Guerilla gardening from Waiheke's 'Dancing Gardener'

Waiheke's 'Dancing Gardener' has planted his berm with fruit and veggies. Photo / Supplied

Organic gardening: John Stansfield, long-time Waiheke Island resident and 'Dancing Gardener', readily admits he has, at times, lived his life unsustainably. "Hell yes! I was a total petrol head as a teenager. I had a Chevy car and loads of loud motorbikes."

Stansfield, who is 53 or maybe 54 (he's "not too sure") has achieved more than most people have on their bucket lists. His list of professions is impressive and varied; researcher, lecturer, political activist, union organiser, founder of Student Job Search and former director of Oxfam and Chief Executive of the Problem Gambling Foundation.

Growing up, Stansfield was exposed to some influential thinkers including Bill Mollison, the so-called 'father of permaculture', Merv Hancock, a visionary for social work in New Zealand, historical anarchist writer Errico Malatesta and former Green Party leader Jeanette Fitzsimons.

"These people helped shift me to spend more time living simply (read poor) and to understand the joy of changing from a life of consumption to one of production."

Stansfield's latest incarnation, "The Dancing Gardener", aims to link poverty, environment and food security through his boogying alter-ego, although he readily admits he can't jive his way out of a paper bag.

John's acts of rebellion in growing food has seen him takeover council verges and become, what he calls, a guerilla gardener.

"Wide roads are nice for cars but not nice for people," John explains. "We need to claim this land and stand up and say, 'this is ours'."

"I met local Waiheke film-maker, Baz Caitcheon, and we wanted to make food gardening the 'little black dress' of the decade. You know, fun, hip and accessible."

His south-facing house was completely devoid of topsoil and Stansfield has built it up with compost, lawn clippings, seaweed and cardboard and, he jokes, "old pyjamas." The first of his YouTube video shows Stansfield transforming his ordinary suburban house on a main street into a food forest without big bucks or back-breaking toil.

"My garden is a lazy-man's dream garden. I don't dig and I don't do weeds. Digging is a worm's job. Spread some good old New Zealand sheep droppings onto the soil, it's like take-away food for the worms. They love it".

His verge is a riot of lettuces, courgettes and corn and anyone passing can take some food away with them.

At a grass-roots level, John says sustainability can be achieved easily. "It's a pretty old formula, educate, organise and agitate."

The Dancing Gardener's top five hints for guerilla gardening
1. Use recycled cardboard boxes to build a care-free garden. Build up rather than down by placing old cardboard boxes on top of poor soil. Using a handful of wet compost, plant seedlings on top of the cardboard and surround by mulch. Your plants will grow beautifully and the weeds will be kept at bay by the cardboard.
2. Take those supermarket fliers and stuff them. Literally. Use these pieces of paper which are generally tossed into the recycling bin and turn them into gold to make your very own food. Twist lengths of the paper tightly around the end of a narrow bottle, fold in the end, remove the bottle and you've got your own perfect little compostable planting pot which are free and break down easily in the soil.
3. Grow fruit and vegetables on public land. If you live in a city, reclaim your council verge and road reserve and start your own community garden. It's fun, a great way to meet your community and gives you extra growing space if you need it. A win-win situation.
4. If you don't have land, grow food in a bucket. Even if you don't have a backyard to garden, you can still produce your own food using buckets and turn your apartment into an urban farm. Old plastic buckets can be reinvented into growing spaces by knocking a hole out of the bottom to allow water drainage. Fill with soil and all-purpose potting mix, plant with your seedlings and leave on your balcony or back step.
5. Share your surplus food. Start a community group where you can share an over-abundance of produce. If you have golden peaches falling off your tree, swap them for your neighbour's tomatoes, basil or rocket. This means you are still eating in season and keeping your family healthy and happy.

Helen Elscot ND is a Waiheke-based, qualified medical herbalist, naturopath, clinical nutritionist and a member of the New Zealand Association of Medical Herbalists. See more at www.herbalhealthwaiheke.co.nz

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