This morning I experienced one of those “synchronicity” moments. I was admiring the photos of a most talented young man, Mathieu Young (from Chico originally but now of L.A. and the world) and came across a “Guerrilla Gardening” video he shot.
Interestingly, I had a related discussion over the weekend with a CSUC student who came to help with our W. Lindo GRUB Community Garden (we built compost bins).
So just what is it? According to Wikipedia, “Guerrilla gardening” is gardening on another person’s land without permission.” It’s not a brand new concept; witness Johnny Appleseed way back in 1800. The earliest recorded use of the term guerrilla gardening was by Liz Christy and her Green Guerrilla group in 1973 in the Bowery Houston area of New York, who transformed a derelict private lot into a garden.
There are plenty of vacant lots in Chico that could stand a little beautifying (as there are in any town). I happen to think edible plants and fruit-bearing trees are as lovely as ornamental, with the added benefit of being, well, edible!
An Entire Median Guerrilla Gardened!
“Guerrilla Gardening” in L.A.-Mathieu Young
A short video on Guerrilla Gardening, Directed by Mathieu Youngon
