A couple months ago, I wrote about how a local group called L.A. Guerrilla Gardening‘s mixing rock and roll with urban beautification — through a fun day-long event when Angelenos planted planted a bunch of gardens near Metro Red Line stations, with local bands performing while local gardeners worked. That event drew a lot of gardeners, but often, just a few people work rather surreptitiously on these surreptitious green projects — since guerrilla gardeners don’t ask for permission before planting. They go ahead and beautify first — and apologize later, if necessary.

Apparently, the gardeners have been taking on their quiet task of late with the help of a quiet plug-in Prius, provided by Toyota as part of the company’s Toyota Prius Projects. Watch this short video to see the guerrilla gardeners at work!

Want to lend a hand at these gardening events? Sign up for L.A. Guerrilla Gardening‘s newsletter — and join the group’s Facebook community page to get in on the last-minute requests for help on super secret projects.

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What do urban gardening, subway riding, and local live music have in common? If you guessed good green fun, you’re right — but you get bonus points if you guessed Rock ‘N Crawl, an all-day event that got Angelenos taking the Metro Red Line from Universal City to downtown L.A. — stopping at nine stations to put in sustainable urban landscaping while listening to local bands perform.

That event was put together last April by Los Angeles Guerrilla Gardening, a collective of urban gardeners that take over sad-looking urban spots in public areas and put in drought-resistant greenery, with or without permission of the land owner. Now, almost a year later, a video of the event’s been released!

Watch it to see happy-looking Angelenos get on and off the subway holding succulents, nine different local bands performing plaintively or energetically or both, smiling dancers goofing off on the streets, prettified and greened urban corners, and a lot more good stuff that makes both gardening and subway-riding look like a lot of fun.

No news as of yet whether a second annual Rock ‘N Crawl’s planned for 2011, but Los Angeles Guerrilla Gardening is having a public Seed Bomb Workshop next week in conjunction with a pop-up art exhibition of the late artist and photographer Dan Eldon‘s work. The event happens Tue., March 15 at 7 pm at Space 15 Twenty, 1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles. RSVP by emailing rolypoly@laguerrillagardening.org. Suggested Donation? A packet of seeds.

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>> Happy World Carfree Day today! Don’t forget about the car-free community meetings this month! Both the Los Angeles Bicycle Plan meetings and Westside Subway Extension meetings are happening this and next week!

>> Get politically active at the No on Proposition 23 event, put together to make sure the oil industry-funded initiative goes down in defeat. You’ll get to enjoy local sustainable snacks, watch a mini-docu about Prop 23, hear from experts, and find out how to help fight against Prop 23. The FREE event requires an RSVP and happens Thu, Sep. 23 at 7 pm at TreePeople in Coldwater Canyon Park.

>> California Assembly Speaker Emeritus Karen Bass is holding a Green Living Workshop that’ll cover eco-friendly shopping and eating, greener cleaning, wise water use, and composting. Be there Thurs., Sep. 23 from 7 pm to 9 pm at Veterans Memorial Complex, 4117 Overland Ave., Culver City.

>> Get pretty at the Evolue beauty event, where green author Sophie Uliano will demo how to make your own Vitamin C serum. You’ll also get to enjoy complimentary hand treatments, mini manis, and makeup touch ups. The event happens Thur., Sep. 23 from 6 pm to 9 pm at Evolue, . RSVP to info@evoluebeauty.com if you’d like to take advantage of the complimentary services. Earlier: Évolué: A New green beauty boutique opens in Beverly Hills.

>> Watch Dirt! the Movie free on Fri., Sep. 24 starting at 7 pm on the Santa Monica Pier. Earlier: Review of Dirt! The Movie.

>> Architect Mark Lakeman brings City Repair — which “combines architecture, urban planning, anthropology, community development, public art, permaculture and ecological design in projects that transform public space” — to Los Angeles. Mark’s City Repair Slideshow and Potluck event happens on Fri., Sep. 24 from 7:30 to 10:30 pm at the Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice. Cost: $5 – $20, sliding scale.

>> Dig In! at Median Makeover Merryment — and get a free lunch while you’re at it! This hands-on workshop will get you into cob building, planting, painting, and more. Be there on Sat., Sep. 25 from 9:30 am to 4 pm at the intersection of Dudley Ave. and Main St. in Venice.

