Transforming Neighborhoods Through Guerrilla Gardening

Imagine what your community would look like if the vacant lots, patches of half-dead, boring old lawn, and sidewalk beds were thriving, beautiful gardens filled with veggies, flowers and herbs. Doesn't that sound nice? Want to get involved with making it happen? Welcome to the world of guerrilla gardening.

The practice of planting on land that does not legally belong to you, guerrilla gardening is, on the one hand, not as rebellious as its name suggests. We’re talking about introducing seeds and plants to neglected land; a pretty harmless act. On the other hand, however, a guerrilla garden can radically transform a junky lot full of trash into the showpiece of a neighborhood. It can provide food, create beauty where there was none, draw attention to areas that need cleanup and bring a community closer together. In times of isolation and concrete over-growth, this really is an act of revolution. Not bad for a few little plants, eh?

If you want to see neighborhood transformation in action, check out this video. In it, South Central L.A. guerrilla gardener Ron Finley shares his approach to guerrilla gardening and his thoughts on why community gardens are essential. And he lays down this gem of a quote, "growing your own food is like printing your own money." Below the video is a short photo essay of guerrilla gardens from around the world to inspire you.