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The Subversive Gardener talks to us about Guerrilla Gardening
Other | Tuesday 26th July 2016 | Arren
Guerilla gardening is a growing trend where green fingered heros transform dull and bald public spaces into nice and colourful gardens.
Vanessa Harden is a pro-guerilla gardener and recently had a pop-up in Shoreditch spreading the word about this movement.
We had a quick chat with her to find out a little more about guerilla gardening, how successful the pop up was and what we can do ourselves.
What is Guerrilla Gardening?
Guerrilla gardening is the illicit cultivation of someone else’s land. Guerrilla gardeners reclaim and beautify unused and/or neglected urban spaces by sowing seeds, planting flowers and creating gardens.
How did you first get involved?
I first got involved when I moved to London in 2007. At the time I was studying for my Masters Degree and enjoyed the distraction and sense of accomplishment that came with guerrilla gardening. I met Richard Reynolds, a guerrilla gardening guru and began gardening missions with him and other guerrilla gardeners around Elephant and Castle.
Why do you think Guerrilla Gardening is important?
I think guerrilla gardening is important because as global citizens, it enables us to take responsibility and help our environment. I see reclaiming unused spaces and transforming them into gardens as an act of positive protest.
How can we get involved, will it cost much?
Guerrilla gardening is a very accessible and inexpensive activity to get involved with. It can be as simple as sprinkling seeds (or seed pills) in neglected spaces on your way home from work or joining a group of gardeners and cultivating a larger space. To find a team in your area, you can consult Richard Reynold’s website guerrillagardening.org. Depending on the scale of your guerrilla gardening endeavour, the tools you require could range from a few seeds to a trowel, plants, soil and water.
What is the most effective way to revamp dull spaces?
Aside from a full scale assault (which would include getting plants and a team of gardeners together), the easiest and most effective way is to keep Seed Pills on hand to throw or drop in dull spaces as you go about your daily routine. If you use the same route everyday, you can witness the progress of your plants or flowers as they grow!
How do you decide what spaces to do?
I normally choose spaces that are near where I live or that I pass by daily. Sometimes I’ll go for politically relevant spaces, such a as on the south bank in front of Parliament.
What happens if you get caught?
Getting caught normally means being asked by the police what you are planting and why you are doing it - guerrilla gardening is theoretically illegal, however the authorities are normally more concerned with anti social behaviour rather than a happy group of urban gardeners trying to make their neighbourhood a bit greener.
Have you ever been caught, what happened?
I was stopped while planting sunflower seeds in front of MI5. The staff saw me crouched to ground from their window, became suspicious and called security. After answering a few questions and presenting my ID, the MI5 police were satisfied that what I was doing did not threaten national security. They wished us a good day but kindly asked us to plant sunflowers elsewhere.
What was the main purpose of your pop up in Shoreditch?
The main purpose of the The Subversive Gardener Pop-Up was to create a space that inspired the public to initiate their own gardening interventions. The Subversive Gardener Pop-Up offered the public the option to participate in guerrilla gardening actions, workshops as well as acquire stylish tools to aid gardeners.
Do you think it was successful, why?
Yes, I thought it was very successful, primarily because we managed to speak with so many people who became interested in guerrilla gardening and wanted to take part. With free workshops running all weekend, we were able to teach dozens of people how they could make their own subversive gardening tools such as seed pills and seed bombs.
You were selling jewellery there, why was that?
BOXPARK also acted as a space to launch the newest collection in The Subversive Gardener product range - products that meld modern form with covert function to aid in the unsanctioned beautifications of neglected spaces. Tools for Her and Tools for Him are a line of men and woman’s jewellery intended to spark discussion through clever design and humour. Brass nail dusters are a new spin on knuckle dusters and function as a rake, spade, or shovel. 24 carat gold-plated grillz (teeth) have a seed shooter. Brass-cast syringes to give plants booster shots of specially formulated liquid fertilisers. These are a few of the items that were on display.
Favourite flower?
Marigold because they are hardy and colourful or Cucamelons because they are bizarre and weirdly sexual.
Gardening tool of choice?
The "Spade" Nail Duster - for the person who wants to garden and look fabulous all at once.
Favourite park?
Victoria Park - beautiful, big and next to the canal!!!
I love going for runs there.
Dullest urban area?
Toss up between Elephant and Castle and Tottenham Hale, although Richard Reynolds has done a lot of work to make Elephant and Castle a much greener place! Check out one of his gardens on Westminster Bridge road in front of Morley college - it is far from a ‘dull’ urban area and could motivate the public to get gardening and seed the revolution!!!
