Guerilla Gardening can be a touchy subject for some, as it is technically against the law. I believe in Guerrilla gardening to improve my local landscape for better access to nature, better habitats for nature, and to tidy the area.
(No photos published here belong to me, all images are credited)
What is Guerilla Gardening?- Guerrilla gardening is ‘gardening on land that the gardeners do not have the legal rights to cultivate’ (source).
- This could be anywhere like abandoned fields, the side of the road or even in established gardens and parks.
- The motivation for this also varies. It is mainly viewed as a political act.
Common misconceptions
(Speaking from my opinion)
I feel that this style of gardening is often viewed as being done by ‘criminals’ - those who think they’re above the law. It is not! I enjoy guerilla gardening because I get to improve my local landscape where it has been neglected. You will be able to see that from my efforts, I never do anything to harm nature. I look at what local conservation charities are doing and mimic where they are unable to work.
My efforts:
 |
Via The Sun |
1) MaintenanceRoad signs being covered with brambles and other fast growing plants have gotten on my nerves! Especially when they are signs for tourist information. To fix this, I simply went over and pruned around it to reveal the sign. With the plant material, I usually put it in the bush behind the sign to allow it to decompose there.
In local parks and forests, they don’t often care for side paths. They are for public access, but since they're not on the main paths, I find that they are slightly neglected. I was most concerned about children along these paths as it is very inviting for kids that are interested in playing in nature. This was an easy job as I walked along the path and chopped back any sharp branches.
 |
| @KetteringBC on Twitter |
2) Wild plantingAlong the road verges I noticed that it was mainly grass and no wildflowers. This leaves very little for pollinators. Since the grass never gets mown, I assumed that it was unattended. For this, I looked at my local wildflowers and I sowed them at home then planted them in the grass. Trimming the grass first, of course.
3) Making seed paperIf youre not one for sowing from seeds, look into making seed bombs or seed paper. I found this method less effective, but it might work for you!
Here is a link to my guide on making seed paper.
 |
parklane-gst. |
4) Litter pickingIt is said that when there’s less litter in an area, people won't feel compelled to create rubbish. But if there is litter, people will feel fine adding to it (source). Because of this, I go around with my litter picker to make the area cleaner and tidier. I use a bin bag and a bag hoop to keep the rubbist. Hopefully this will reduce the harm to wildlife.
Why do I do Guerilla Gardening?
I hope it’s clear from my efforts that my only intention is to improve my area to help nature. Where I ‘work’ is untended to - overgrown and polluted with a lack of native plants.
Would you ever try Guerrilla Gardening?
Resources:
Guerrilla Gardening UK Organisation
Guerrilla Gardening on Reddit
Incredible Edible
Guerrilla Gardening Facebook Group
The Pothole Gardener
Guerrilla Warfare By Ernesto "Che" Guevara
Don’t forget to check out local organisations to find out what’s going on in your area!
----> Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, Nate.
Comments
Post a Comment