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On Guerrilla Gardening: A Handbook for Gardening Without Boundaries
When Richard Reynolds began planting flowers secretly at night outside his tower block in South London he had no idea he was part of a growing global movement committed to combating the forces of neglect, land shortage and apathy towards public spaces. But his blog GuerrillaGardening.org attracted other guerrillas from around the world to share their experiences of the horticultural front line with him and become a focal point for guerrilla gardeners everywhere. On Guerrilla Gardening is a lively colourful treatise about why people illicitly cultivate land and how to do it. From discretely beautifying corners of Montreal to striving for green communal space in Berlin and sustainable food production in San Francisco, from small gestures of fun in Zurich to bold political statements in Brazil, cultivating land beyond your boundary is a battle many different people are fighting. Unearthed along the way are the movement's notable historic advances by seventeenth century English radicals, a nineteenth century American entrepreneur and artists in 1970s New York. Reynolds has researched the subject with guerrilla gardeners from thirty different countries and compiles their advice on what to grow, how to cope with adverse environmental conditions, how to seed bomb effectively and to use propaganda to win support.
On Guerrilla Gardening gives entertaining inspiration, practical reference and no excuses for not getting out there and gardening.
On Guerrilla Gardening gives entertaining inspiration, practical reference and no excuses for not getting out there and gardening.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published May 5, 2008
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837 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
April 16, 2009
I really dug this book. I have been a guerrilla gardener off and on now for several years, mostly planting giant sunflowers. To clarify, a guerrilla gardener gardens on neglected public land without permission. Discovering this book was like finding the handbook, and network, I always wished I had. Richard Reynolds takes it farther than I had previously imagined, enlisting troops to go on large digs (roadside embankments, traffic circles, vacant lots, etc.) in an attempt to beautify the urban landscape for the betterment of all. Points of interest include seed bombs and bulb mining. He also goes into the history of it (with recorded history as far back as the Diggers in 1649)and shares the knowledge he has gleaned from other troops in the field across the globe. Check it out at
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December 13, 2022
This book was released in 2009, which makes it a somewhat funny read in 2022 in just how relevant it still is and just how much has changed in the past decade. Most notably, in the book there is very little mention of social media beyond message boards and the odd mention of Facebook. It can be easy to imagine the sort of reception that guerrilla gardening would receive now in this political culture of fear and security, and the decrying of “wokeness” which unfortunately includes environmentalism, and a time where landlords are somehow more greedy despite the writing being on the wall for decades now. So putting this in context, it’s quite funny reading Richard talk about communism and Che Guevara/Mao Tse-Tung in the way that he does because if this had been released now I don’t find it hard to imagine seeing the book talked about in that ‘red scare’ angle on some BBC talking head show or making the Loose Women recoil in the moral panic. Putting that aside, my favourite thing about the book is the photography, and often the people being photographed. What makes the book and Richard’s extracurricular project so appealing is the connectivity of it all, and using the stories of others to inform his own (even visiting many of his comrades) really elevates the vision. Now, the book can feel repetitive quite often as points are re-iterated over and over, and the pictures are needed to break up the monotony. That being said, it does offer a somewhat thorough guide to the basics of guerrilla gardening and compels you to set out and do what the book wants you to do, and it would be great to see another addition incorporating how social media has altered how guerrilla gardening works (for better or worse).
December 10, 2023
It’s nice to know that there are books about ever, including guerrilla gardening. Honestly the book is a 3.5 for me, rounded up to 4. I enjoyed the stories of all the guerrilla gardeners around the world and the wonderful gardens they have created. I also got inspiration about where I could plant and some plants that might work. It was also nice hearing about the steps to go through when starting a garden.
However I found some part irritating like the constant references to Mao, who was anything but a gardener. I also didn’t really see a point to half of the book being dedicated to convincing people of the merits of guerrilla gardening considering that most readers are already willing to garden outside of the law. This is a personal bias of mine but I wish the book focused more on the ecological impacts of guerrilla gardening be it positive or negative. By clearing out overgrown plots or gardening in the wild you are destroying wildlife habitats. Such was the case of one gardener who got rid of brambles who are hugely beneficial to wildlife. I also felt like there should have been a bigger focus on planting native plant species and avoiding invasives. At one point ivy was recommended. While ivy is great in Europe for covering walls and creative ground cover it’s very invasive in America and smothers native plants. Those aspects are mentioned but not enough and are easy to skip or ignore.
