Andrea Bellamy is an earth goddess. She writes one of the hottest organic horticulture and gardening blogs in the free world, is a mom, is the author of a new book, and is a guerrilla gardener. Let's go to the interview.
“MG: Andrea - what was the critical incident that got you interested in guerrilla gardening?
ANDREA: Good question. It wasn’t for lack of space to garden, because at the time I was renting a house with a sizable backyard. And it wasn’t because my city – Vancouver, BC – was over-run with pavement. Vancouver is actually very green (the City even encourages people to plant in traffic circles and on boulevards). I had read about seed bombs online – specifically, how in New York City, they were used in 1973’s revitalization of the Bowery neighbourhood and the development of the city’s first community garden – and I just thought it sounded like a great project. That’s when we started the Vancouver Guerrilla Gardening Group. A group seed bomb making workshop was our first event. They’re so fun to make and throw with friends!
MG: Do you have any experience with upset authorities while gardening?
ANDREA: No, not unless you count the City’s landscaping crew as authorities. They’ve come and leveled some boulevard plantings of mine. But the police are generally supportive, or at least unconcerned.
MG: Any chance you have some pictures of you chucking seed balls?
ANDREA: Sorry, no.
MG: Do you have any before and after picture of places you (or others) have bombarded with seeds?
ANDREA: Yes. Please see http://www.meetup.com/commgardens-56/photos/ - this is the Meet-Up page for the Vancouver Guerrilla Gardening group, of which I am a member. There are lots of photos of seedbomb making, moss graffiti, etc. And some before-and-afters.
MG: Tell us about Sugar Snaps and Strawberries...Can you give us any teasers? What is the release date? Where do we get it?
ANDREA: Sugar Snaps and Strawberries: Simple Solutions for Creating Your Own Small-Space Edible Garden is the book for the new generation of food gardeners. It’s the book I wished I had when I started growing food. It is both a comprehensive how-to book – an accessible and thorough guide on everything the aspiring food gardener needs to get growing – and a why-to book, inspiring and encouraging the reader with seriously gorgeous photographs and a simple step-by-step approach to growing food. Think of it as a style guide, Intro to Organic Gardening course and local eating manifesto rolled into one. The official release date is January 2011. However, it will arrive in many stores prior to Christmas, so get your orders in! It will be available in bookstores everywhere.
MG: Is there material from Heavy Petal in there?
ANDREA: The spirit of Heavy Petal is definitely there, but other than a sidebar or two, it’s all new material.
MG: What’s your main point or theme in the book?
ANDREA: I suppose it’s that anyone can grow food, and should! Or at least, they should give it a shot, because like me, they’ll probably find it to be incredibly addictive. I tried to convey the joy and excitement I get from edible gardening; I hope it’s contagious because I believe there is such value in learning to care for your own little plot of land – no matter how small.
MG: What's your process for exploring gardening stuff to write about?
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| SUGAR SNAPS AUTHOR & DAUGHTER |
ANDREA: Pretty much all my inspiration for blog posts comes from my own life and experiences. Some posts focus on the immediate: what’s happening in my garden, or what I’m harvesting, for example. Other, more reflective posts take a bit longer to percolate, like my post on gardener guilt at shopping at big box store nurseries (http://heavypetal.ca/archives/2010/09/confession-i- buy-plants-from-big-box- stores/). And finally, I write a few posts that are more instructive, for example, on how to start your winter vegetable crop (http://heavypetal.ca/ archives/2010/08/plant-your- winter-garden-now/), which usually arise because I’m going through the process myself, or because someone asks for advice and I decide to turn it into a post.
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