Leo Gillick
Take a walk around your local urban area. You may notice huge areas of wasteland, filled with empty soil and unused land. It could be as small as a road divider or a much larger, undeveloped eyesore. These places make cities ugly. Scabs leftover from the cuts of development. But, with a little creative guerrilla gardening, people are turning them into beautiful wildflower meadows.
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Bringing nature to cities: Cities can be incredibly ugly, bleak areas. Many have become concrete jungles of soulless glass and steel. We’re left at ground level, staring up at the monoliths of wealth, with no greenery or life to enjoy. Some folks have had enough, and they’re rewilding the wasteland.
- Wildflowers are a wonderful addition to any landscape. They’re incredibly hardy, self-seeding, and provide tasty pollen for bees. Most wildflowers can be planted in the least hospitable areas by sprinkling a few seeds.
This is what the guerrilla gardeners are doing to urban areas. It is often referred to as seed bombing or rewilding, and it’s super simple. Some folks sprinkle wildflower seeds in areas of urban decay, while others concoct balls of seeds that will spread and fertilize and can be thrown over walls.
How To Start Rewilding Your Urban Environment
What to consider: First, check that the area is ripe for a bit of guerrilla gardening rewilding. Areas such as undeveloped land, road dividers, uncared-for public land, and other unattended spaces with soil are perfect. Don’t go doing it in someone’s garden unless they’re your local HOA representative.
- Then, select a few types of native wildflower seeds for your area. Don’t introduce invasive species because they can quickly cause environmental problems. There are plenty of beautiful meadow flowers for almost any country and area. Get plenty of the plants you want, and get a variety.
- Finally, sprinkle them around the area you would like to rewild. It might take a while, and you’ll need to make sure you’re doing it at the right time of year for your choice of seeds. To sprinkle them and spread them, there are a few different options.
- The most effective is simply using a sprinkler. Fill it with seeds, and then head to your local empty, unloved, patch of urban decay. Sprinkle the native wildflowers there, and wait; if nothing happens, try again. Turning the soil can help. Some people will sprinkle the seeds while wearing spiked shoes to help them take root.
But, if you’re looking to rewild an urban area that’s a little out of reach, a seed bomb is the best option. These are often made of a handful of seeds combined with a natural fertilizer. This should all be held together with paper mulch or loose clay that will dissolve in rain. These can also be launched over fences with ease.
Guerilla gardening is the cottagecore crime that brings beauty.
