Mythical Garkin, protector of newbie gardeners!Guerrilla Gardening
AM I WASTING MY TIME AT THE COMMUNITY GARDEN?
Behold my merry plot!
I have been asking myself that almost daily. The health benefits of being with people has been scientifically documented. Either mix and mingle or die. So it’s good on that front. Getting the soil microbes on my skin is good because again, science has found certain bacterias cause a sense of well-being and can only be absorbed by getting your hands into the soil. So there is that. But am I thinking too small?
Anthony at rawmodel.com got me thinking. He’s big into perma-culture and food forests. Basically building a sustainable, long lasting agriculture on a little spot of land that lasts for generations. Forget the struggle with veggie gardening and all that. This is big time. He said to me once via his blog, “That’s great, but think bigger.”
Think bigger.
My plot is currently 30 feet by 40 feet. That’s a ton of room. But I can’t grow trees, and why would I want to anyway there at the community garden? I’d just be throwing my money away should we move someday.
The plots cost $65 a year and I have three. That’s $195 a year. Also, I like to bring in compost and that’s another $40 a yard x a minimum of 5 yards a year. Then you’ve got seeds, etc, etc. So as you can see, it gets pretty expensive, pretty quick. The outlay of cash is significant when you also factor in all the time I spend there in the evenings. What is my time worth? Well it’s not like we can’t afford it, we can. And I love that my little boy is going to be growing up in the garden.
But what I really want is a stitch of land. Doesn’t even have to be a lot although maybe 5 acres? That would do nicely. I would be able to homestead, have a few greenhouses and grow my own food forest.
Of course education for those interested would be a lot of fun too.
I’m torn.
Right now the plot is getting ready to be completely tilled under and planted with crimson clover.
Maybe just maybe that will be my gift to next years gardener?
If I take action on that dream, it means eventually moving the hell out of this area, where a half an acre of undeveloped property sells for $469,000 dollars. Could somebody please wake me up? Did I just land in Santa Barbara or Gross Pointe?
On other fronts, I have been looking into guerrilla gardening. It’s a fun and fascinating technique where people take open spaces, like traffic islands and plant! To el with permits matey!
Take a look at this video:
I’ve scouted out the areas in my neighborhood for similar enterprises!
We have a steep ravine surrounding a creek. So much so that the developers just left it alone. I could plant in the trees if I was clever, fashioning hanging planters on 60 lb fishing line, dipping them in the creek and pulling them up into the sun. Now that would increase my readership!
But its just more time. Fun as all get out for sure, but would my efforts be better spent saving every penny I have so that I can get me some land of my own?
Michael on 
Or you all can come here full-time and farm someone's land while caretaking their property. They're here and there, those part-timer's. So much land. So little time.
)
Bring your family here and farm someone's land/caretake their property…while they are out and about in the world.
)
This is the thing: from Anthony Anderson's point of view you could be thinking bigger and from Antony Heaven's point of view you already are! I guess we all do what we can from our different points of view. Maybe you're just learning skills that will take you to your next step. Wouldn't it be great to be doing what AA is doing? Well I'd just like to live there, but … love your work Sam
Isle Dance, that would be awesome! Alas the commute would be a killer! I think I would be better off getting land like you did, wouldn't that be fun?
I totally hear you Antony. I remember your video about gardening on your deck. Nice flats by the way. And yes I would love to do what he is doing, however the only draw back for me is the isolation factor. I'd need lots of people to fill that space to feel normal. Thanks so much Antony.
And everyone sorry about putting my comments on moderate but I've been getting slammed with spam.
:O
I look forward to the day we have our own land but until then I love that we can still enjoy and learn about gardening. Not many people get the opportunity we have of being part of a gardening community with as much ground we have. And you, I love that you come home from the garden so charged and energized and talk with me about all the wonderful things you've learned along the way. Caleb is going to have so much fun with you as he gets older and help you in the garden.
hee hee, you're cute!
hee hee! So are you!
<3 <3 <3
Ouch! It better be one hell of a nice half-acre for half a million!
There seems to be a critical balance there — still being near people and yet finding an affordable spot. That's a huge part of what we're dealing with right now. I've seen many instances around the country of decent land going for like $4,000 – $7,000 per acre if you buy in larger chunks (like 10++ acres at once). But you really have to look around to find the best deals.
I know! It's insane here! I also heard of a friend of a friend who was buying up land for like $300 an acres down in AZ but again, pretty isolated. The deals are out there, you just have to be ready to really make an adjustment in your lifestyle, especially if you are in a burb!
I've heard of that $300/acre stuff. Might not be bad if you're into the Spaceship Earth scene or something (although, even those homes need *some* rain for water — $300/acre might be totally unusable desert land). We once found a nice 100+ acre parcel about 1.5 hours outside Pittsburgh for like $100k. So, I know that relatively decent (though remote) land can be found at ~$1,000/acre. And, if that's true, then there has to be land closer in for like $5k/acre or so. We need to stay near people, though, as our daughter needs to have friends and so forth.
I've done some guerilla gardening. I can't reveal too much here on the internet so you will just have to chat with me sometime about it.
are my comments working?
Aha! The truth is out, that you are indeed the caped garden crusader I always knew you to be. JK. And by the way yes your comments are working, I've just got the approval thing on because I'm getting spammed like you wouldn't believe.
YS, first I have to tell you that YS2 is the most stunningly handsome child since.. well.. YS1!
just LOVE him!
I say, keep gardening, it is NEVER a waste of time to have your fingers in the dirt, your nose full of fresh green scents, your ears buzzing with bees , your heart knowing it's in the right place.
Your dreams will come true.
as for Arizona, baby, it's hot and dry there, mostly desert.. not probably the best soil/land for a verdant food source. Just my HO.
love you
deb
Thanks Deb…but did you know that Arizona has many prime temperate zones? Gotta head to the hills though. Thanks for the kinds words about Caleb. You rule!
Thanks Deb…but did you know that Arizona has many prime temperate zones? Gotta head to the hills though. Thanks for the kinds words about Caleb. You rule!