How To: Guerrilla Gardening

Guerrilla gardening is becoming increasingly more popular these days. It is described as the unauthorized cultivation of plants or crops on vacant,  public or private land. Commonly guerrilla gardening is done as a political statement about land rights, but for others it's just a way to improve the scenery of neglected and barren areas. For whatever reason someone decides to get into guerrilla gardening, here are some tips and tricks to get you started, courtesy of WikiHow.

Find an appropriate plot of land.
Along sidewalks, on the sides of overpasses or freeway on-ramps, between buildings, on road medians and the like. Plant near a water source if lack of water is a problem. You don't need a lot of land.


Take note of the condition of the land.
It will almost certainly need some preparation before getting started. Will you need to remove weeds, trash or other forms of waste? Is the soil rocky, clay-like or more earthy?

 Determine which plants to use.
Your choice of plants has a significant impact on the success or failure of your garden. You're going to want to choose more hardy plants that don't require you to constantly tend to them since you probably won't get that chance depending on the location of your garden; try to choose native plants that naturally grow in your environment.

Start your garden.
You'll also need to prepare the soil for planting by digging and aerating as needed.  Once you've planted, clean up the trash and other undesirable items,  leaving a clean, freshly planted area.
Spread the word about this unique, eco-friendly way to improve your community.
Feel free to leave small signs or plaques in your garden encouraging others in the community to water and help care for it. Likewise, try and return to water and care for your garden yourself, I mean, you did plant it after all.

Warnings.
Check local ordinances to see whether your garden is legal. In some municipalities it is against the law, while in others it is not. And if you're going to get arrested for anything I'd hope it wasn't for gardening, that doesn't make for a good story... also be aware of private property, even if your guerrilla garden is gorgeous, it's disrespectful to just start planting on someone's property.  You can always try asking the owner of the land, they just might just let you!

You should also try not to plant edibles, especially in urban areas where the soil might not be clean and your plants could easily be contaminated by bad soil. Be sure not to plant anything that is locally defined as a "noxious weed." Noxious weeds vary by area, and they include plants that are dangerous, invasive, or bad for local wildlife.

For more in depth steps to guerrilla gardening visit WikiHow.

Have you ever done any guerrilla gardening of your own? Let us know in the comments!

James
Garden Media Group