Guerrilla Gardening on Stolen Land

All this land is stolen, so why not squat every last inch of it?

Down on the Union Pacific tracks nestled between the rails and the 101 freeway I've squatted a little plot of land for a garden. As of today I've got a fig tree, two nopale cacti, cape and tree mallow, some hollyhock and a blueberry bush growing.

In a month or so I plan to plant some peach trees, the sort that do well in mild climates. I hear there's a variety called the Santa Barbara Peach. Perfect.

Here's some pics.
My littler plot of land bounded by the 101 freeway, a little creek and the UP tracks. Water is year round, relatively clean.


Islay berries, sometimes called Holly Leaved Cherry. The Chumash used to eat these by boiling the pits and mashing up the soft nut in the center to remove tannins. I cooked a few pounds this year. They grow near my plot naturally. I'm planting more over the winter around town.



A houseless man's camp, one of about 2 dozen that were raided by cops a month or so back. The little community that lives along the tracks has only slowly started coming back.


Lavender! It grows well and can tolerate a few weeks without water, perfect for my style of gardening in SoCal.


Cape Mallow, produces beautiful flowers that attract bees, butterflies and humming birds.


The train zips by every few hours, mostly AmTrak, but also freighters.


Poor pit bull that got hit by the train years ago. He mummified under his makeshift grave and is now exposed to the air. Perhaps I'll rebury him soon with a proper grave...


I like flowers. Soon I'll plan fruit trees galore and have a beautiful and practical guerrilla garden.