As soon as the sun makes its debut in the spring, the grey, rainy, and often dreary veil is lifted off of Vancouver. Gone are the days of being cooped up indoors! Getting outside has never been easier, and the best part is that an umbrella is rarely ever necessary. Come April, the cherry blossoms are on full display, and there is hardly a better sensation than stepping out the door and immediately feeling the hot sun on your skin (but make sure you’ve got sunscreen on). Personally, the warm weather ignites my dormant itch to get out and garden. Springtime ushers in the perfect conditions for plants of all kinds to wake up and poke their little heads out of the earth. Gardening is a rewarding hobby–it’s meditative, allows you to connect with the natural world, and also get a bit of exercise in.
Grassroots, In The Literal Sense
The main issue with it here in Vancouver, though, is the urban setting–lush, green expanses of fertile land aren’t exactly easy to come by. We live in a densely populated city where space is somewhat scarce and always coveted. Plus, not everyone has access to a front lawn or a backyard or even any kind of land at all…which is where the concept of guerrilla gardening comes in.
You might’ve come across the term “guerrilla warfare” before, and if so, are probably wondering how in the world something like that could be applied to gardening. The Cambridge Dictionary defines the term “guerrilla” as: “using unusual methods to create or get attention for your ideas, art, products, etc., usually ones that cost little money and involve using public spaces”.
Thus, putting “guerrilla” in front of something usually denotes its unofficial, often unconventional nature. Such is the case with war tactics, marketing, and even gardening. Sowing and growing seeds on land that gardeners do not have the authority to garden on is the core principle of this practice. These spaces are typically public or private plots of land that have either been totally neglected or just aren’t being used for anything. Motives can range from wanting to beautify these spaces, increase natural biodiversity, or even to take a stand against land-use policies.
Green History
Guerrilla gardening has an interesting history in North America. I’ll give you a summary: New York, 1973; a group of activists consisting of Liz Christy, Martin Gallent, and Amos Taylor founded the “Green Guerrillas.” They would “seed bomb” (a current practice in guerrilla gardening involving dumping a bunch of seeds into the ground) vacant lots around New York City. They were combating the urban decay that the city government wasn’t doing anything about with environmentalism. According to the Green Guerrillas’ website, their work was “a form of civil disobedience.”
The movement grew, and soon enough, gardeners and environmentalists alike were taking part. In Vancouver specifically, the Arbutus Greenway was (and still is, to an extent) a hot spot for errant gardeners. Formerly a rail line developed by the Canadian Pacific Railway company in 1902, the stretch of land parallel to Arbutus Street now boasts a walking path surrounded by greenery after being acquired by the city. Before that, though, it was being used by nearby residents as one big community garden. The conflict between residents and the city is still ongoing, with residents wanting the land back, essentially. You can check out the city’s proposed plans for the area here, and read more in-depth about the greenway itself here.
Don’t Get Yourself in Trouble!
So, is any of this actually legal? Well, it’s complicated. The short answer is…no, not really. Not at its core, anyway. The whole point is that the land is not owned by the gardeners, meaning they don’t have the right to plant anything on it, and just going on the land itself can be considered trespassing in some cases. That being said, the city of Vancouver does allow what they refer to as “Boulevard gardens’’, which I made reference to above. Boulevard gardening is a legal way of utilizing land owned by the city for planting. There are, of course, a pretty decent number of restrictions and guidelines that need to be adhered to—all of which can be found here, on the city website.
In addition to boulevard gardening, Vancouver is also home to many community gardens. You’ve probably seen them in and around the city–usually occupying old parking lots, gas station lots, etc. These gardens are city-sanctioned and are operated by non-profits that work with the Vancouver Park Board. They typically feature garden boxes in which vegetation of all kinds can be grown. Unfortunately, these boxes can sometimes be in high demand and may have a waitlist, but the city website provides a nifty list of resources on how to get involved in the community gardening scene.
Paint Your Thumb Green!
If you’re experiencing the same inclination to get out and garden as I am, I recommend browsing the resources provided by the city of Vancouver’s website. It’s a great starting point and will help guide you in the right direction. Additionally, learning about what actually grows in our climate is also pretty crucial. Knowing about which plant hardiness zone we’re in (hint–it’s 8b), what blooms in which season, when to plant things…you get the idea, it’s all important. The Old Farmer’s Almanac website is an incredible resource for all things gardening-related. You can type in your postal code and the site will spit out everything you need to know about gardening in your specific area.
Guerrilla, boulevard, and community gardening all serve as testaments to humankind’s remarkable ability to nurture and foster growth in nearly any environment, no matter how urban or desolate. Like I said earlier, Vancouver is a dense, urban landscape, but that doesn’t mean gardening is impossible–you just have to think outside the box a bit.
Sources:
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Guerrilla. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/guerrilla
Flanders, J. (2022, September 15). What Is Guerrilla Gardening? Treehugger. Retrieved from https://www.treehugger.com/what-is-guerrilla-gardening-5196129
City Farmer. (n.d.). Guerrilla Gardening in Vancouver. Retrieved from https://www.cityfarmer.org/guerillaVanc.html
City of Vancouver. (n.d.). Boulevard Gardening Guidelines. Retrieved from https://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/boulevard-gardening-guidelines.aspx
City of Vancouver. (n.d.). Community Gardens. Retrieved from https://vancouver.ca/people-programs/community-gardens.aspx
The Globe and Mail. (n.d.). Boulevard Gardens of East Vancouver: A Photo Tour. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-boulevard-gardens-east-vancouver-photos-tour/
Places That Matter. (n.d.). Arbutus Corridor. Retrieved from https://placesthatmatter.ca/location/arbutus-corridor/
Nature Canada. (n.d.). Gardening Across the City. Retrieved from https://naturecanada.ca/news/blog/gardening-across-the-city/
City of Vancouver. (n.d.). Arbutus Greenway. Retrieved from https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/arbutus-greenway.aspx#redirect
City of Vancouver. (n.d.). Arbutus Greenway Proposed Design Information Displays. Retrieved from https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/arbutus-greenway-proposed-design-information-displays.pdf
Green Guerillas. (n.d.). History. Retrieved from https://www.greenguerillas.org/history
