“I consider the idea of guerilla gardening an extension of urban gardening or prepping for difficult times
using natural plant camouflage where the uninformed see the plants in plain sight without realizing it to be a food source.”
TIK: In my playbook that is the precise reason to practice guerilla gardening now. Most folks don’t recognize a lot of common food plants.
My experiment with the root crops I mentioned was 2-fold. First was to see if the crops would grow well in the location in the event I needed extra space. I lived in the country about a mile from the location. I was concerned that in the event of crisis water for my 1/4 acre garden and fruit orchard would become a problem so the location by near the creek gave me another water option. No, it wasn’t *urban* but the experiment applied to urban because my parents were in a city beside a creek. Their city lot with water never had sun for a garden as it’s in a pecan orchard. One block from their house the creek runs thru an undeveloped area of about 20 acres. My dad and I had thought that might be a sight for their urban garden if TSHTF. This was in the mid-80’s before so many folks considered what we now call prepping.
Second reason I tried it was just to see if any of the country folks around me would notice. The swimming hole was popular and many of us who used it did garden. I wanted to see if it went unnoticed. As far as I could tell the only thing bothered was lettuce-type things and cabbage and that was varmints. I got more turnip greens and turnips than I did from my garden. The potatoes and carrots did well too. I think having them randomly placed as opposed to rows or beds provided all the camouflage.
I also find that people don’t tend to notice squash or different types of bush beans in a flower bed. In a SHTF event those kinds of crops hiding in plain sight are good as gold.
Haven’t figured out how to hide my fruit trees, tomatoes and peppers yet. What are your thoughts on those?
Fruit trees are an investment into the future; generally, it takes three years or more, before you get into any production;
and even then, it's "you vs. the critters".
The only way to camouflage fruit trees is either grape vines, poison ivy, or kudzu; all of these will reduce production or lead to killing the tree.
That is Not at all practical.
We associate vegetables with color that we are used to..
Change the color, and people become oblivious. Also, certain colors are higher in anti-oxidents and beta carotenes: such as purple, black, gold, bright yellow
That is why I would suggest black, or deep purple colored fruit/vegetables : black Krim tomatoes, Cherokee Black
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Well , you asked or it - here are some sources and photos of what might be in a "Guerilla Garden" , the last source is dated (2008)
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10 Strange & Unusual Fruits & Veggies (with photos)
http://www.veggiegardener.com/10-strange-unusual-fruits-veggies/
Okinawan Purple Sweet Potato (purple interior veggie)
Romanescu or Romanesco-Veronica, broccoli {cole family-Italy} (cone shaped broccoli)
Durian ( thorny husk, asian fruit)
Pitaya or Dragon Fruit {Asian}(red scales over a sweet fruit)
Salsify or Goatsbeard (root tastes like oyster-light fish flavor)
PawPaw (largest edible fruit in America- sustained lewis and Clark expedition)
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Grow your usual vegetables in unusual colours!
http://grow-vegetables-at-home.com/allotment-gardening/grow-your-usual-vegetables-in-unusual-colours/
Deep Purple (F1) Carrots (all purple)
Purple haze (F1) Carrots (purple exterior, organge center)
Yellowstone - pale yellow Carrots (healthy eyes,prevent macular degeneration,cancer fighter, eases astherosclerosis(hardening of the arteries)
Black Knight -carrots (reduce LDL (bad cholesterols) Red Carrots - pink interior (reduce macular degeneration,reduce heart disease, prostate cancer)
Purple Cauliflowers- Purple Graffiti (F1) flowering purple/ color may bleed
French Beans
Golden Gate - climber (heavy crop white beans, long season cropping)
Borlotto Firetongue - french dwarf, red and white pod
Valdor - dwarf(yellow pod, long cropping, virus resistance)
Beetroot
- Albina Ice (all white, no bleed)
Leaf Beet - Bright Lights - multi colored stems, leaf is savoy, lighter than chard, each color has unique flavor.
#1) Beetroot -Beetroot are known to boost the bodies immune system, and have roots rich in potassium and folate, plus vitamin C. The tops are high in beta carotene, iron and calcium.
#2)Boiling beetroot can actually increase the nutrient value whereas pickling will reduce it.
Brussel Sprouts
Falstaff (purple- longer growing season, nuttier flavor than green, greater color intesity after frost)
Tozer Selection (Crimson red in winter, nuttier flaovr after frost)
Courgettes (Zucchini)
San Pasquale (dark green with light green stripes)
Radish
Nero Tondo Black Spanish Radish (hierloom, black exterior ,white interior, globe shape 3 - 4 inches across, slight peppery taste, milder as it gets older)
Radish Daikon Mino Early Japanese White Radish or Mooli (white, crisp, mild pungency)
White Icicle AKA White Naples (heirloom, crisp, white flesh, length 6 inches in loose soft soil
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Unusual Vegetables Varieties
http://www.gardendesk.com/unusual-vegetable-varieties/
Black tomatoes - Black Krim (with photo alongside red tomatoes -
http://www.gardendesk.com/2007/08/more-black-krims-and-more-watering.html)
White Tomesol - (available Baker Seed or Amishland HEIRLOOM Seed - all white tomato)
From the Website, Quote "ALL HEIRLOOMS"(dated 2008):
http://www.gardendesk.com/2008/02/heirloom-tomatoes-for-2008.html
So to recap, my complete 2008 Tomato Heirloom Team is:
Red:
Brandywine
Principe Borghese - best for sun-dried
Pink: Caspian Pink
Purple/Black:
Prudens Purple
Black Krim
Black Cherry
Yellow:
Dixie Golden Giant
Egg Yolk
Green:
Green Zebra
Green Moldovan
Aunt Ruby's German Green
Aunt Ruby's German Cherry
Orange:
Kellogg's Breakfast
Kentucky Beefsteak
White:
Great White
White Tomesol
Wow! That is quite a list isn't it?
A rainbow of delicious and interesting heirloom tomato excellence! "(2008)