When gardening goes guerrilla!
Guerrilla warfare - a familiar word, evoking images of attack by stealth. But, did you know people undertake Guerrilla Gardening (GG) today?! Confounded? Let’s answer your questions.
So, what’s GG all about?
It’s about gardening, but not in your yard! It’s a movement where volunteers green up any unused public space – say, weed-infested vacant lots, neglected land patches, alley/parking lot edges, concrete planters on road medians harbouring litter...
That’s great! But, why the guerrilla angle?
Simply because the to-be-greened spots aren’t owned by the gardeners! In most countries, it constitutes a violation of existing laws! Hence, most guerrilla gardeners seek refuge in darkness to carry out their mission.
Why the gardening initiative where it’s illegal?
As Richard Reynolds, the leading guiding light of the GG movement puts it, “Let’s fight the filth with forks and flowers!” GG beautifies neglected public spaces, arrests unruly weed proliferation and wanton trash accumulation and spreads environmental awareness. So, though it’s illegal, it’s with good intent.
Is this activity as yet in its nascent stage?
Not really. The term is said to have been first coined in 1973, when a ‘Green Guerrilla Group’ led by Liz Christy converted a derelict private lot into a garden in New York.
So, New York’s the only GG hotspot?
No. Today, GG occurs worldwide. UK, Australia, Germany, Italy and many other countries have warmed up to the idea.
How’s the movement recruiting adherents?
Online forums, blogs and web-pages bring likeminded enthusiasts together. GuerrillaGardening.org and books about GG throw more light on the movement. Participants are encouraged to spread news about their activities by distributing flyers, pasting posters at public spaces or by word of mouth. Various institutions and volunteer groups are taking active part in furthering the movement. For instance, Greenaid fashions seedbomb-dispensing machines.
Seedbombs! Now, what are they?!
Sometimes labelled ‘green grenades’, seedbombs contain clay, compost and seeds fused together (sometimes in an explosive/degradable capsule). They’re tossed wherever plants are to be grown. They will break up as soon as the seeds begin to germinate.
They‘re especially used for greening inaccessible areas or those where guerrilla tactics can’t be adopted for long hours. They can be prepared at home too. But, methods vary.
There’s the political angle involved too.
Yes. In fact, it’s often defined as a form of political, nonviolent, direct action that radical activists use to draw attention to issues like land rights use, urban blight, high prices of food/energy, food shortage for the poor and lack of healthy food. People who beautify unsightly land with plants and flowers demonstrate they still care for the finer aspects of life despite the mass industrialisation and the resulting materialism and consumerism. Environmentalists send the message across that food production must be encouraged in cities and pollution must be curbed.
But, all this is so alien. How do I make a beginning in namma Bangalore?
You aren’t a pioneer! Look up Facebook for Bangalore’s GG community and contacts.
Any helpful tips before I begin? Yes. Select a neglected patch in your own neighbourhood. It’s easier to tend to. As Reynolds advises, “Start simple. Don’t take on anything too large, go bit by bit, you never know where it might lead”. Find friends who’ll cooperate and work by a predetermined plan. Choose hardy, water-resistant varieties of plants. Seedbombs aren’t a must. You can gather seeds from your own garden too. Take bags along to clear litter/weeds first. Supply water and herbicides regularly after planting.
Everyone’s happy with this mission?
No. Many believe an infringement on another’s property is just that, no matter how altruistic the intentions behind it maybe.
