The goal of this article is to explore the website communication of urban activist gardeners by focusing on the concept of ritual as a heuristic category. In contrast to the majority of those doing research on ritual, I use a systems-theoretical approach in applying the concept of ritual to communication processes. I explore the role played by ritual in communication in order to answer questions such as, “What is specifically unique about the ritual mode of communicating?” and, following from this, “What function do these rituals serve in communication?” My subject, urban garden activism, is thus addressed from the perspective of media- and communication research.

First, I briefly describe urban activist gardening and how communication is usually structured on their websites. Second, I present an outline of some theories and concepts of communication and ritual within media studies, and give a brief account of the systems-theoretical approach that I use. Third, I define some areas of ritual – that is, ritualized patterns of communication found in the urban activist gardeners’ empirical material – so as to provide answers regarding the means and function of ritual in communication.

Urban activist gardening can take many forms and is practiced in cities all over the world from community gardens on vacant lots, that is, the cultivation of what is considered to be neglected land , to the cultivation of tree pits, and to moss graffiti on rocks, logs, pots or statuary. Without communicating these actions, we did not know anything about these movements. For instance, mass media has taken up this issue of transformation in several contributions. Most of the people know about it via mass media, that has frequently taken up activist gardening in cities. However, this paper explores how urban activist gardener themselves communicate their actions on websites. What are the selection criteria for dissemination information on their activities? How do they try to open up for participation for the “right” people?

The blogosphere supports an interpersonal meaning production process by providing the space and opportunities for communication through the circulation and discussion oftopics. Using systems theory, as developed by Niklas Luhmann, I explore how garden bloggers issue invitations to communicate by studying their selection process from all possible entries and images. I examine the selection criteria for posting an entry and especially look at Swedish and German garden blogs to study “ordinary” people’s relations in the blogosphere from the perspective of sharing opinions, impressions, and emotions about their garden environment. As a result, the selection criteria of novelty, values, identification, conflicts, visuality, and sociality are revealed. A communicative culture of approval, admiration, and respect, which promotes emotional ties and strengthens the feeling of common concerns in the blogosphere, is noticeably present.