The other day we visited the Pennsylvania Street Garden and we were absolutely blown away by the jungle oasis that Annie and her volunteers have created! Less than three years ago it was an arid plot of desert land next to the freeway but once Annie set her mind to it, there wasn’t thing that stood in her way. Annie is a force of nature and if you didn’t know otherwise you might think that this corner at 18th and Penn was created by the Botanical Garden.
Here are a few tips and lessons that we learned from Annie who graciously gave us a tour and revealed some of her secrets for guerrilla gardening:
1. One Plant At A Time. When you find a species of plant that you like, buy ONE and plant it. If it lives and performs well in your garden buy more, if it doesn’t, move on to something that is more appropriate for your micro-climate, soil conditions, watering access, etc. Also consider the amount of maintenance that the plants you choose for your garden will require. As much as you can select your plants strategically. Understand you and your teams willingness to prune, water, fertilize and re-plant – you will be amazed at the number of species that have a beautiful aesthetic and also require minimal maintenance.
2. Hacking The Water System. If you ask, the city will most likely provide access to public water for your garden. Although Annie’s strategy was to find environmentally friendly plants that required minimal water, she does have a special “key” that allows her to tap into city water. Often times the water supply is buried or hidden but if you search your location there is a good chance that there will be a way to tap your public water supply.
3. Ask For Forgiveness Instead Of Permission. I admire Annie’s approach because it’s just plain smart. Annie is a proponent of guerilla landscaping because she’s a “doer” and that’s the way to get things done! She mentioned the countless bureaucracy that she faced with her project and said that just doing what she wanted was an effective strategy for getting things done. The city creates lots of hoops for you to jump through to accomplish simple things so sometimes it’s better to just follow your vision. Annie also mentioned that 95% percent of her neighbors were amazing volunteers but it only takes one crotchety old man to halt your progress. Be aware of these potential obstacles and deal with them accordingly, but don’t let neighbors get away with being mean or disrespectful – report them to the city if necessary.
4. Build Your Garden One Bed At A Time. Annie is a designer by trade – it’s her passion and her garden is a bowl full of proof pudding. Often times community members won’t be able to see your “vision” simply because they don’t think visually. Show other volunteers what you can do by creating one really beautiful bed in a section of your garden and inspire them to add more.
5. Mind The Micro-Climates. Most of Annie’s garden is filled with beautiful flowers and lush green plants; however the plants at the east wing that butt up against an industrial metal wall were getting cooked during the summer months. Annie solved this problem by planting Cactuses that could weather the scorching temperatures.
6. Use Craigslist. Local plants are constantly available through Craigslist and it was a tremendous resource for Annie even after she secured grant funding. Again this is a testament to her mission to create an environmentally friendly garden – what better way to landscape than with the plants that your neighbors are trying to unload.
7. Caltrans Golden Rule. Apparently Caltrans has a “rule” that states “Whether a project is in an urban, rural or natural setting, the transportation facility must be in harmony with the community goals and the natural environment. ” There are also several mentions of the need for flexibility when dealing with the whiny public. Annie brought this to their attention with the mindset “if the locals want a garden, you have to let them have a garden,” and according to Annie they “fell like a roomful of dominoes during the Loma Prieta quake.”
8. Form And Function. Annie had a plan when she realized that the east end of her garden was a walkway for transients, druggies and graffers. She chose to line this section with Cactus plants that created some natural barbed wire to deter movement through this area – it worked!
9. Take Before And After Pictures. Inspiring and motivating volunteers can be done by showing progress and the amazing transformation you have made through all your hard work. Don’t forget to document the process.
22nd Street Jungle Stairs 