>> Tour the L.A. River with Friends of the Los Angeles River! See the waterway up close, find out about its revitalization plans, and get a lesson on L.A. eco-history. Meet up Sun. Sep. 26, at 8 am at the River Center, 570 W Ave. 26, Los Angeles to form carpools and caravan around until 4 pm. Cost: $25. RSVP required.

>> Hear permaculture teacher Larry Santoyo and City Repair architect Mark Lakeman discuss City Repair and Permaculture, Similarities & Differences between LA & Portland. The conversation begins Tue., Sep. 28 from 7 pm – 10 pm at Project Butterfly, 821 Traction Ave. Unit #108, Los Angeles. Cost: $35.

>> Don’t forget to sign up for the Permaculture Design class from EarthFlow, taught by renowned permaculture expert Larry Santoyo. The chance to win tickets has now passed, but it’s not too late to sign up! The first class of the six weekend course happens Sat., Oct. 2 to Sun., Oct. 3, from 10 am to 6 pm both days.

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Want a garden of your own — but don’t have a backyard to convert? Long for a spot in your local community garden — but remain stuck on a long waiting list? On Sat., Sep. 25, you’ll have a chance to get your garden on — no plot of dirt required! That day, hundreds of Dig Ins will be happening around the country for would-be gardeners and locavores that want to get their hands dirty.

These events are organized by Slow Food USA, a nonprofit pushing for a more sustainable food system that gets people more connected to — and drawing more pleasure from — the food they eat. If you’re ready to Dig In, find an event near you on Slow Food USA’s website. You’ll get to do some good old fashioned work in a local garden — before indulging in a celebratory meal to cap the day.

So far, the only L.A.-area event listed is a Slow Food Pasadena Dig In (email mzboray@la.chefs.edu for more details). But more events are getting listed every day — and I know of at least one relevant westside event Dig In!-esque that’s not yet listed. That’s the Median Makeover Merriment, featuring architect Mark Lakeman of City Repair fame. This community building and beautification project will get you prettifying a median by planting, painting, and even cob structure building. Then, all participants will get to indulge in a free lunch. Be there on Sat., Sep. 25 from 9:30 am to 4 pm at the intersection of Dudley Ave. and Main St. in Venice. For more info, email Francis Delavecchia at francis@joyfulactivist.com.

Of course, if you’ve got a garden that could use some hands-on love, organizing your own Dig In can be a great way of getting free gardening help! Sign up to start a Dig In on Slow Food USA’s website, provide the details, and prepare for the arrival of volunteers on Sep. 25.

Image via Slow Food USA

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>> Put Moving Beyond Cars, L.A.’s alternative transportation celebration, on your calendar. GOOD, railLA, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, deLab and the Coalition for Clean Air invite you to a party — so long as you get there car free. The FREE party happens Wed., Aug. 18 from 7 pm to 10 pm at The Jewel Box at City National Plaza, 525 S. Flower St., Downtown Los Angeles.

>> Take the City of Santa Monica’s Lawn Alternatives Tour to see gorgeous water-efficient gardens that “range from dense turf, to luscious meadows, to sprawling groundcovers” in Santa Monica — and get water-smart ideas for your own lawn. The bus tour happens Sat., Aug. 21 from 10 am – 1 pm, starting at the rear entrance courtyard of the Santa Monica Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. Cost: $5. RSVP to Russell Ackerman at russell.ackerman@smgov.net or 310.458.8405.

>> I hope you’re signed up for Santa Monica Museum of Art’s second annual Cause for Creativity: Tour da Arts — because the event’s reached capacity though there’s still room for the spoke card art workshop at 2 pm (cost: $5). Those RSVP’d will enjoy a FREE C.I.C.L.E.-led cultural bike ride from 4 pm to 7 pm that includes a performance from bicycling cellist Ben Sollee, followed by a closing party. All that happens Sun., Aug. 22.

>> Catch a free screening of Bag It, a fun documentary about the plague that is disposable plastic, followed by other anti-plastic and pro AB1998 PSAs. Hosted by the Plastic Pollution Coalition, the screening happens Sun., Aug. 22 from 4 pm to 7 pm at the UCLA James Bridges Theater. RSVP to RSVP@plasticpollutioncoalition.org.

>> Eco-shop Green Tangerine’s having a Green Day and E-Recycling event. Take your electronic waste to the party for recycling, then enjoy live music, a green fashion show and a green tag sale while meeting local eco-entrepreneurs. The event happens Sun., Aug. 22 from 10 am to 2 pm at 11973 San Vincente Blvd., Los Angeles.

Image via good.is

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