However I found some part irritating like the constant references to Mao, who was anything but a gardener. I also didn’t really see a point to half of the book being dedicated to convincing people of the merits of guerrilla gardening considering that most readers are already willing to garden outside of the law. This is a personal bias of mine but I wish the book focused more on the ecological impacts of guerrilla gardening be it positive or negative. By clearing out overgrown plots or gardening in the wild you are destroying wildlife habitats. Such was the case of one gardener who got rid of brambles who are hugely beneficial to wildlife. I also felt like there should have been a bigger focus on planting native plant species and avoiding invasives. At one point ivy was recommended. While ivy is great in Europe for covering walls and creative ground cover it’s very invasive in America and smothers native plants. Those aspects are mentioned but not enough and are easy to skip or ignore.
January 16, 2009
I read this when I was living with my first garden in London, and was totally smitten by the gardening bug. (This is easy to fall prey to, since the UK has a ferociously avid gardening culture that has no equivalent in the US. For example, the Chelsea garden show is covered on TV for three consecutive nights--in prime time!)
So now, I find myself slammed down in Slummerville, MA and completely surrounded by pavement, and this book is giving me ideas. Total punk rock approach to what has traditionally been the most staid and settled activity. More than anything, its a whip-smart manifesto about the often overlooked need for the presence of the botanical world in human life, and the means of introducing it by any means necessary. I've got my eye on a wasted patch of bark mulch in my neighborhood.
So now, I find myself slammed down in Slummerville, MA and completely surrounded by pavement, and this book is giving me ideas. Total punk rock approach to what has traditionally been the most staid and settled activity. More than anything, its a whip-smart manifesto about the often overlooked need for the presence of the botanical world in human life, and the means of introducing it by any means necessary. I've got my eye on a wasted patch of bark mulch in my neighborhood.
April 1, 2019
This is a strange little book, including the history of guerrilla warfare and its connection to land rights, and why and how to plant things on other people's property. The author's beginning motivation was to spruce up neglected planters near his apartments, and he tells of volunteers cleaning up nasty lots in New York City. Neither were to grow left without challenge, but I can agree with the ideas. He also includes (though doesn't necessarily condone) more violent appropriations of land for gardening's sake, like drilling holes in a motorway to plant trees. I think seed bombs have intriguing possibilities, but was disappointed by a lack of good recipes in the book. And really, roadsides in my neighborhood already have a dependable population of wildflowers. I should probably get back to working on my own yard.
May 4, 2012
INSPIRATIONAL!
always carry seeds with you.
grow the world. it's natural!
lovely photos in this book.
thanks to my sister&brother-in-law for the gift of the book
always carry seeds with you.
grow the world. it's natural!
lovely photos in this book.
thanks to my sister&brother-in-law for the gift of the book
March 10, 2023
The book does actually manage to keep its 'guerilla warfare' metaphor going throughout without becoming ridiculous and/or offensive in the process, which to be honest I was not expecting to work - I'm not going to rush off and start cultivating roundabouts and tree pits, but the author makes a persuasive argument for this as a socially beneficial activity, and provides a lot of practical as well as humorous advice. Something in the spirit of the Commando Dad books.
And I found myself weirdly flattered to discover that so many of the plants he advocates using - Welsh poppies, nasturtiums, Californian poppies, calendulas, sage, rudbeckias - are plants that I have ended up growing in my own high-stress, inhospitable environment on the grounds that they can survive and reproduce themselves cheaply; my judgment is endorsed and vindicated! Readable, revolutionary and potentially useful.
And I found myself weirdly flattered to discover that so many of the plants he advocates using - Welsh poppies, nasturtiums, Californian poppies, calendulas, sage, rudbeckias - are plants that I have ended up growing in my own high-stress, inhospitable environment on the grounds that they can survive and reproduce themselves cheaply; my judgment is endorsed and vindicated! Readable, revolutionary and potentially useful.
October 13, 2017
I love gardening, and I like thinking about things in an unconventional way. This books puts the two together. "Guerilla gardening" can be revolutionary, as in some movements outside of the US, or it can be a way to bless one's community anonymously, or somewhere along the wide spectrum in between. I didn't finish this book, but I enjoyed skimming through it. I believe any community activist would enjoy this, many gardeners would, and anyone just intrigued by the title/concept.
Bonus points to my public library Lakewood - Pierce County, WA) for not only purchasing this book, but also featuring it on a shelf display.
Bonus points to my public library Lakewood - Pierce County, WA) for not only purchasing this book, but also featuring it on a shelf display.
