Guerrilla Gardeners

Guerrilla gardening- planting flowers and edibles in untended pockets of cities- is a growing phenomenon. This article looks at a group of Toronto residents who've turned ugly medians into lush gardens.

1 minute read

July 20, 2008, 1:00 PM PDT

By Tim Halbur


"Terry Aldebert, the east Toronto director for the Public Space guerrilla gardening group, says volunteers do it at their own expense, on their own time, and with little or no thanks or fanfare. The grassroots movement is driven by ordinary people who want to make a difference in their own community, she says.

"I got involved with guerrilla gardening because I didn't have a yard and I wanted to get into gardening," Aldebert explains simply, taking a break from weeding a new garden at the corner of Boston Avenue and Dundas Street on the city's east side.

The spot, now the home of a lush, colourful, robust garden that has changed the feel of the entire intersection, used to be the overgrown corner of a weed-infested parking lot.

"I chose this spot specifically because I used to walk my dogs here and I saw that it had fallen into disrepair and I thought we could make it beautiful again," Aldebert, a University of Toronto instructor, tells CTV.ca."

Friday, July 18, 2008 in CTV Toronto

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

High-rise apartment buildings in Waikiki, Hawaii with steep green mountains in background.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss

The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

April 6, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 10, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Streetcar and bus stopped at station on Market Street in San Francisco with Ferry Building visible in background.

Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street

If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.

1 hour ago - San Francisco Examiner

Parklet with wooden benches and flower boxes on street in Ireland.

Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces

Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.

2 hours ago - Streetsblog San Francisco

Bronze statue of homeless man (Jesus) with head down and arm outstretched in front of St. Matthew Cathedral in Washington D.C.

Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave

The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.

3 hours ago - The New York Times