Even in the concrete jungle, South Londoners are becoming green-fingered

New gardeners have sprung out of lockdown to bring climate action and community into their homes

Lockdown has seen nearly three million new gardeners start growing plants in their own homes, according to the Horticultural Trades Association. With the rise of climate activists and Extinction Rebellion’s predominantly young audience, it’s perhaps no surprise that nearly half (49%) of them are aged under 45.

We’ve also seen a sales increase in gardening equipment (51%) and seeds (59%), and people are allegedly spending more time in their gardens for leisure activities as those sales categories have seen a bigger surge compared to August 2019, according to the HTA Garden Retail Monitor. 

However, it can be difficult to engage in the grow-your-own trend when one in 8 British households don’t have a garden, and if they do, they have to share it with other residents, with the percentage increasing fourfold when comparing the homes of minority ethnic citizens to those of white Brits. 

Especially in densely populated cities such as London, where it’s more likely for people to share a home, it’s particularly hard to find spaces to tend allotments or ways to plant your own seeds. Even in Croydon, a place that’s further on the outskirts of London and often mocked for ‘not being in London’ (in which case, may I direct you to these 21 good reasons why Croydon is in fact in London, not Surrey), the average house price is still £369,791 while the median earnings are £34,890, with the average monthly, private rent being £1,100. 

Despite this lack of access to gardening space, the so-called Millennial aesthetic has shown that many young people still find ways to introduce greenery into their homes. It looks like it started with almost unkillable houseplants like the devil’s ivy or cacti, and brave first-time growers are now developing their green thumbs by growing herbs and vegetables at home. 

One local initiative which started around the Croydon and New Addington area is the popular subscription service Pot Gang. Since much of lockdown made us feel like other substances were more accessible than for example dry yeast, you might be forgiven for thinking that ‘Pot Gang’ stands for an entirely different business idea. It’s a subscription service founded by Sam Smith (avid plant-grower, not the singer) during lockdown after growing plants such as radishes on his balcony and noticing how uncommon it was to grow things yourself in London’s small living spaces. 

The service allows you to sign up for monthly or bi-monthly boxes filled with three types of seasonal seeds, compost and pots. As Sam is familiar with the frustration that comes with trying to grow plants on your own for the first time, he made sure the service provides simple guides and how-to videos. He even has a burner phone for people’s questions called ‘the potline’, helping out beginners who want to get into gardening but ‘don’t know what they’re doing’. 

Over the last year, Sam has grown a wholesome community that gets family and friends and young and old together to give back to nature from the small confines of their homes (word has it that even Elton John is one of them). On their Instagram, they regularly post testimonies from their customers, one of them confessing:

“I’m so absurdly invested in these. I’ve never grown something from seed before, and I honestly feel like a mother.”

It’s safe to say that their accessible and playful approach makes this process less intimidating, too, as they focus on funky designs and even give their monthly seeds characters. This month, you can get acquainted with ‘Tracey Mad Guvnor McLean’, which is an Aji Lemon Chilli, ‘Alastair’, which is a Viola Radish, and ‘Angie, the ‘Gardener’s Delight Tomato’, a classic for anyone who’s tried to plant tomatoes from their balcony before.

Garden initiatives, no matter how big or small, have grown in popularity as more people want to get involved with sustainable practices and perhaps even get more in touch with nature during their lockdown walks. The Lambeth GP Food Co-op covers 11 gardening practices in South London alone, and the Pot Gang has already been shouted out by national media outlets such as the Independent, the Metro, the Daily Telegraph, and even appeared on BBC Radio a few times. Their loyal clientele also regularly praises the services, from young to old admitting that: 

“The only thing I’ve grown in 30 years is a prominent stomach, but last month I signed up and it was super easy and fun! Cannot recommend highly enough.” 

Another reported: “This is our 2nd box and we are loving it! My 3 year twins are so excited to get involved and get planting. We’re particularly excited about the garlic this month.” 

You can now get 50% of the first box with the code GETTHATGREEN, but it’s safe to say you’ll get more than weedy puns and an opportunity to give birth to new seedlings. Lockdown has in many ways been isolating, but becoming part of a garden community even if it’s from your own home can offer therapeutic benefits as well as being great for the environment. Even if volunteering in your local climate action group isn’t an option right now, growing salads from home might just be the right step forward.

Featured image courtesy of Victoire Joncheray on Unsplash