Guerrilla Gardening: A Manualfesto

by David Tracey

A guide to greening cities -- with or without permission The term "guerrilla" may bring to mind a small band of armed soldiers, moving in the dead of night on a stealth mission. In the case of guerilla gardening, the soldiers are planters, the weapons are shovels, and the mission is to transform an abandoned lot into a thing of beauty. Once an environmentalist's nonviolent direct action for inner-city renewal, this approach to urban beautification is spreading to all types of people in cities around the world. These modern-day Johnny Appleseeds perform random acts of gardening, often without the property owner's prior knowledge or permission. Typical targets are vacant lots, railway land, underused public squares, and back alleys. The concept is simple, whimsical and has the cheeky appeal of being a not-quite-legal call to action. Dig in some soil, plant a few seeds, or mend a sagging fence ― one good deed inspiring another, with win-win results all around. Guerrilla Gardening outlines the power-to-the-people campaign for greening our cities. Tips for effective involvement include: Social activists, city dwellers and long-time gardeners will delight in this fast-paced and funny call to arms. David Tracey is a journalist and environmental designer who operates EcoUrbanist in Vancouver. He is Executive Director of Tree City Canada, a non-profit ecological engagement group.

Genres: Nonfiction, Gardening, Activism, Plants, Politics

240 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2007

About the author

Writer, designer, community ecologist.

Reviews

[Peter North · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly I needed this book in 2021. This is really good read for the young queer that is looking to guerrilla garden with no hold back. It made me laugh at my own process and brought curiosity to thoughts of the “unowned land” and “private properties” around us. Uplift the structures! I find it very freeing my own hand in my process. It does a really good job at grasping our shared discovery of guerrilla gardening. The excitement and invisibility. I also find the random bits of history, information and quotes of encouragement in the margins to give me ease from the twisted rules of our country. This book helps validate your experience in breaking those rules. Garden on.

[Milos Radosavljevic · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice a book about a niche subject. Besides the chapters about how/where/when to plant, because it is a book about semi illegal staff, it also covers how not to get caught or how your "illegal" plants can camouflage with the legal plants. And the last part of the book is about community gardens/projects and how they need to outlive the individuals involvement in the given projects.

[My · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una volta andava di moda questa cosa, ora non più. Peccato!

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

The emphasis is more on the "gardening" than the "guerilla" in the title, but it does have a lot of information. But too many f*cking quotes from famous dead people.

[D Taberner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time for an updated edition

[Mela · Rating 4 out of 5]

informative, engaging, funny. i learned so gddmn much about gardening, plants & the soil, and working within and outside of the system on community gardens and earth rehab.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. Weaves ecology and politics together and has a load of fun doing it. I laughed more times reading this book than I can remember.

But most of all it's inspiring. We can change the screwed-up world one seed at a time. Now I'm a guerrilla gardening too and I can hardly wait to plant something.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is chock full of useful advice and information, stories from and about guerrilla gardeners, and anecdotes. Tracey writes with a matter of fact style that contains little zings of the wry sense of humour that is developed by someone who has 'been there'.

Overall an informative and enjoyable read.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny and easy-to-read. Would be entertaining even to people uninterested in gardening. Even though the attitude is tongue in cheek, it provides very realistic ideas about how to deal with a blighted landscape.

[Hope Struck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lexie got me this for Christmas, when she was scouting sites for her wedding to my brother--and I can't freakin wait to read it.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best gardening book I've read so far. Definite must have for library.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Books on gardening should feature lots of colour photos. This book had few pictures and they were all black and white.

The book may have planted a seed though...

[Christy M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in one sitting. Couldn't put it down.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Niiice