) may be interested in neighbors providing upkeep for free. I have lived in neighborhoods where we mowed the lawn of an abandoned house, and if a few spare bulbs found their way into a garden, who's to know?

Planting food crops is another matter. They take more tending, which means more trespassing. Is that really a good idea?

If your family member's interest is in raising food cheaply, contact your local "sustainability" group; they may well have resources for things like this, especially if the land is abandoned. Producing local food is something to encourage and often city council members (or whatever) are inclined to respond to voter concerns; unused public land in particular might be turned into a "P-Patch" if your family member is willing to do the work.

This *does* take the "guerilla" out of "guerilla gardening" but you should remember that the usual fate of a guerilla warrior is unpleasant. Sorry to be a downer.

[ellenrr]

8. If you contact the property owner, it isn't guerilla gardening. And

guerilla gardening is not done in somebody's yard. that would be rude. and pointless.

it is done in public spaces.

It is a wonderful way to create some commons.

I've done it. There was a small patch of land in a triangle of land which was created by 2 roads. I knew it had been there for years, knew it had been gardened once. Knew that no one had done anything for years.

I asked the homeowners who abutted the space if they owned it; they said no, they thot it belonged to the city.
So I started planting things.
And - someone else added to my efforts. I never met them, but they came along, planted, weeded.
cool.

And there is something called, seed bombs. Lots of site online tell how to make them. And then people throw them. A means to diversify.

I personally would not throw them on private property. But any roadside, park, etc is fair game. They are easy to make.

by the way, the name of this forum is "activist". Don't know about anyone else but in my book, going to city council is not activism. Maybe to the poster, doing anything is being active.
And to discourage anyone from being a guerrilla warrior definitely suggests to me that you are in the wrong forum.

[rewinn]

9. LOL. "Activism" is pragmatic. "Guerilla warfare" in a democracy is not..

If you don't like the democratic process, or you TRY the democratic process and don't get results, THEN you can try your "guerilla tactics".

But to suggest that you can get long-term results throwing seed bombs is just silly. All that effort you put in gardening on public land could have been wasted when the municipality decided it was time to pave it - whereas if you'd gone to the city council or whereever and had it made into a p-patch, it would be protected. AND you would have made it available to a lot more people.

Here's something that work, right here in Seattle: reforestation projects based on getting trees to homeowners. Rain garden and parking strip conversion projects. Neighbor-to-neighbor bulb sharing and seed sharing. Urban orchards and virtual farming. All sorts of stuff, none of which relies on individuals going around trespassing on other people's property or tearing up public land.

Sure, throwing seeds here and there gives you a good feeling. You did something hooray! And you did nothing lasting.

Why? Because you didn't have the guts to put your face on the line; you just snuck in, threw some seeds, and ran away.

That's not activism. At best, that's just having fun. There's nothing wrong with having fun, but it has no real impact.