Stealth Gardening

May 18, 2006 2:22 PM

Guerilla Gardeningis a movement to make public spaces more attractive, by planting in derelict or unattractive public ground. Founder Richard Reynolds has enlisted the help of people similarly dedicated to beautifying public space in UK urban areas, and the movement has inspired other groups. For people who don't want to dig holes in the ground or get their hands messy, there are instructions for seed-and-run scenarios. Apparently, even the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay are in on the act.
posted by darsh (11 comments total)

Not to be confused with guerilla growing.
posted by i_am_a_Jedi at 2:43 PM on May 18, 2006

Here's the complete text of the Independent piece on Gitmo, for those who don't want to pony up the pound to see the article.
posted by bcveen at 2:47 PM on May 18, 2006

And Primal Seeds is another good site on guerilla gardening. I tried this once, but when I revisited the locations, I found the bastard squirrels digging up all the seeds.
posted by bcveen at 2:50 PM on May 18, 2006

I heard about this on NPR the other day. Thanks for the extra info.
posted by ColdChef at 2:50 PM on May 18, 2006

I love the story about the mini garden at Gitmo.
posted by raedyn at 2:51 PM on May 18, 2006

Planting Marijuana plants on the White House lawn would've been funny during Clinton. He would've accidentally had to inhale the pollen. I guess it'll have to be Coca plants for Bush. Anyone got a spare shovel?
posted by Sir BoBoMonkey Pooflinger Esquire III at 3:42 PM on May 18, 2006

Oh, I almost forgot. Does anyone have a cloaking device to get past the security? Or maybe a magic ring?
posted by Sir BoBoMonkey Pooflinger Esquire III at 3:44 PM on May 18, 2006

Great ideas! I have heard of Garden Clubs adopting orphaned traffic islands. Wonder if the FBI shows up at your door if you send seeds to Gitmo.
posted by Cranberry at 3:47 PM on May 18, 2006

Hey, I think I have just enough online evidence to pretend I invented guerilla gardening.
posted by ntk at 4:40 PM on May 18, 2006

Sir Bobo
I was thinking, a pea-shooter (fat straw) with some seeds should fix the sewing problem on the lawn mentioned. Or something along that line.
posted by Goofyy at 2:14 AM on May 19, 2006

I mostly do guerilla pruning, the sycamores block the light. They made me do it. Ironically, the growing wood pile remains undisturbed by the sofa and tyre burning locals. For the past two years.
I found an apple (or possibly cherry) tree in the process which has benefited from the light increase as has the hawthorn.
I have also put in some mint, oregano, wild strawberries, various flowers and a mallow.
In addition I have converted a discarded deep-fat fryer into a small pond in the hope of attracting some reptiles to eat the slugs and snails which I chuck over the fence. So far it is empty, but you never know. I have previously found two toads (one a kind of toxic orange) in the garden so they are about the place.
The couple up the road pick the black-berries from the park land and have embarked on a ambitious bit of guerilla gardening themselves of late, which includes a gate from thier garden into their newly gentrified bit.
Guerilla growing has not been such a success as the seeds have all been from indoor plants and have died in the outdoors. Aledgedly.
I wont dispute your invention of the term, O'Brien. Unless we meet, in which case it will be celery sticks at ten paces. As we are both proper Englishmen I need not include the sarcasm tags, need I?
posted by asok at 4:14 AM on May 19, 2006