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Guerrilla gardening suggestions

 
Edward Norton
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The landlord of our local strip mall has removed all the trees and bushes and replaced them with plastic mulch. Whoopee - just what New Jersey needs, more unobstructed views of massive concrete carparks. I'm guessing the one off cost of removal far outweighed the cost of paying a bunch of people to turn up once a month, trim the vegetaion and blow leaves around for an hour or two. I noticed today that nature is fighting back and some of my 'favourite' invasives have already taken hold. I'm not invested in this neighbourhood and I'll be somewhere else this time next year. I do however cycle past the mall twice a day, so would like to do something constructive. I was thinking of fast growing, local, wild flowers that can be grown from seed and self seed. It's next to a stroad and the concrete raises the temperature. There is a good layer of 'mulch'. Any suggestions? There's a vacant lot next door which is head high in flowering Japanses Knotweed, so the race may already be lost.

Cargo bikes are cool

 
Malek Beitinjan
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In my experience, the biggest threat to guerilla gardening is routine landscape maintenance. Workers don't go through the plants they see and only remove the nasty ones, they just cut everything down to concrete and move along. I'm guessing that they'll still be coming along every once in a while to remove weeds, at a reduced rate.

I've planted in areas which were then clearcut with a weed whacker. I've since switched to planting in places that don't see as much maintenance - that way the only threat is nature.

One form of guerilla gardening that I've found more effective is planting fungi. For example, I found an area where workers have been dumping wood chips for a long time, creating a huge pile. I planted a bunch of wine cap spawn into it to help the wood chips break down. Since mushrooms do most of their growth underground, I don't have to worry about someone chopping it down.

“There are no words to express the abyss between isolation and having one ally. It may be conceded to the mathematician that four is twice two. But two is not twice one; two is two thousand times one.”
― G. K. Chesterton

 
Edward Norton
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They’ve solved the weed problem - everything is dead. I’m guessing they’ve opted for the nuclear option and blasted everywhere with some toxic gunk. It’s right next to the town river which will now be even more polluted. Oh joy . . . Not a good start to the day.

Thank you Malek. Alas not even the fungi solution will work as they’re using rubber / plastic mulch and chemicals. Good advice though and I have my own winecap bed so plenty of material to get somewhere started.

Cargo bikes are cool

 
Nancy Reading
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I suppose the only option in a situation like this is to be pre-emptive. To spot a guerilla gardening opportunity {roundabout, kerb strip} and get in there before they reach for the poison. It maybe that they would have welcomed a wildlife friendly edible garden managed by someone else....I guess insurance and litigation fears stop arrangements like that.

How Permies works: https://permies.com/wiki/34193/permies-works-links-threads
My projects on Skye: The tree field, Growing and landracing, perennial polycultures, "Don't dream it - be it! "

 
bruce Fine
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planting Concord grapes along fence lines could provide you with buckets full of wine in years to come
 
Rachel Lindsay
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I want to do some guerilla gardening. I bought a whole bunch of "wildflowers for pollinators" seed bags on clearance last fall, and I've only had the space for scattering one in my yard.

In my delightful, up-and-coming little southern town, there have to be eight to ten "landscaping" company trucks going down the road every week to take care of all the lawns of the sprawling subdivisions nearby. These companies also take care of every square inch of grass near our shops and retailers. Everything is mowed mowed mowed here, eight months out of the year. (Even the long grass patches by the railroad tracks crossing lengthwise through the town!)

I guess I need suggestions about where else I could look for abandoned spots, outside of my usual travel path. There are some state natural areas near me, but of course they don't need my help! Where do you all think are semi-abandoned places that could thrive again with a few of my good seeds?  

“If we are honest, we can still love what we are, we can find all the good there is to find, and we may find ways to enhance that good, and to find a new kind of living world which is appropriate for our time.” ― Christopher Alexander

 
Anne Miller
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Rachel said, "There are some state natural areas near me, but of course they don't need my help!



Why do these areas not need your help?

I see that you are in Tennessee which is one of my favorite states to visit.

This looks like a lot of fun suggestions for maybe making a fun outing for the family to do guerrilla gardening:

https://tnstateparks.com/blog/tennessee-waterfall-road-trip

Invasive plants are Earth's way of insisting we notice her medicines. Stephen Herrod Buhner
Everyone learns what works by learning what doesn't work. Stephen Herrod Buhner

 
Malek Beitinjan
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Rachel Lindsay wrote: Everything is mowed mowed mowed here, eight months out of the year. (Even the long grass patches by the railroad tracks crossing lengthwise through the town!)



Anything that is visible from a road is likely to get mowed. But there are often ignored spots lurking nearby. Areas with steep slopes, vacant lots, etc. You can use google maps to look for places that seem to have a lot of green in your town, then go check them out in person. You might find some neglected spots that will have a chance to grow things.

There's often a contradiction where the areas that get mowed a lot can only host fast growing pioneer species, but the areas that never get mowed are choked and overgrown to the point where doing some chop and drop would actually benefit the plants there. Simply scattering seeds in an area where they won't have space to grow has a low chance of success.

“There are no words to express the abyss between isolation and having one ally. It may be conceded to the mathematician that four is twice two. But two is not twice one; two is two thousand times one.”
― G. K. Chesterton

 
Nancy Reading
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My suggestion would be 'brownfield' sites if you can find any. Abandoned lots, building sites in limbo. It depends on what sort of plants the seeds are for of course, but if you get a summer out of annuals that isn't a waste.

How Permies works: https://permies.com/wiki/34193/permies-works-links-threads
My projects on Skye: The tree field, Growing and landracing, perennial polycultures, "Don't dream it - be it! "

 
leigh gates
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I dont know about Tennessee but Washington state has mandated “flood control” areas that have a low area & (usually) are fenced. Seed bombs, especially on the far back side. It requires poking around. Surprisingly, I notice these “invisible” areas more from the higher view of riding the bus

Still slingin’ Avacado pits

 
I agree. Here's the link: http://stoves2.com
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