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The problem with gardening -

Gardening is widely seen as a wholesome and productive hobby, and in many ways it is. It could be a lot better, though. Far too many gardens around the world are underutilized and filled with unproductive and often invasive species purely for aesthetic appeal. Of course, there's nothing inherently wrong with pretty plants and flowers, and our rapidly disappearing pollinator friends definitely appreciate an occasional rose. More mindful gardening, however, can not only satisfy pollen-hungry bees and our own aesthetic desires, but also help foster a happier and healthier ecosystem in general.

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Horticulture and the climate crisis -

It seems to be a common fact that more plants means more oxygen, which in turn means a healthier climate. And yet, more and more green space is eaten up by concrete every single day. A renewed enthusiasm of horticulture in local communities around the world, both urban and rural, would spur dramatic improvements in local air quality and quality of life almost overnight.

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The importance of native flora -

Mindfulness and a bit of local knowledge is key in spreading the right kind of greenery. Some of the most commonly planted and bought species in places like the United States, such as bamboo, wisterias, and English moss, actually have no business being there at all. Although aesthetically pleasing, invasive species can ruin the ecosystems they're put in by hogging all of the water and starving their neighbors. In the case of wisteria, the vines that seem to gently climb up a tree's trunk are actually strong enough to cut through the tree's bark and strangle the trees to death!

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The case against lawns -

Almost no gardening or agriculture trope is as dangerous as a monoculture. When most people think of monocultures, they think of lawns. Lawns of monoculture grass species like Kentucky bluegrass are a seemingly irreplaceable staple of the quintessential white picket fence house, and surround some of the most important residences in the world. But they are in fact desolate biodeserts, completely devoid of diversity. With no plant diversity, essential insects like bees are denied proper nutrition and shelter, forcing them closer to extinction.

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The "weed" myth -

Plants like dandelions, crabgrass, and clovers have historically been thought of as pesky weeds, stains on an otherwise "perfect" green lawn, and something to get rid of. But this couldn't be farther from the truth. These plants play an essential role in organic health and biodiversity, especially when they crop up in defiance of a monoculture lawn. These plants can help restore barren and degraded soils to their former glory, provide better nutrition for local bugs that help keep a green space healthy, and can even be used as a nutritious addition to human meals. Dandelions in particular are excellent sources of vitamins A, B, C, and D, as well as iron and potassium.

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Biodiversity vs. monocultures -

Monoculture farms of single crops like corn and wheat can stretch across hundreds of miles of land with no end in sight; this is the most dangerous method of agriculture in existence. Planting only one crop on the same land over and over again leads to hopelessly unhealthy and innutritious soil, in turn leading to unhealthy crops that need to be compensated with the increasingly heavy usage of GMOs and fertilizers. What's more, having only one food source spells death for countless animals and insects that are essential in keeping our planet healthy. In the Midwestern United States, where the lion's share of the nation's wheat, corn, and rice is grown, native bee populations have dropped by an apocalyptic 50% in the past 100 years.

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The urban impact -

It's not 'just' the environment that immediately suffers, either. The detriments to human livelihood caused by irresponsible gardening and agriculture are innumerable. Not only does a disconnect from nature render us less human than is natural, apathy towards biodiversity causes physically harmful and completely avoidable problems like food insecurity, dangerous heat islands, and isolating members of a would-be community from each other.

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Putting the "guerilla" in guerilla gardening -

What is to be done about these destructive gardening and agriculture traditions? Indeed, they might seem like problems far too big for any individual to tackle. While it is true that massive agriculture behemoths and city development conglomerates must feel the pressure from the people to do better by our communities, our human nature, and our one and only Earth, there is one particularly exciting way of making changes in your own community: guerilla gardening. As the name suggests, guerilla gardening isn't always sanctioned by the state, and might make a few people mad. Earth, however, will thank you.

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What's property got to do with it? -

Community gardens and public spaces of biodiversity are nothing new, and have been utilized for centuries, if not millennia. Then why are they so hard to find or build in the 21st century? In short, private property is the culprit. The amount of public land in cities and the countryside alike has never been lower in the modern age. Even if a lot has stayed vacant for decades, there is almost certainly a fence around it, with a sign notifying all passersby that this area of derelict and unutilized land is in fact private property, and trespassers will be prosecuted. Usually, these properties are owned by developers, banks, or real estate conglomerates involved in property hoarding and high-reward speculation.

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Reclaiming the commons -

Where the need to foster food and biodiversity clashes with big business' policy of keeping unutilized properties under lock and key, guerilla gardening is born. In defiance of the laws that put perfectly good land that could be used as immensely beneficial community gardens and commons, guerilla gardening goes in and makes use of it in an effort to help alleviate the persistent issues that plague so many urban areas.

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Urban heat islands -

The urban heat island effect is one of the most dangerous and widespread consequences of depriving a neighborhood of proper green space and biodiversity. The effects on air quality and mental health of concrete oceans aside, concrete and asphalt absorb and spit back out an incredible amount of heat both day and night, often to dangerous extents. Green areas like parks and gardens, however, absorb that heat more efficiently, making neighborhoods with green spaces next to sidewalks and between houses noticeably cooler than a concrete-dominated neighborhood only minutes away.

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Urban heat islands -

The physical and mental health impacts of the heat island effect need no explanation. It should be remembered, however, that areas affected by the heat island effect can often be divided along class and race lines. Due to redlining, discriminatory public funding, and free market real estate practices, low income areas and neighborhoods of predominately people of color have far less green spaces and thus more heat islands than their more affluent and often majority-white neighbors.