June 6, 2019
Inspiring but at times the references to Mao Tse-tung, Che Guevara, and actual Guerrilla Warfare a bit much.
"Unlike killing people, gardening really can and should be for anyone, and getting the young and old to participate in our battle is to be commended."
Best Advice:
"guerrilla gardening is relatively safe – but think of basic propaganda as common-sense safety. Imagine your family at your funeral, agonizing about why you were found dead on a roundabout with a fork and a tray of pansies. Propaganda need go no further than telling them what you are doing."
"Unlike killing people, gardening really can and should be for anyone, and getting the young and old to participate in our battle is to be commended."
Best Advice:
"guerrilla gardening is relatively safe – but think of basic propaganda as common-sense safety. Imagine your family at your funeral, agonizing about why you were found dead on a roundabout with a fork and a tray of pansies. Propaganda need go no further than telling them what you are doing."
November 6, 2019
picked up at random from the uni library.
a cool read! definitely gained a recruit for the cause...i'm very invested in this idea ;O
nice and informative! though now i have to pick up a few books on gardening...or go interrogate my grandma i guess :P
the book itself was a bit slow though - could've been a bit shorter imo
my fave part of the book is the photo on page 143...that girl has so much energy and it's so dynamic i almost started crying (ok im a bit unstable at the moment so that may be why)
a cool read! definitely gained a recruit for the cause...i'm very invested in this idea ;O
nice and informative! though now i have to pick up a few books on gardening...or go interrogate my grandma i guess :P
the book itself was a bit slow though - could've been a bit shorter imo
my fave part of the book is the photo on page 143...that girl has so much energy and it's so dynamic i almost started crying (ok im a bit unstable at the moment so that may be why)
June 28, 2020
Quite well written and quite interesting. Despite quoting Winstanley and mentioning the Situationists, he never really discusses any of the issues in depth. He discusses practical information and paractices and obviously knows about gardening. However he avoids taking a stance and therefore does not really deal with ecological, political or aesthetic considerations.
April 6, 2023
rating based on the context it was written in rather than relevance today - niavely brief mentions of gentrification, class divisions/antihomeless architecture and the importance of forums/MySpace reminded me how much has changed (socially) since this book was written. Nevertheless the history and the basic principles remain incredibly helpful !
March 30, 2023
Excellent model and encouragement.
"Guerrilla gardening has been important in revitalizing in New York. Adam 276 showed me parks around Hells Kitchen that the city has recently renovated.” We raised the bar,” he said, ’and the Parks Department had to follow.’"
"Guerrilla gardening has been important in revitalizing in New York. Adam 276 showed me parks around Hells Kitchen that the city has recently renovated.” We raised the bar,” he said, ’and the Parks Department had to follow.’"
March 26, 2022
More political a read than I really wanted - I think I was just after some pretty-picture inspiration to throw a seed-bomb or two.
September 16, 2022
touched more on terminology and the "why" rather than the ecological impacts, invasive species, etc. a good read, but seek another book if you wish to hear more about the "how".
October 7, 2022
Great book, especially love the history section. But please discourage the planting of invasives! This undoes any good.
December 14, 2024
Inspiring, practical, and though not entirely politically does not shy away from quoting Mao or Che.
December 27, 2025
this book single-handedly motivated me to do verge gardening in my neighbourhood. the nostalgic early 2000s gardening images were also amazing.
December 6, 2016
“On Guerrilla Gardening, A Handbook For Gardening Without Boundaries” is at it's core a gushing of enthusiasm for a very niche genre of greenthumbedness. Even the cover of my edition, full of blossoming flowers against a backdrop of drab gray buildings, suggests a sort of bursting emotion. (This book looks beautiful on a bookshelf or coffee table btw, I could almost recommend it because of that alone.)
Contrary to what the title implies, this book is by no means a how-to for illicit gardening. It's more an introduction to the culture, with vibrant photography and language that, again and again, pushes the aestheticism of the activity, less than the technical act of it. To borrow from the authors insistent war metaphor, this novel is a call to arms for future Guerrilla Gardeners, as admitted by Reynolds in one of the final chapters.
The writing is sufficient, although sometimes Reynolds gets lost in his metaphors and the many juggled topics. As a more cut and dry introduction to Guerrilla Gardening, this might be a problem, but I think that the more avid goal of the novel allows for some dizziness.
Unfortunately, the history portions came off as a bit dry to me, and that's coming from someone who loves history. This is understandable, because I don't think that Reynolds is a history writer, but he shouldve put more time into spicing up the description of the history and tying it better to the thesis of the book.
