Guerilla Gardening
Wow,
Life got crazy and I forgot I had this blog for awhile, but I'm still around, now in Columbia, SC. I just recently became aware that there is a growing movement around something I was doing in the '80's and '90's back in California. The name that has become associated with the movement is "Guerrilla Gardening", which sounds a bit nefarious to me, but if it adds some intrigue and helps with the popularity of the movement then I'm in favor. From what I've read most of the current movement involves planting either decorative flowers or fruit and vegetable gardens, shrubs, or trees on vacant, unused public or even private lands. Because this is sometimes practiced with out knowledge, consent, or all the properly filled out permits and forms, the work is sometimes performed under cover of night. To me, someone spending time, money and energy to beautify or feed people from neglected ground in regular public view seems a worthy endeavor, and the court case against someone caught and charged with this crime would be pretty sad.
In my case back in California I was tired of seeing what vestiges remained of "The Valley of Heart's Delight" paved over, and of seeing that the planting that was done in the small pockets of earth that remained consisted almost entirely of non native trees and shrubs. We had beautiful native live oaks and valley oaks that even then were almost impossible to find in the valley, except along the immediate edge of the few creeks that hadn't been converted to paved canals. I began collecting acorns from these magnificent trees and sprouting them in containers. I quicly filled up the few spaces in the small yard of my parents house with a few seedlings, then had to look further. It didn't take me long to discover that many of the small strips of dirt between the sidewalks and the streets in my neighbors yards or in front of some strip malls, even on busy streets, were no more than bare patches of dirt. It's dry in California in the summer, and too much work for many to try to keep a lawn going in these small patches, but perfect for a native oak. I planted my seedlings in such places, under cover of night, and even managed to sneak in a few waterings to keep some going through the dry first summer. I remember being very pleased when I saw that a Korean man, who had bought a house not far from my parents after I had planted one of my seedlings in a dirt strip along the sidewalk outside his fence, adopted the not more that 2 foot tree and I regularly saw him caring for it. I went back to California the summer before last with my family and it was a great pleasure to show my children this tree and one other I had planted along a busy expressway in front of a strip mall, now reaching maturity and doing all the things that trees, especially native trees, do for us and our environment.
Here are some links to info on Guerrilla Gardening:
http://www.guerrillagardening.org/
http://www.laguerrillagardening.org/index.php/about/
http://www.npr.org/2013/07/05/181691507/how-can-you-give-a-community-better-health
Life got crazy and I forgot I had this blog for awhile, but I'm still around, now in Columbia, SC. I just recently became aware that there is a growing movement around something I was doing in the '80's and '90's back in California. The name that has become associated with the movement is "Guerrilla Gardening", which sounds a bit nefarious to me, but if it adds some intrigue and helps with the popularity of the movement then I'm in favor. From what I've read most of the current movement involves planting either decorative flowers or fruit and vegetable gardens, shrubs, or trees on vacant, unused public or even private lands. Because this is sometimes practiced with out knowledge, consent, or all the properly filled out permits and forms, the work is sometimes performed under cover of night. To me, someone spending time, money and energy to beautify or feed people from neglected ground in regular public view seems a worthy endeavor, and the court case against someone caught and charged with this crime would be pretty sad.
In my case back in California I was tired of seeing what vestiges remained of "The Valley of Heart's Delight" paved over, and of seeing that the planting that was done in the small pockets of earth that remained consisted almost entirely of non native trees and shrubs. We had beautiful native live oaks and valley oaks that even then were almost impossible to find in the valley, except along the immediate edge of the few creeks that hadn't been converted to paved canals. I began collecting acorns from these magnificent trees and sprouting them in containers. I quicly filled up the few spaces in the small yard of my parents house with a few seedlings, then had to look further. It didn't take me long to discover that many of the small strips of dirt between the sidewalks and the streets in my neighbors yards or in front of some strip malls, even on busy streets, were no more than bare patches of dirt. It's dry in California in the summer, and too much work for many to try to keep a lawn going in these small patches, but perfect for a native oak. I planted my seedlings in such places, under cover of night, and even managed to sneak in a few waterings to keep some going through the dry first summer. I remember being very pleased when I saw that a Korean man, who had bought a house not far from my parents after I had planted one of my seedlings in a dirt strip along the sidewalk outside his fence, adopted the not more that 2 foot tree and I regularly saw him caring for it. I went back to California the summer before last with my family and it was a great pleasure to show my children this tree and one other I had planted along a busy expressway in front of a strip mall, now reaching maturity and doing all the things that trees, especially native trees, do for us and our environment.
Here are some links to info on Guerrilla Gardening:
http://www.guerrillagardening.org/
http://www.laguerrillagardening.org/index.php/about/
http://www.npr.org/2013/07/05/181691507/how-can-you-give-a-community-better-health
posted by ecovoice at
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