[Ed note: Read Molly Webster's take on Guerilla Gardening here.]

Perhaps I'm biased in this argument as I cannot see any disadvantage to it, no matter how hard I try.

Gardening is a recent, but very strong passion of mine. One of the ways that I've found to express that passion is through gardening in more public places.

I choose wisely. There are many places through Los Angeles, full of fabulous, earthy-wormy soil, that get watered daily, but have no plants. Also, the best pacles for gardens is one where they will be admired and appreciated by people. I won't garen in a place that doesn't meet all of these criteria.

I garden under the cover of the late night, seeing as it is an "illegal" activity. I've never gotten into trouble doing it, but I do imagine what a great story it would be to be arrested for gardening. It just goes to show that people who genuinely want to improve the world can be punished.

I don't do a shoddy job either. Healthy plants and sustainable agricultural techniques are important, so I try to stick closely to the Grow Biointensive method of farming set out by the great organization, Ecology Action. Anyone interested in gardening should do it as sustainably as possible in this day and age and especially in places like Southern California where water is a huge issue. I urge those interested to read Ecology Action's publications such as How to Grow More Vegetables and The Sustainable Vegetable Gardener. I prepare double dug beds full of delicious compost before planting. This, as one can imagine, is quite time consuming, so it is disappointing when these gardens don't last.

I've planted gardens in public parks, on Santa Monica Boulevard, and on Wilshire. I generally plant vegetables - lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, spinach, chard, cucumbers, peas...etc, in addition to flowers that will benefit these vegetables. Some of the less noticeable gardens last a while, while the more public ones have been destroyed in a day.

Why would someone take the time to destroy a perfectly constructed bed full of food and beauty for the entire community? I suppose it has something to do with these public spaces belonging to "the city" but it's aggravating to see barren soil that is watered! If they're going to waste water on dirt, there may as well be something there that needs water. And if I am donig the work, which I enjoy so much, there is free labor, free plants, free soil and compost and everything else I use.

To me, these gardens are fun (how many people can say "I harvested a zucchini on Santa Monica Boulevard!") and I put all my love into these plants in hopes that they will live to grow and flourish. They don't always last by the joy that I get from gardening is enough to keep me motivated to plant more in hopes that the next garden will survive.