On the whole, I would recommend this book to people passionate about gardening or change in their community who would like to learn more about the history and social climate of the activity. You wont find a lot of technical direction in this book unless you live in a climate similar to that of London, (which I fortunately do) but you will find a lot of passion and inspiration, which is enough to get you started as a beginning Guerrilla Gardener.
Contrary to what the title implies, this book is by no means a how-to for illicit gardening. It's more an introduction to the culture, with vibrant photography and language that, again and again, pushes the aestheticism of the activity, less than the technical act of it. To borrow from the authors insistent war metaphor, this novel is a call to arms for future Guerrilla Gardeners, as admitted by Reynolds in one of the final chapters.
The writing is sufficient, although sometimes Reynolds gets lost in his metaphors and the many juggled topics. As a more cut and dry introduction to Guerrilla Gardening, this might be a problem, but I think that the more avid goal of the novel allows for some dizziness.
Unfortunately, the history portions came off as a bit dry to me, and that's coming from someone who loves history. This is understandable, because I don't think that Reynolds is a history writer, but he shouldve put more time into spicing up the description of the history and tying it better to the thesis of the book.
On the whole, I would recommend this book to people passionate about gardening or change in their community who would like to learn more about the history and social climate of the activity. You wont find a lot of technical direction in this book unless you live in a climate similar to that of London, (which I fortunately do) but you will find a lot of passion and inspiration, which is enough to get you started as a beginning Guerrilla Gardener.
June 17, 2015
A very basic introduction to guerrilla gardening. So basic, I'm not exactly sure what demographic would read and learn by it. Written largely from a British perspective, for British spaces (plant suggestions are somewhat limited for other climates).
It has an oddly formal layout, a weird medium for this particular political message. I get that it's essentially a "handbook"--this is borne out much better in the latter half of the book than the beginning (the first half is history/politics; the second, hands-on tactics/tips). Some interesting continuous metaphors of gardening as war, but the politics here seem a bit odd at times. There are instances of large company donations, ad campaigns, and the absolutely off-base example of Johnny Appleseed as a guerrilla gardener. (At the same time, Reynolds acknowledges that Appleseed was a real estate investor, claiming property (from Native Americans) and profit (from later white colonists) from his appleseed spreading in early 1800s Ohio--Appleseed was surely not at all a guerrilla--he was spreading capitalism and colonization!).
There's also a very strong differentiation made between guerrilla gardening and community gardening in the beginning of the book--too strong, in my experience in several urban and suburban instances in the US--but that difference is largely reconciled/erased by the end.
Some of the best stuff here are the references to other books, websites, and people to follow up on.
It has an oddly formal layout, a weird medium for this particular political message. I get that it's essentially a "handbook"--this is borne out much better in the latter half of the book than the beginning (the first half is history/politics; the second, hands-on tactics/tips). Some interesting continuous metaphors of gardening as war, but the politics here seem a bit odd at times. There are instances of large company donations, ad campaigns, and the absolutely off-base example of Johnny Appleseed as a guerrilla gardener. (At the same time, Reynolds acknowledges that Appleseed was a real estate investor, claiming property (from Native Americans) and profit (from later white colonists) from his appleseed spreading in early 1800s Ohio--Appleseed was surely not at all a guerrilla--he was spreading capitalism and colonization!).
There's also a very strong differentiation made between guerrilla gardening and community gardening in the beginning of the book--too strong, in my experience in several urban and suburban instances in the US--but that difference is largely reconciled/erased by the end.
Some of the best stuff here are the references to other books, websites, and people to follow up on.
July 9, 2010
Ever heard of guerrilla gardening? People all over the world are taking over unused land and planting gardens! It is such a fun idea, especially if the land is lying fallow. And now there is a manual for people who want to try it: On Guerrilla Gardening. The small book includes the history of the movement and pictures of people out there doing it.
Did you know that Victory Gardens during World War II supplied 42 percent of all fresh food to the country? There seems to have been a recent resurgence of interest in gardening. And if you don’t have the land, why not set up a guerrilla garden?
A few people did just that down the block from our house. They planted flowers in a circle on an empty lot. I so enjoyed seeing the flowers there. And what harm do flowers do? I mean, they could only help to beautify the land.
The book explains a lot about gardening, the how of it all. And tells the personal story of the author and his guerrilla gardening adventures. I would recommend borrowing it from the library if only to learn more about the movement. And you can read more about guerrilla gardening at: www.guerrillagardening.org.
