On International Sunflower Guerilla Gardening Day, celebrated on May 1, add a splash of color to your neighborhood by sowing sunflower seeds. Participants are invited to grow sunflowers around their localities on International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day. People from places where it gets too cold for sunflowers to thrive may plant alternative seasonally-appropriate plants. Gardening on territory over which the gardeners have no legal rights is referred to as “guerrilla gardening.” Guerrilla gardeners have a variety of objectives, but the majority of the time they plant on abandoned or neglected property to make it more visually appealing in an environmentally friendly way.
History of International Sunflower Guerilla Gardening Day
Gerrard Winstanley of the Diggers in Surrey, England, and John “Appleseed” Chapman of Ohio, U.S.A., were two of the first well-known guerilla gardeners.Liz Christy and her Green Guerrilla group used the phrase “guerrilla gardening” for the first time in 1973, in New York’s Bowery Houston neighborhood. They turned an abandoned private lot into a garden. Although the site is still maintained by volunteers, it is now protected by the city’s parks department. International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day takes place on May 1. It was established in 2007 by a group of Bruxellois guerilla gardeners.Guerrilla gardening occurs all over the world — having been documented in more than 30 nations worldwide — and proof of it can easily be found online in a variety of guerrilla gardening social networking groups and on guerrilla gardening community sites. Australian gardener Bob Crombie coined the term “bewildering” to describe the practice.Guerrilla gardening is the practice of growing food, plants, or flowers on land when the gardeners do not have legal permission to do so, such as on abandoned sites, neglected regions, or private property. It includes a wide spectrum of persons and objectives, from gardeners who go beyond their legal borders to gardeners with a political agenda who use guerrilla gardening as a form of protest or direct action to effect change. Guerilla gardening is when plants are grown on property that the gardener does not own, such as an abandoned site or a roundabout. Some guerilla gardeners have ripped up pavements to recover space. .
International Sunflower Guerilla Gardening Day timeline
Two of the first well-known guerilla gardeners are Gerrard Winstanley of the Diggers in Surrey, England, and John "Appleseed" Chapman of Ohio, U.S.A.
The guerrilla gardening movement takes place on New York's Lower East Side, near the Bowery.
International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day is observed for the first time, founded by a group of guerrilla gardeners from Brussels.
During Milan Design Week, British gardener Steve Wheen plants 14 small-scale gardens in potholes around the city, embellishing the plots with toy vehicles and signage.
International Sunflower Guerilla Gardening Day FAQs
Why is guerilla gardening prohibited?
Guerrilla planting is considered unlawful and unethical by certain agencies. This is because certain cities and municipalities have regulations prohibiting planting.
Why do guerilla gardeners grow sunflowers instead of other flowers?
Sunflowers are preferred for crop rotations because they aid in long-term weed and disease management and provide biomass to the soil after harvest.
Can sunflowers be grown all year?
Sunflowers usually sprout in late spring, bloom in the summer, then die back with the first frost in the fall.
International Sunflower Guerilla Gardening Day Activities
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Start gardening in your own backyard
They beautify the environment, purify the air, and add some color to your day! Brighten up your garden on this day!
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Take images of sunflowers and post them on social media
Take some stunning photos of sunflowers around you to upload to social media. Show everyone you know how delightful they are.
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Visit a community garden
Community gardens might be closed off, depending on where you reside. If you're fortunate enough to get into one, make the most of it! If you're able, walk to your local community garden for some extra exercise.
Why We Love
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Seed bombs
Guerrilla garden seed bombs are clay-coated seeds mixed with soil or compost.
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Preparation of the soil
It is critical to prepare the targeted plots to provide optimum growing conditions.
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Choice of seeds
Plants must be self-sufficient and strong to thrive in an environment where continuous care is not available.
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It beautifies land
A guerilla garden can even be validated and approved.
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Form of protest
Because it is a direct response to environmental scarcity and depletion, it could be considered a form of protest.
Why We Love International Sunflower Guerilla Gardening Day
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It's a fantastic reason to go outside
We all need vitamin D, yet it's so easy to just sit indoors and watch T.V. Having some plants to care for, such as sunflowers, will get you outside under the sun!
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It gives you some guerrilla gardening practice
Surely, an entire holiday dedicated to guerrilla gardening must persuade you! Think of all the abandoned locations now full of gorgeous sunflowers!
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It contributes to environmental cleanup
Sunflowers may absorb radioactive elements and other contaminants from the soil without causing significant harm to the plant. This implies that in locations where radiation levels have been elevated, plants like sunflowers may be used to assist in the cleanup.
International Sunflower Guerilla Gardening Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | May 1 | Monday |
| 2024 | May 1 | Wednesday |
| 2025 | May 1 | Thursday |
| 2026 | May 1 | Friday |
| 2027 | May 1 | Saturday |
