Customer Reviews

On Guerrilla Gardening: A Handbook for Gardening Without Boundaries

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this book full of anticipation of a great read. It seemed to start with promise, outlining what guerrilla gardening was and giving us some interesting history. I greatly enjoyed (and still enjoy) the author's initial expression of his obvious love of plants and beautifying our over-concretised cities.
I expected the book to continue in this vein, full of wonderful stories that expressed that delight: perhaps a little like In Search of Old Roses by Thomas Christopher.
The early insistence that the gardening be illegitimate to fit into the definition I found to be quite acceptable; it is the author's right to define his terms. However, this neat definition gradually ceded to a very immature love of the clandestine and illegal, and any sense I had that the book was about a love of gardens and plants yielded to the notion that this person was besotted by illegality, and that plants were just the vehicle of his expression. He seemed to grow increasingly childish in his glee as the pages progressed. Somewhere over half way I grew very bored. The book had turned into a simplistic manual on how to garden, with outré delight in the illicit. I normally keep books I have read. I am selling this one.

On Guerrilla Gardening is a delightful little book! The author mixes history, politics, environmentalism and practical gardening into an enjoyable weekend read.
Guerrilla gardening can be a strong political statement about the waste of good land and the potential for abundance even when we're faced with a "food crisis," or it can just be something you do for fun.
My only concern is the "waging battle" metaphor that sprouts throughout the book; I wish even as we guerrilla garden, that we could make our speech more nurturing. It's only a little quibble though.
If you've ever been saddened by an abandoned tree well near your bus stop or your office, this book will give you the gumption to go out there and turn it into a lovely little garden!

On Guerrilla Gardening: A Handbook for Gardening Without Boundaries is a different kind of gardening book, describing how to use the power of gardening to beautify land one does not own - a technically illegal practice! And so those who engage in it apply tactics of Mao Tse-tung and Che Guevara to the (mostly) nonviolent acts of gardening. Cultivating plants has the potential to be an act of political defiance, yet it is a defiance meant to spread colorful blooms, fragrant smells, and happiness among neighbors rather than bloodshed or pain. Chapters cover the history of guerrilla gardening, the necessary tools, recommended courses of action (including positive propaganda tactics) and much more. A scattering of color photography enhances this eyebrow-raising gardening guide.

I thought this book was great. After finishing reading the book I found a group in my area that was doing guerrilla gardening. I feel a lot better about living in LA now that I'm participating with the group. You can see what the book inspired at http://laguerrillagardeing.org

When I ordered this book, I knew it was written by the individual who created guerrillagardening.org so I'd hoped it would be chuck full of his experiences as a guerrilla gardener. It seemed that he was much more interested in be-laboring the "guerrilla fighter" metaphor which I felt was perhaps deserving of a paragraph or two, not several chapters. I was hoping it would be more of a how to for those of us who are starting out.

Thoroughly disappointed.

This is a book about the history of illegal gardening, and instructions (perfect!) on how to join the quiet war that is being waged with muddy boots and a watering can. If you have always found ways to live a responsibly mischievous life, you will definitely enjoy this book (it's got good photos too!). I read somewhere once that it is a leprechaun's duty to bring more laughter, joy and beauty into the world... I think that perhaps Reynolds has roots in that other world because he seems to be doing an excellent job at spreading joy, beauty, and openness, and bringing a bit of sparkle back to the world. Oh, and while your here, get some of some of these:Wildflower Seeds- 1000+ Low Growing

I found this book pretty interesting. Although the 'how to' part was a little boring since I don't feel I will take up this activity, but overall a good read.

A great little book to grasp to first grasp the evolution of guerilla gardening and a very useful second halve which outlines some very practical ides to start your own guerilla garden.
Make sure to check outhis website too: [...]

Aside from having great photos alive with community spirit, the book imparts nothing other than boyish enthusiasm with grand eloquent socialist political ideology and call for action using hyped up war jargons and weapon terminology. Good grief. We do not need to grow plants by using military tactics in total darkness and secrecy. Finally the author concludes like a deflated balloon his own deafeat in "legitmizing" his activies with the authorities. Had it never occured to him to just talk to the DPW ?