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Gardener’s Helper
Guerrilla Gardening
Taking Back the Neighbourhood Garden
BY CINDY VANDERTOL
Have you ever heard of guerrilla gardening?
The term is thought to have
been coined in the 1970s in New York
City by the “Green Guerrillas.” This
group of citizens, led by Liz Christy, an
artist and resident of the Lower East
Side, cleaned out and planted an abandoned
lot near her home. After her
death in 1985, it became the Liz
Christy Garden, named in honour of
the woman who fought for the greening
of her neighbourhood.
The definition of guerrilla gardening
is hard to pin down. Basically it
involves taking a piece of land that you
do not own and, with or without permission,
performing various types of
gardening in the space. I have heard it
described as “graffiti with gardens” or
“vandalizing with veggies.” It does not
involve replanting private or public
gardens just to improve upon the aesthetics
or introducing exotic species
into natural growth areas, such as wetlands
and green spaces.
The practice of guerrilla gardening
is probably as old as gardening
itself. It must be part of our genetic
makeup to cultivate the earth — cultures
throughout history have gardened
for survival and aesthetic pleasure.
Although we don’t know who the
first guerilla gardener was, one can be
sure the need for sustenance of body
and spirit played a role in the planting.
Today, as the concrete jungle
sprawls around us, city planners seem
to give less thought to the inclusion of
green spaces for our enjoyment.
Vacant lots are left to be filled with
weeds and garbage. Today, groups of
citizens in cities around the world are
Due West/Due East Magazine • Fall 2008 Ottawa Page 22