Guerrillas in the Midst

October 24, 2009 by

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Toronto street artist, provocateur, and now guerrilla gardener, Posterchild, created this planted flyer box:

“I create public installations (or ‘street art” pieces) that are both playful and political,” commented the artist on his blog. “I create my art to engage with my environment and those who share it with me.  I do not seek to anger or upset my companions in the city, rather, I am searching for a benevolent, sustainable way to involve myself in our shared public spaces without being arrested or unnoticeable…I create my art from unwanted things…I gather my materials from the flotsam of the urban environment, process it, and return it to the city.”

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Of this installation, he explains, “The boxes make a perfect platform for planters–and with them, you can guerrilla garden almost anywhere in the inhospitable concrete city! Best of all, the sides are open for writers and artists.”

Guerrilla gardeners believe in re-considering land ownership to reclaim land from perceived neglect or misuse and assign a new purpose to it. Guerrilla Gardening, according to Wikipedia, is political gardening, a form of direct action, primarily practiced by environmentalists. It is related to land rightsland reform, and permaculture. Activists take over an abandoned piece of land they do not own to grow crops or plants.

Some guerrilla gardeners carry out their actions at night, in relative secrecy, to sow and tend a new vegetable patch or flower garden. Others work more openly, seeking to engage with members of the local community as a form of proactive activism or pro-activism.

13 Comments »

  1. Daffodil Planter said:

    Best post title ever! Good story too.

    — October 24, 2009 @ 14:38

  2. Beesandchicks said:

    Great story, love the planter! Keep up the beautiful work Posterchild.

    — October 25, 2009 @ 07:52

  3. Seed Bombs | PixelVomit Pingback said:

    […] a bomber. With Seedbom, a friendly bomb that grows, you can join forces with nature by becoming a guerilla gardener. Got a neighbor whose garden is an eyesore? Or do you pass a barren empty lot every day that cries […]

    — February 1, 2010 @ 04:45

  4. urban gardens, Can You Parallel Park Your Garden? Pingback said:

    […] need of inspiration? You might check out gardens in suitcases, those planted in abandoned news boxes and even a truck […]

    — February 8, 2010 @ 20:58

  5. Urban Guerrilla Gardening: Pothole Gardens Surface In Britain Pingback said:

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  7. Win a Lechuza Self-Watering Container: Enter Our Think Outside the Planter Box Photo Contest! Pingback said:

    […] in the midst: Posterchild’s newspaper box turned into […]

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    […] a bomber. With Seedbom, a friendly bomb that grows, you can join forces with nature by becoming a guerilla gardener. Got a neighbor whose garden is an eyesore? Or do you pass a barren empty lot every day that cries […]

    — July 11, 2011 @ 19:22

  9. Agen Bola said:

    Definitely a unique design. You would have to have a certain garden design to use this.

    — August 16, 2012 @ 23:35

  10. 5 Acts of Urban Guerrilla Gardening by Guerrilla Gardeners Pingback said:

    […] Guerrillas in the Midst Toronto street artist, provocateur, and guerrilla gardener, Posterchild, created this garden in an […]

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  11. How to Join the Seed Bomb Squad – enverde Pingback said:

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  12. Urban Hacktivism Reinventing Public Spaces - Urban Gardens Pingback said:

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