guerrilla gardening

[paradox]

I was wondering if there was any chance of having a guerrilla gardening section added to the site?

Does anyone participate in this late night activity?

[Andy Hamilton]

Hmm, I get what you are saying in principle. I have issues with G.G. it has become a bit buzzy. If it is carefully planned and the right plants are being introduced into the right eco-system fair enough. But I am yet to be convinced that every G.gardener does this.

[ohareward]

What is guerrilla gardening?

Robin

[baldowrie]

I could be entirely wrong here but I think it's when there is an area of untended or waste land that a group decide they will make over at night and leave a well tended garden behind.

[Thomzo]

I must admit I'm with Andy on this one. The idea is noble but what if that land is being left for a reason? GG's might go clumping in with their wellies and spades in the dark and finish off the last remaining nest of extremely rare somethings.

Also, aren't you going to look complete idiots if you waste time and money prettifying a patch of waste land only to have the developers move in the next day?

Landowners' permission first I think. But then that's not really Guerilla is it?

[paradox]

Some valid points made there that i hadent considerd.

[Andy Hamilton]

Some valid points made there that i hadent considerd.

Sorry mate didn't mean to pi** on your bonfire.

[Milims]

A few years ago something similar happened not far from here - but it was a properly organised thing. It took place in an area of real socio-economic deprivaiton, very run down with lots of vandalism. People gave their time to cultivate plants which were then potted up into hanging baskets or large pots and distributed to each home in the area. Areas of waste land were cleared and cultivated and small "park" areas created. Kids were given litter pickers and a bag and went out to clear the streets of rubbish. Grass verges were mowed and flower beds created. On one someone made a frame and created a picture appropriate to the area with coloured gravel. Most of these people had never gardened in their lives, most had never even spoken to their neighbours. Although the preparation took a long time there was an amazing two day "push" to bring it to fruition. Everyone in the town had something to to with it. Elderly people who couldn't dig, supplied cups of tea to those who did!! There was a most amazing sense of commuity that had, up until now, been lost. People worked as a team - and smiled a lot, something they hadn't done much of before.
Ok so they didn't suddenly start growing their own organic veg and turn "green" over night but things did move in the right direction.
My work took me back there earlier this year and there are still flowers!!!

[paradox]

Its ok andy just do it on my compost heap instead

Milms thats a lovely story to hear about.

[flower]

guerilla gardening is a way of taking direct action without destruction and violence.
if you want to protest about wanton waste of land, for example, left derelict and a magnet for vandalism, but belonging to developers or councils so untouchable.
gardeners gain entry and turn the area into something beautiful in the hope that the community will be more inclined to fight for it.

Yes, it will probably be vandalised initially.
No, it doesn't matter a fig to the developers themselves.
But it may (as shown above) grow a community and it may restore pride in an area previously allowed to run down.

I've never done it myself, but if I ever find out about actions going on in my area I definately will.

[Millymollymandy]

I hadn't heard of it before but have mixed feelings going by your posts above.

[halfa]

What an interesting concept, and one I have never heard of before.
Is this something that happens a lot somewhere? 'Where' is a first question that comes to mind, and how are they organised? Are the untended plots of land privately or govt owned?
Sounds a bit like green thumb vigilantes or the land focussed version of the animal rights activists.

[flower]

from what I've read, any plot of land that is unkempt or wasted can be used.
roundabouts, boring grass verges, neglected empty planters in city centres or, on a larger and more daring scale, areas purchased for development by people like Tescos that are then left to rot when planning permission is refused.

The plants are initially donated by the gardeners (thinnings and so on) but the hope is always that the local community will feel able to join in and bring plants of their own over time.
Amazingly, this seems often to be the case. As a sense of pride and ownership grows, the guerilla gardeners gradually withdraw.

The process can take as long as two years with monthly late night maintenance 'visits' but people will fight for a small, natural oasis in the city a lot harder than for a derelict eyesore.
It's about helping to show the value and potential of every piece of green space there is.

I think it's a wonderful idea.

[red]

I have mixed feelings. - I'm not sure if there is any such thing as wasteland as far as nature is concerned.

we recently tidied up a debris pile on our land, we had to as there was a fair bit of asbestos roofing that needed to be disposed of properly - and disturbed a fair number of toads living amongst the rubble.

if this was the wasteland before the GG got in.. thats their habit gone. nice garden in its place...
and when I lived in the city many years ago - there used to be a bit of wastland not far from us, and a family of foxes lived there - we often saw the vixen and her cubs out in the sunshine.. now its allotments and prolly a good use of the land, but I do wonder where the foxes ended up - remove all the wasteland, make full use of every bit and where does the nature go?
of course it its done with nature in mind, it could be a good thing, but is it?

[flower]

if it's anything like our allotments the foxes will still be there!