Spreading Seed one Seed Ball at a Time

Guerrilla gardening can be fun. 'Seed bombs' are targeted to put flower seeds in empty lots. in L.A. Designers Daniel Phillips and Kim Karlsrud of Common Studio are part of a venture called Greenaid.

Made from a mixture of clay, compost, and seeds, "seedbombs" are becoming an increasingly popular means combating the many forgotten grey spaces we encounter everyday-from sidewalk cracks to vacant lots and parking medians. They can be thrown anonymously into these derelict urban sites to temporarily reclaim and transform them into places worth looking at and caring for.

The Greenaid dispensary simply makes these guerrilla gardening efforts more accessible to all by appropriating the existing distribution system of the quarter-operated gumball machine. With a simple edict, "Change for Change", the Greenaid initiative encourages urban dwellers of any age to become casual activists by taking part in the incremental beautification of their environment using only the loose coins in their pocket.

Here's how the Greenaid program works:

Schools, businesses and individuals can purchase any number of Greenaid machines and Common Studio will develop a "strategic neighborhood intervention plan" specifically adapted for your area and they will continue to supply the seed bomb 'candies'.

Stocked with vibrant-sounding flavours like 'Woodland', 'Riparian1' and 'Riparian2', Greenaid machines are already a hit in parts of Los Angeles. Portable, unassuming but totally fun, it's an original way of repackaging guerrilla gardening for the masses so that even kids can get in on the game.

Just as seed spread and flowers bloom, hopefully this idea will spread and bloom in cities across the country. You can also help to create more livable cities!

A New Revolution: Guerrilla Gardeners

Veggie Vandalism: The Greenest Kind of Vandalism

Guerilla gardening is a very real phenomenon that's picking up steam in urban areas around the world. So what the hell is it? It's a vandalistic act of subversion—using flowers and plants instead of rocks or spray paint as weapons.

Guerrilla gardeners use the cover of night to sneak towards their selected target, where they tamper with public property in order to . . . plant flowers, aid urban ecosystems, and improve the quality of life for people living in the community? Sounds like the most adorable form of vandalistic rebellion ever. And it is.

The gardeners undertake projects like planting sunflowers under storm grates, replanting weed-ridden street side planter boxes, and making botanical arrangements around trees lining city roads. Technically, guerrilla gardening is illegal, but there have been no reported cases of arrests, just some incidents where participants have been questioned by authorities. Some have initially been accused of engaging in terrorist activities—maybe someone confused planting the seeds of hate with the seeds of sunflowers.[...]

For some good examples of the practice, check out LA's guerrilla gardening chapter and read a little more about it over at Web Urbanist. To get involved, head over to Guerrilla Gardening, where you can see some great pics, learn how to 'enlist', and get updates on the movement. Or check out the Guerrilla Gardening Handbook.

Resistance is Fertile