It’s a pretty sad reflection on the state of our society that something like gardening could ever be considered a “guerrilla” activity. Plant out your nature strip and you could face a fine; this is the extent to which Australian’s have become over governed. That may be the neglected verge of a road, but don’t you dare drop a few seeds.
The 7.30 report just ran a much hyped story about “guerrilla” gardening in Brisbane, and I’m not sure who talked themselves up more. Here’s the transcript. As a pretentious movement, Guerrilla Gardening started in that most over governed city, London. Check out the awesome website and blog.
They’re “fighting the filth” of the modern world with a few seeds, warming up the verge of cold hard regulated modernism with a bit of anti-authoritarian gardening.
But it’s not just about a hippie objection to modernist “filth”. Gardening is about survival. It’s a thought that would never have occurred to me as a kid growing up on a small farm, but the more I see of urban life, the more I worry that our society has become intellectually and empathetically divorced from the factors of our own survival.
We don’t grow things and we don’t see ourselves as things that grow. We don’t understand food as a grown thing. We see ourselves as beings to be regulated, organised and controlled. We approach our own survival as something that can be handed down to us from “on high”. Our lives are things purchased from business or given to us by government, be it in the form of prepackaged meals or orders to send the kids to school.
To grow a few veggies to change a perspective on collective survival and individual responsibility. It is to empower and to think. It is possibly the most radical act a person can take, to grow their own food and eat it, without engaging in a market transaction overseen by government regulation.
I don’t really care much for beauty. Guerrilla gardening with it’s artificially hyped “conflict with authority” sometimes seems a bit pretentious. But none the less, I drop the occasional seed. Perhaps it will make someone think, but ultimately it’s just plain fun.
Don’t let the 7.30 report’s dramatising put you off, have a go, plant something.
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on Sep 4th, 2008 at 9:07 am
I look forward to seeing the School of Arts building next time I’m on Ann St.
on Sep 4th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
What I thought was sad, was that some enlightened councils could not come up with a scheme to work with these guerrilla gardeners.
If more people had a vested interest in the community that surrounds them then you’d think that some of the social problems that exist would be mitigated.
on Sep 5th, 2008 at 11:04 am
I watched the guerilla gardening episode as well.
It was funny to see their not so covert means of disguising who they were. One of the guerillas was definitely from Gardening Australia. I didn’t think it was pretentious especially their coverage of the older lady planting up her nature strip. Wasn’t it reassuring that her public acts brought her neighbourhood together.
Councils should encourage anyone who is willing to look after public property provided there are some rules to protect against accidents. It’s all about reconnecting neighbourhoods.
The acts of graffiti to the norris park sign was funny. What was your take on this?
Your point about urban life becoming divorced from factors of our own survival is so poignant. I have concerns that ALL our furniture, clothes, shoes is being produced overseas. What will happen if they can’t ship these items to us. Its great that south east asia can produce these items cheaply and they are affordable but i see the quality diminishing rapidly. You buy a kettle these days and it only lasts 2 years, same with clothing.
It’s enough to put a girl off retail therapy for sure.
Keep up your commentary.
PS. the book “stuffed and starved”- discussion on the politics of politics of food and free trade - by raj patel is a must read. Or keep up todate on current issues via his website
http://stuffedandstarved.org/drupal/frontpage
on Nov 26th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Facebook group for organising guerrilla gardeners. Hope you can join us.
on Nov 26th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=46765149896#/group.php?gid=46765149896