Open gardens usually conjure up images of older, well-to-do people admiring each others’ chrysanthemums. But now, with a shortage of public space in cities, overcrowded parks and young people increasingly living in rented accommodation with little outdoor space, a new drive by the National Gardens Scheme is aiming to make private gardens more inclusive.
The scheme has already begun opening up gardens to allow users to enjoy early snowdrops and will continue until late October. It wants to encourage young people to use private outdoor space as they would a public park. Private garden owners can register their gardens with the NGS and open them up to the public, charging a fee of about £4, with all proceeds going to nursing and caring charities.
“Gardening is generally regarded as an occupation for old retirees but there has been a steady movement towards it among young people keen on environmental issues, or growing their own produce for cooking, or just looking for some quiet space,” said George Plumptre, chief executive of the NGS.
“In urban areas, we want to encourage more young people to turn up, sit on a bench with a book or have a cup of tea with friends and spend a couple of hours in a green space, particularly if they have not got that at home.” The NGS is increasing its use of social media and has created a free app that gives precise details about garden openings.
Experts welcomed the move. Les Back, 52, professor of sociology at Goldsmiths, University of London, said: “People in their 20s and early 30s are increasingly living in rented accommodation with no garden and very little room. This is true of Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and particularly London. The amount of space people do have is increasingly pressured.”
Back said public parks, which were traditionally conceived as being the lungs of a city, were being besieged as the population of the UK increased and outdoor areas were shrinking or becoming overcrowded. “Schemes such as this are showing that, at last, those with more land – older, middle-class people – are thinking about sharing their space. It’s not before time,” he said.
Clare Elliott, 29, a film-maker who rents a shared house in Walthamstow in London, agreed. She said that for people living in a city where houses were being sliced up into flats and outdoor space is a luxury, it could be difficult to find a peaceful place out of doors.
“Right now, if you choose to live in London, you’re basically deciding that you won’t have any green space. None of my friends can afford their own gardens or outdoor areas,” she said.
“In the summer, many of the parks near me don’t even have green grass because it’s been trampled on. There’s certainly a demand for more access to nature in the capital – quiet places where young people can go to read, hang out, have a coffee or even go on a date.” She added: “Some cities are better than others but there’s a lack of designated green areas and these really great garden societies are making a difference.”
The NGA opens up more than 3,500 private gardens across the country each year, with the peak time being in the summer, when there are 250-400 gardens open every weekend from late May until early July. Founded in 1927 by the Queen’s Nursing Institute, the district nursing movement, the NGA raises more than £3.25m a year, with proceeds going to charities such as Macmillan, Marie Curie, Carers Trust, Hospice UK and Perennial.
