Guerrilla Gardening for Open Spaces

What you see here is the work of the arts collective Rebar in San Francisco and this is one of their Park-In sites, drumming up support for more parks and open spaces in cities.  On one day all over town they bring in sod, trees, benchs, plastic bollards and signs, install them in city parking spaces, hang out for the two-hour Park-In demo period, and take lots of photos and video for promotional purposes.  The stunt must be working because it's spreading across the U.S. and Europe.  It reminds me of the sit-ins of the '60s, so of course I love it.

Rebar's idea was to put together the "fundamental elements of good outdoor public space" - seating, shade, a place to watch people and view scenery, and a sense of being in nature.  Well, okay, considering that you're actually sitting IN a city street, I guess the sod and the boxed tree count as nature.  Their website has some helpful hints for pulling the stunt together, like the fact that sod can be had for only $2 for a 1x5' roll.  And how about that bench?  "Don't be afraid to utilize 'Big Box' retailers with liberal return policies."  Clever!

Also worth mentioning is the site that featured this guerrilla gardening event - Eco-Chick.  Intead of a Manifesto they have a Raison d'Etre, and it includes this:

For too long environmental blogs have catered to men and moms. It was either diatribes about peak oil or recipes on how to make organic baby food. When all the rest of us want to know is: Where can I get a fair trade spanking paddle? Eco Chick can fill you in!    

It's a simple principle; every object has a life cycle, whether it be a bar of soap, a take-out container, an energy bar, a pair of shoes or a loveseat. It was somewhere before you got it, and it will go somewhere else when you’re done or gone. Just because you can’t see it before or after you buy it/use it/eat it/love it doesn’t mean you’re not responsible for it. We’ll show you how to find the things you love, and keep you updated on what’s going on in that great green world.  

And I can't resist the polyglot bunch of lefty, savvy women who teamed up to create this blog.  There's Brianne, happiest sleeping under bridges in New Hampshire; Kian, a Canadian feminist; Kim, into alternative health care; Jenn here in D.C., an enviro-activist on the world stage; Summer, a model and activist for socially responsible fashion (who knew?); and Starre, the founder/editor, a publishing powerhouse of the eco-left world.  Even their male webmaster is no ordinary geek - he's based in Jerusalem and a proponent of modern day Jewish radicalism.  The whole bunch makes me question my very coolness.  But then I'm their parents' age, so surely a hopeless case.

Anyway, it's a fascinating bunch and a site worth checking out.  Now all they need is someone to write about gardening.  Chicks, how about a guest-blogger to cover how we treat the land we own or grow our own food?  That's what gardening is and it MATTERS.   And did you ever find a good source for that fair trade spanking paddle?  DO let us know.

Comments

[Kathy Jentz]

This is fantastic! I'm trying to get a park completed near me that has been on our county master plan for at least 10 years -- this is going to be a great tactic in our kit!

[naomi dagen bloom]

what is it about san francisco? as the rest of the country turns more timid, there's always a group out there with a great outrageous idea. would not happen in new york city. it would have to be ART, not just a green space--more of which we need so badly. thanks for the read!

[Starre]

Thanks for the kudos! I would love to have a guest blog from Garden Rant!

[David T.]

For another rant on how gardening matters, here's a link to the book I wrote called Guerrilla Gardening: A Manualfesto:

http://www.newsociety.com/bookid/3945