An unusual hobby?

Guerilla gardeners are non-violent environmentalist organisations which were established to reclaim land from perceived neglect or misuse and assign a new purpose to it by planting flowers, shrubs or vegetables.

Activity usually takes place in secret and often in night time hours.

Many inner city residents have awoken to find strips of previously dull and barren patches of land now bedecked with flowers. The ‘feel good factor’ extends beyond the participants to the beneficiaries too.

Guerilla gardening is happening all over the world, from asparagus being grown along ditches in Utah, USA to the planting of azalea bushes along roadsides in Botswana.

There have been cases of fruit trees planted along bike trails, roundabouts covered with spring bulbs or summer flowers, and abandoned plantation land being cultivated to grow vegetables to feed local communities.

So, the thought of transforming neglected areas of urban land into places more pleasing to the eye and the environment seems appealing, rewarding and simple. People give their time freely, and everybody benefits………However, the land used for transformation is owned by councils or privately. Guerilla gardening is, in fact, illegal even if it is occasionally tolerated. In some cases those carrying out the gardening have been prosecuted or fined, and often their horticultural efforts are uprooted and the land returned to it’s former state.

But there are successes, and those areas are considered the better for their secret make-overs and are left to develop.

In the meantime the guerilla gardeners continue giving up their time in secret, at the dead of night, with dedication, enthusiasm and increased numbers as the word spreads……

So, could this be classed as a hobby? It is harmless, it does benefit the environment, but it is, crucially, illegal…. and for some it is not a hobby but a way of life.