Nature features

A new scheme on the Isle of Wight aims to help out the growing number of young gardeners by matching them with Islanders who do have gardens but are unable to look after them due to ill health or old age.

The Adopt-A-Garden proposal is an innovative pilot scheme which seeks to marry these two groups.

The householder will get their garden looked after for free and the gardener gets a free allotment in return. No money exchanges hands and either party can give six weeks notice at any time.

Elizabeth and Joan

There is an increased interest in gardening amongst younger people, many of whom have small gardens or no gardens at all - there is currently a waiting list of over 250 people for council allotments on the Island.

Elizabeth Cave has already adopted the back garden of Joan Livingstone who hasn't been able to tend her garden since undergoing hip and knee operations.

Elizabeth explained she had been stuck on the allotment waiting list so jumped at the chance of adopting a plot: "I'd like to help someone in the community and if I can help them while doing something for myself as well, all the better."

The scheme's organisers The Footprint Trust, a local registered environmental charity, hopes there will be other add-on benefits - the gardener might keep an eye on the householder's welfare and new friendships might be developed between neighbours and across the generations.

The scheme could go nationwide

Ray Harrington-Vail told BBC Radio Solent's Good Life: "Both parties benefit - the person who has the overgrown garden which is a worry for them and there's someone up the road who is crying out to adopt half of the garden to grow vegetables and keep the other half in good order - that's the beauty of the scheme."

The scheme is also supported by Anchor Staying Put charity which supports older and disabled people to stay living in their own homes.

It could mean that some of the Island's 3,000 uncared for gardens could be growing food for local people - reducing food miles and encouraging healthy eating along with exercise through gardening activities.

This pilot project will seek to match up 50 gardens with 50 gardeners over the next 14 months. 

After police checks to ensure safety and security concerns are met, an initial meeting between the householder and the gardener will sort out issues such as access (gardeners must be allowed access to tend their produce every day), water supply, waste disposal and composting - organisers suggest that no money changes hands from either party.

Other organisations and councils are known to be monitoring how the scheme goes to see if it could be extended to the rest of the country.

More information on the Adopt-a-Garden scheme is available on freephone 08000 560 780.