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Food deserts -

The phenomenon of the food desert can be traced along similar lines. A food desert is an area with insufficient access to fresh, affordable, and nutritious food (fast-food joints don't count!). It doesn't take long to realize that urban food deserts are often caused by the same racist and classist practices as heat islands: historical redlining, lack of public funding for human rights and resources, and an unwillingness of real estate developers and companies to build grocery stores or healthy restaurants.

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Urban gardens -

Urban gardens, inside or outside of the law, can help fix the issues of food deserts and heat islands in one fell swoop. Starting a community food garden in a neighborhood will not only make a once-derelict space beautiful, it will provide its members with a much-needed source of affordable, accessible, and healthy foods.

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Seed bombs -

Seed bombs are often the weapon of choice for guerilla gardeners. They are balls of organic matter filled with vegetable or native plant seeds, concentrated and molded with the food and nutrients needed to give those seeds a fighting chance at taking root. These "bombs" are then taken out on the town, thrown over fences, tossed into road medians, and anywhere else a bit of green can help.

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Our disappearing wilds -

Apart from the myriad of existential dangers posed by unchecked urbanization, deforestation, and habitat destruction, there is a very real threat to human well-being when we are so disconnected from green spaces and nature at large. Studies have shown how important connecting with nature is to our mental health; in some places, doctors can even clinically prescribe time in nature as therapy. And with man-made structures and materials officially weighing more than all organic matter on Earth as of 2020, the necessity of reversing these trends only grows by the day.

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The right to grow -

Many environmentalists, ecologists, and human rights activists have argued that the right to grow should be considered a universal right. It's easy to see why, when people around the world are deprived of healthy and affordable nutrition and simultaneously barred from providing for themselves and taking advantage of unused spaces in their neighborhoods.

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Reconnecting with nature -

These are just another set of problems that guerilla gardening fights against. Gardening against the wishes and mandates of absent governments, banks, and corporations reclaims every human's right to plant; a right that is intrinsically intertwined with recognizing and nurturing our place within, and relationship to, the natural world.

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Localizing agriculture -

The more community gardens that pop up through guerilla gardening also helps an underfunded or underdeveloped area foster independence from the forces that have neglected them. Small and localized horticulture and agriculture projects can liberate community members from the financial and geographical burdens of other inaccessible and extortionately expensive food sources, and serves as a layer of material protection against the nutritional dangers of wage insecurity and poverty.

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Cultivating food, cultivating community -

The "community" aspect of a community garden is just as important as the garden itself. Taking care of a garden as a community of allies under a common goal helps strengthen community members' relationships with each other. Neighbors who may have never spoken before can develop bonds gardening side by side, children can foster healthy friendships outside of school, and, perhaps most importantly, a community garden can give teenagers a wholesome and productive outlet that promotes mutual care and empathy instead of isolation and anger.

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Function can be beautiful -

All of this is not to say that beauty is bad, or that we must sacrifice beauty for healthier and more functional green spaces. Guerilla gardening actually accomplishes just the opposite. Urban horticulture projects and urban gardens turn dreary areas of gray concrete or dead-brown grass into vibrant oases of color and scent. Biodiversity can almost always be synonymous with diverse beauty.

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How one can get involved -

One of the many wonderful things about guerilla gardening is its perfect simplicity. Since "guerilla" necessarily implies an absence of red tape, there is no real barrier between the desire and the action. It is also quickly realized that when you're not trying to figure out how to take care of a tropical plant in a shady New York apartment and start focusing on plants and crops that thrive in their native environment, keeping plants alive isn't all that complicated!

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Find out what grows in your area -

Developing a knowledge of local flora is essential if you wish to be an effective guerilla gardener. Information on what has historically grown best in your area is widely accessible through books at the library or online. It's important to remember that there was once a wealth of diverse, nutritious, and useful plants and crops growing all around your neighborhood before cities were built over the soil. These species can thrive again with the help of mindful guerilla gardeners.

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Organizing -

Some guerilla gardeners go solo, but most agree that what is done well by one can be done even better by a group. Access to healthy and affordable food shouldn't be an exactly polarizing topic, so organizing a group of guerilla gardeners shouldn't take any time at all once you put your mind to it.

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Keep an eye on the streets -

Of course, gardening can't begin until prime locations are found. Imagining green were you see only gray can take some getting used to, but before long, empty lots, abandoned trash containers, and neglected grass will all shine with potential.

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Reclaiming tree pits -

Sidewalk tree pits are a great place for some small-scale guerilla gardening. The metal grates surrounding these lone trees are usually easy to remove, and the soil underneath is already cultivated for you.

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Seed bombing -

Seed bombing can be done discretely and doesn't require you to stay in one space for too long. Just bring a bag full of "bombs," toss them where you'd like, and move on.

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How to make seed bombs -

There are numerous seed bomb recipes online, some specialized for specific uses or environments, but they all follow the same basic formula. Combine lots and lots of the seeds of your choice, be they herbs, wildflowers, or crops, with nutrient-rich compost and use clay powder or clay soil to bind it all together. Leave them in the sun to dry, and then it's bombs away!

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Build a greener future -

Guerilla gardening is one of many ways we can all help build a greener future for ourselves, our children, and our communities. The climate crisis is a beast of incomprehensible proportions, and its power to overwhelm and demoralize is unmatched. But as the old adage goes, "It takes a village." Small acts of care and resistance are infectious, and one community garden or successful seed bombing campaign can only lead to others.

Sources: (Treehugger) (Euronews) (The Guardian)

See also: Tips to turn your garden into a wildlife sanctuary

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