Guerilla Gardening !

[lateaprildawn]

I saw an article a few years ago about "guerilla gardening" basically for a bit of fun people would go out at night and weed and plant up a little piece of derelict inner city land, even patches on traffic islands,with trees and flowers.

I started my own little bit of stealth gardening a few years ago. I only have a tiny garden and grow many more plants and fruit bushes than i have room for. So waste not want not, I started guerilla planting.

over the past few years I have planted the odd bush and herb in my local woods, (it seems a sign of the times here that the local kids sit in front of their t.vs rather than go exploring as I never see anyone about))

I have started a few colonies of raspberry canes, there are a patches of strawberries, wild garlic, licorice , wild rocket and lots of little clumps of herbs.This year I am planting a more medicinal herbs than veggies.

Its fun to check on them a couple of times a year, to my knowledge no one else seems to have found them or they simply do not recognise them as edible.If another forager has found them then they are doing as I do, simply only take what they need and leave the rest to nature.

I treat it as my second garden. If the SHTF i reckon my garden at home would be raided for food very quickly so I think this would give me a bit of feeding and breathing room ;D

Or am I just being eccentric in the best british tradition ?

Best wishes,
April

[alma]

I LOVE this idea, and am sure going to transfer a few of my overgrown herbs here and there. Thanks a lot. I love to be a micschief maker of that sort
We have a long strip along side of our street and i already see some plants growing there, either from wind, or animals transferring seeds, or someone has thought of this long before i ever came here.
There are all kinds of little things already growing up along that strip, and some beutiful flowers, too.
What a great idea.
then, too, people dump a lot of yard clippings down there and maybe that is how it happened. In any event, i really enjoy these little suprises. love, alma

[tomato204]

Jerusalem artichokes are a good "Guerilla Garden" food. They just look like tall wildflowers to most folks, and they multiply every year. Plant one tuber every ten feet and watch them spread .....

[lateaprildawn]

Thats Brilliant Tomato204,

I hadnt thought along the lines of "unrecognisable" foods.

I was given a couple of tubers for my veg garden this year. I have never tasted them before, let alone grown them! so this year will be a first. The are very attractive looking like an ornimental thistle at the moment. Planting them as a food cache is a great idea.

I am growing licorice in my garden and althought all my family all are very used to seeing the root for chewing none recognised the foliage.

I am also growing a few sugar beet plants. Even thought there is a sugar beet growing area of the UK of within 60 miles of my home I wouldnt be able to recognise the plant. I had only tried growing a few seeds out of sheer curiosity but i bet it would also fit into your "not normally recognised food"

Brilliant tomato204, thank you.
Best wishes,
April

[tomato204]

Sugar beets grow with the root part about halfway out of the ground. I don't know about your local humans, but deer and squirrels WILL recognize them as food.

[lateaprildawn]

The local humans only know food that comes in 3 layers of packaging (GRIN) sad but almost true !

I will put polite "squirrels keep off" notices and if they dont pay attention its target practice time ;D.

[tomato204]

lateaprildawn~I have already posted a "All squirrels keep off my planet!" sign, so you don't have to warn them, fire away, lol.

[kaijafon]

so what plants grow best in the shade of a woods? Here it is mostly mosses and ferns. I'd like to make a list and begin to plant some secret gardens of my own...I have a GPS that I'd like to use.....just until I get familiar with the wooded area that I'd like to use. I wish it was closer to my house.... (another little item to put on the "home of my own" dream list!)

[journey149]

if anyone have anymore herbs or fruits plants you can spare i can sure use them for sase or i can trade something let me know please let me know

Journey













2

[crafty2002]

Guerilla gardening came from pot growers back in the 70's and had nothing to do with wholesome food.
They would live out in the woods all summer until the plants budded and then come home.
I don't see why anyone would want to go to the trouble to do this for veggies.
Put them in pots in the yard for petes sake.
There are some things that grow best in the forest but few that is truely worth planting.
Most veggies are sun loving plants.
JMHO
Dennis

[tomato204]

Yeah it's hard to find a place with enough sun and water to grow things. Roadsides that get mowed or sprayed are not good either, alltho if they would leave them alone there would be plenty of room to grow tons of food.

[crafty2002]

Yeah it's hard to find a place with enough sun and water to grow things. Roadsides that get mowed or sprayed are not good either, alltho if they would leave them alone there would be plenty of room to grow tons of food.

You got a point there. Heck, they already spend money up the yang yang cutting grass all along all high ways. They are already driving tractors running bush hogs. Why not plow the ground and broad cast seeds for veggies and let every one pick as they please.
There I go dreaming again. :) ::)

[tomato204]

LOL, LOL crafty. The world didn't start in the 70's. Poor people have planted food "on the sly" for a looong time.

[CarolAnn]

Fun topic -
But I hope that those who planted jerusalem artichokes try to be careful where they plant them. They're VERY invasive; each tiny bit of root will grow into another plant. (My idea of evil revenge on a bad neighbor: plant the dang things in THEIR garden - dang things are almost like kudzu! ;D ) And in my opinion, the tubers taste too much like dirt. I've had 'em baked, boiled, mashed and fried and never developed a liking for them. (When I was a kid, we had to eat what grew - and those DID.)

As for planting in the median strips - how about something like garden huckleberries? They're not high on my list of favorites either, but at least they might blend into a mixed bed of tall flowers and provide some fruit. Yarrow is a decent medicinal, and they already plant that in the median strips here. Or you might try a carefully planted row of colored lettuce or decorative kale as an added border to the existing flower beds.

The next problem would be harvest - if you get caught taking even the stuff YOU have planted from a median strip, there'd be some possible legal problems and explainin' to do!

[idris]

My stuff I take to a very rugged wildlife reserve near here, that has permanent water and plenty of edible plant life, not to mention the odd goat, rabbit, and other non-protected beasties. It is a sort of saving for just in case things go really off the rails, and could be useful to some one else, much later on. Be Prepared, it is a safeguard and a comfort.

[Wyzyrd]

My decidedly-anarchist nature tends to make me find end-of-season "virginia wildflower" mixes, add the on-sale radish, spinach and herb seeds, put 'em in ziploks and scatter them at random wherever the govt leaves disturbed soil :)

[Kelleysvt]

Wyzard - I really like that idea, and I'm about as straight laced, toe the line as they come. LOL - that's hilarious! I love the OP's idea of guerilla gardening in random places. I think it'd be fun for whoever finds the plants later on, and also a good way to preserve heirloom varieties before big agribusiness makes them illegal. Lotta' nerve we've got, growing stuff without paying them for it!!

[Wyzyrd]

I always find it amusing and satisfying to pass a spot that I have seeded and see something other than grass. :)

The actual "Guerilla Gardening Movement" folks make what the refer-to as "seed grenades"

grind up some dry clay soil (common here in VA), mix with organic (or commercial) fertilizer and your seeds of choice. Veggies, herbs and native wildflowers work best - get native flowers, not invasives like those (*&)*&*^% Morning Glories :( )

add enough water to make "doughballs" and sun-dry for a few days.

When you find a likely spot, toss a few over the fence and wait for the next rainstorm :)

[Kelleysvt]

I think I've found a new hobby ;D

[Wyzyrd]

A rewarding hobby indeed :)

[idris]

See Issue #68
p43 Stealth Gardening By David Sneed
In the nation’s biggest state, land to garden on is ironically in short supply. David Sneed, who teaches gardening in coastal Alaska, explains how many “landless” folks are now growing crops “out of sight.”