Guerrilla Gardeners Wage War on Dirt
There's a movement in Los Angeles lead by renegade green thumbs, aimed at stealthily planting forgotten slabs of earth that don't belong to them. It's like 007 but with a shovel....and flowers, succulents or even food.
Ever notice those ugly dirt medians on the streets around you? How about vacant lots? These folks take barren plots of land here in the concrete jungle and plant stuff there. They plant everything from indigenous, hardy plant varieties to potatoes, lettuce and annuals. The hardest bit is arranging for water. It's equal part community service, eco-generosity and civil disobedience. If the city doesn't have the time, money or man-power to green up these areas, why can't we as citizen take up the cause?
My mom has been known to spread wildflower seeds on the open spaces in her gated community during her daily walk, creating a guerrilla garden of her own. A soldier of seeds, a fighter for flowers, a saboteur of fallow soil.
It's a win-win, as I see it. The more Oxygen spewing green things the better and if we never have to gaze at another dusty, grungy dirt lot again all the better.
Ready to join the forces...or just read more about it? Try HERE.
About this blog
Roxanne Kotzman is a Daily News Photo Department veteran of nine years. When she and longtime friend Stacy Long
discovered their love all of all things environmentally responsible, they launched Happy Monkey Planet and jumped head-first into the vibrant eco-community.
Wow, so much to learn! But initially the idea is a pretty simple one: Let's change the world through information, education and action.
Rox & Stacy are a lot like you: ecologically minded but sometimes just plain overwhelmed when charged with the task of making a far-reaching difference in the environment. They have jobs, families, homes, lives and pets.
But what if doing better was a simple as a light-bulb change, a reusable canvas grocery bag, recycling that soda can or a cold-water wash?
These eco-chicks just hope to have a little fun, learn a little more, share a lot of information and maybe make the planet a happier, greener, cleaner place.
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