The Guerilla in Our Midst
On meeting the mild-mannered Palisadian, Larry Tabor, one would not guess the subversive activity he is engaged in. He will tell you with a convincing air of innocence that he has never heard of guerrilla gardening, and is surprised to learn that he is a practitioner of the first order.
But can it be disputed that he has without first gaining permission and in broad daylight cleared and planted neglected land that belongs to someone else?
The evidence is there for all to see. All you have to do is drive west on Oak Tree Road from 9W, cross the Palisades Parkway overpass just beyond the Esplanade and look at the embankment on the right hand side of the road. There where brambles and poison ivy once ruled are now flowering fruit trees, roses and berry bushes.
How did this happen? Well, Larry moved to Palisades with his family six years ago, buying his home on Horne Tooke Road from the woman who had built the house when the development was new. On closing, she presented him with a brochure advertising “Palisades Gardens,” the original name of the development. He was touched by her kindness but scratched his head wondering, Okay, I see Palisades, but where are the gardens? And he vowed to bring them back.
In 2009, an opportunity presented itself when Orange and Rockland engaged in “line clearance” under the utility wires up and down our roadways. They cut a swath two to three feet wide under the wires along Oak Tree Road, revealing the presence of two 50 year-old dogwoods from the original plantings of the Palisades Gardens development. Intrigued, Larry started pulling away the brush from around their trunks to give them more prominence.
His grandfather had planted blackberries on the family homestead in Middlefield, New York, about 60 years ago, that produce such succulent fruit, Larry was inspired to plant some himself. He bought 15 raspberry bushes at an end-of-season sale, 75% off, and carrying on in the great American tradition of Johnny Appleseed, one of the earliest guerrilla gardeners, planted them alongside the dogwoods on land belonging to the town. As time and finances permitted, Larry went on to clear out more brush and to plant eleven young oak trees, in honor of the patriarch oak that once stood at the corner of Oak Tree and 340. He planted grass and began regularly mowing the embankment himself.
That summer, when he and his family returned from vacation, they found the town had cut down five of the oaks and the dogwoods had been saved only by the quick thinking of Richard Rasmussen who was driving by at the moment the saws came out. He stopped his car and ordered the O&R crew to cease and desist and the crew, annoyed by Richard’s persistent interference, responded by calling the police. A discussion was had, and the upshot was that the dogwoods were saved and Larry was honored with a beautification award from O&R.
Since then, Larry and the garden have received considerable attention. He has received a thank you note from the Town of Orangetown for his efforts in beautifying Rockland, and this past summer, Jim Dean, Supervisor of Highways, stopped by one day to ask if he could help. When Larry said yes, Jim supplied him with Americorps students who finished clearing the last stretch of bramble and poison ivy and planted apples, pears, peaches, raspberries, blackberries, elderberries, logans and grapes.
He still faces considerable challenges, mostly now from Mother Nature. The rock face is steep and the dirt shallow so it is hard to keep the land sufficiently moist. He welcomes all the help he can get with watering and otherwise maintaining the garden.
Larry’s real wish is that Palisadians will come to harvest the fruit for themselves and their families when the trees and bushes have become established. He cautions everyone to be careful, though. The hill is steep and there are snakes, but the fruit is delicious and worth it. “I just want people to have it and appreciate it,” he says.
Anyone interested in volunteering should call Larry Tabor at 845-359-3059. More about guerrilla gardening in all its forms can be learned at www.guerrillagardening.com.