Guerrilla Gardening

Guerrilla Gardening is political gardening, a form of nonviolent direct action, primarily practiced by environmentalists. Activists take over an abandoned piece of land which they don't own to grow crops or plants. The practices are non- violent, unlike guerrilla warfare that can cause bloodshed. Guerrilla gardeners believe in reclaiming land from perceived neglect or misuse and assigning a new purpose for it.

Guerrilla gardeners will sometimes carry out their actions late at night geared up with gardening gloves, watering cans, compost, seeds and plants. They plant and sow a new vegetable patch or flowering garden. Others will work more openly, actively seeking to engage with members of the local community

Guerrilla Gardening has a long history, although the first usage of the term appears to be on Bruce Sterling's Veridian mailing list in December 1998. In Northern Utah apple trees commonly grow along the banks of canals. Asparagus grows along the smaller ditch banks. Many of these plants were seeded 150 years ago by the workers who dug the canals, by burying lunch's apple core in the freshly dug soil, or by surreptitiously spreading seeds along a new ditchbank. Guerrilla gardening continues today as individuals secretly plant fruit trees, edible perennials, and flowers in parks, along bike trails, etc. Some guerrilla gardeners do so for the purpose of providing food in case of emergency.

More links:
Toronto Public Spaces Committee - Guerrilla Gardening
12 steps How-To from Whimspiration blog
Story from Kuro5hin.org
Vancouver Citizen's Committee - The Citizen's Handbook
The Friday Thing story