GUERRILLA GARDENING - it pays to be selfish

There are two compelling reasons to Guerrilla Garden close to home:

1) The first is pure selfishness and I proudly admit to employing it regularly. 

There can be no denying its motivating potential; while I have aspirations to change the whole city in the long, long run, one of the best places to start is in my own back yard where I will be able to do it at the drop of a hat, see the evidence of my efforts on a regular basis and know that change is possible.  For example, when I planted daffodil bulbs around my Toronto neighbourhood it may have appeared random to the casual onlooker but I planted them along the route my husband and I walked our dogs on a daily basis.

 2) The second is more practical: a garden needs tending, especially watering. 

I learned this past summer what every gardener (including myself) already knows. A plant-and-abandon strategy is not a winning strategy. 

Guerrilla Gardens that I did not return to water inevitably did not survive. 

The garden that I had helpers keeping moist flourished; it was as simple as that. 

This close-to-home survival strategy paid off this fall when out of my peripheral vision I spotted some flashes of white driving past the stump at the end of my street where I had earlier planted Allium.  

Sure enough, some squirrel had been excited to find freshly dug earth but disappointed to find a member of the onion family and left the bulbs scattered but uneaten.  I was able to replant them only because I was able to check in on them.

So there you have it, no need to feel guilty if you want to brighten up your own neighbourhood - there is a sound logic behind it. 

And what if you want to make a difference in another, less-fortunate community rather than your own?

Great idea, I highly recommend it and suggest you donate to the Winnipeg Bulb Project and we will get the job done for you.

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