April 27, 2016
Schon lange steht dieses Buch in meinem Bücherregal, aber bisher war einfach noch nicht der richtige Lesemoment gekommen. Nun bin ich durch und habe, ohne jegliche Gärntererfahrung (mein letzter Basilikumtopf lebt NOCH! aber das ist leider ein Einzelfall) das drigende Bedürfnis hinaus in die urbanen Landschaften meiner heimatlichen Kleinstadt zu ziehen und sämtliche vernachlässigten Flächen mit bunter Pflanzenvielfalt zu beglücken.
Dieses Buch bietet eine wunderschöne, liebevoll und anekdotenreiche Einführung ins Guerilla Gärtnern, sei es für angehende Guerilla Gärtner oder auch für all jene, die sich einfach nur mal so informieren möchten. Es liest sich sehr schön nebenbei, wegen der schönen Erzählweise des Autors neigte ich dann doch schon zum Verschlingen.
Auch wenn ich viel gelernt habe fühle ich mich noch nicht ganz bereit zum Gärnern, weshalb ich mich jetzt wohl erstmal mit weiterer Lektüre à la "Gärtnern für Anfänger" begnügen werde ehe ich mir die ersten "Baumscheiben" zutraue...
Dieses Buch bietet eine wunderschöne, liebevoll und anekdotenreiche Einführung ins Guerilla Gärtnern, sei es für angehende Guerilla Gärtner oder auch für all jene, die sich einfach nur mal so informieren möchten. Es liest sich sehr schön nebenbei, wegen der schönen Erzählweise des Autors neigte ich dann doch schon zum Verschlingen.
Auch wenn ich viel gelernt habe fühle ich mich noch nicht ganz bereit zum Gärnern, weshalb ich mich jetzt wohl erstmal mit weiterer Lektüre à la "Gärtnern für Anfänger" begnügen werde ehe ich mir die ersten "Baumscheiben" zutraue...
September 21, 2020
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!
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!
July 31, 2016
I found myself inspired while reading the book to get started with a few projects (that, so far, haven't panned out as well as I had hoped). But it's a learning process. It had some useful information and a good message and intention behind it. Unfortunately, the writing style was inelegant and Reynolds seemed to be really grasping for topics to flesh the book out, resulting in a lot of content of tenuous importance or even relevance. However it was short and sparse enough to keep it from being too tedious, and I appreciated enough of the advice and inspiration to make it a worthwhile read.
September 7, 2008
This sounds like a really fantastic idea, although I probably ought to get my own garden under control before I start toying around in random places. I do, however, find myself picking out weedy, dead-looking spots that could use some sprucing up every time I'm out and about. This is a really comprehensive how-to guide and it's filled with stories and bits of dry humor, so it's not like reading an instruction manual at all.
May 22, 2011
The guy who wrote this book is hilariously candid. I wonder if he took his notes from a blog and just made a book out of it. He has funny side notes, such as not making jokes about gorillas and guerillas. He also has a lot of helpful information about plants, about organizing yourself to become a guerilla gardener, and about re-envisioning space around us. There's an entire web site dedicated to stories of guerilla gardening.
Want to read
August 27, 2008Really excited about this concept, especially in how it relates to other interventionist/subversive educational strategies (my own nascent terminology, I'm sure there is a better one out there) like culture jamming, graffiti and certain performative/conceptual art work. Really excited to read this and perhaps start some guerrilla gardening myself around the town!
February 6, 2009
An odd little book.
Guerrilla gardeners are people who garden, without permission, on property they do not own.
Includes anecdotes from many cities, but Milwaukee is not one of them.
It is not surprising to learn that some elected officials would rather have an ugly, neglected space than a space beautified by someone who is not under their thumb.
Guerrilla gardeners are people who garden, without permission, on property they do not own.
Includes anecdotes from many cities, but Milwaukee is not one of them.
It is not surprising to learn that some elected officials would rather have an ugly, neglected space than a space beautified by someone who is not under their thumb.
August 12, 2010
I enjoyed it a lot. It provides a new perspective to and appreciation for gardening by introducing it as an activity that's part of a community or culture rather than an independent project in your back yard (which is kick-ass too though). This book has definitely enriched my life by presenting me with a foreign pleasure I now enjoy.
June 30, 2012
This was a lot of fun & surprisingly practical. Lots of great photos. There is plenty of advice about every aspect and complication of gardening without permission. Since I have already begun a bit of unauthorized planting it's cool to feel like part of something bigger. I especially liked the historical bits. (thanks for the gift Taylor)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews