Guerrilla Gardening: A Manualfesto

The term "guerrilla"may bring to mind a small band of armedsoldiers, moving in the dead of night on a stealth mission. In the caseof guerrilla gardening, the soldiers are planters, the weapons areshovels, and the mission is to transform an abandoned lot into a thingof beauty. Once an environmentalist's nonviolent direct action forinner-city renewal, this movement is spreading to all types of peoplein cities around the world.

These modern-day JohnnyAppleseeds perform random acts of gardening, often without permission.Typical targets are vacant lots, railway land, underused publicsquares, and back alleys. The concept is simple, whimsical, and has thecheeky appeal of being a not-quite-legal call to action. Dig in somesoil, plant a few seeds, or mend a sagging fence-one good deedinspiring another, with win-win benefits all around.

Guerrilla Gardening outlines the power-to-the-people campaign for greening our cities. Tips for effective involvement include:

Finding plants and seeds cheap (or free)
Handling city officials
Getting the dirt on soil
Planting to bring back the birds
Knowing when to ask first

Social activists, city dwellers, and longtime gardeners will delight in this fast-paced and funny call to arms.

David Traceyis a journalist and environmental designer who operates EcoUrbanist inVancouver. He is executive director of Tree City Canada, a nonprofitecological engagement group.

A guide to greening cities — with or without permission.

David Tracey owns and operates EcoUrbanist, an environmental media+design company in Vancouver, and serves as Executive Director of Tree City Canada, a non-profit ecological engagement group. Also an international journalist, he is a consulting arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture, and holds a Master's degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of British Columbia.