I was walking home the other day and noticed that a short stretch of road smelled of rosemary. On doubling back, I discovered that someone had planted herbs along the previously bare median in my Atlanta, Georgia neighborhood: rosemary, lavender, cilantro, and basil.

Guerrilla Gardening is a movement that got its start in the 70’s when Liz Christy and the Green Guerrillas turned an abandoned lot in New York into a community garden. From their underground gardening roots, tossing seed bombs into vacant lots and turning unused space into green space, the Green Guerrillas have grown into a nonprofit group that’s helped organize over 600 gardens in New York.



The Liz Christy Bowery Garden

After cleaning up an abandoned lot at the corner of Bowery and Houston in late 1973, hauling away trash and revitalizing the soil, the Liz Christy Green Guerrillas petitioned the City’s office of Housing Preservation and Development to make the Bowery Garden an official community garden. They planted flowers, trees, and edibles, offering workshops. The group hosted plant giveaways to help folks in other areas start their own community gardens.

In 2005, new construction threatened the Bowery Garden’s future. The garden closed to the public from 2005-2006, while construction in an adjacent lot was underway. Fortunately, the gardeners were able to negotiate a deal with AvalonBay Communities. The developers were swayed in no small part by the petitions and letter-writing campaigns from the community.

New York City’s first community garden is still at the corner of Bowery and Houston today, and the Green Guerrillas continue their efforts to help New Yorkers learn about community gardening and growing their own food. These days, the Green Guerrillas help New Yorkers plan and maintain community gardens through organization, education, and advocacy. They also still help maintain the original Bowery Houston Community Farm and Garden.

A Growing Movement

From its humble roots in New York, the concept of guerrilla gardening has spread across the world. From small bits of activism, like the herbs I encountered in Atlanta to underground gardens in the UK, folks are taking action to beautify their surroundings and make fresh fruits and vegetables accessible. There are even wonderful books on the topic, like Richard Reynolds’ On Guerrilla Gardening.

[Image Credit: Creative Commons photos by Jordan Davis]