The number of garden allotments available in cities has, sadly, been shrinking for years and the waiting lists for space grow ever longer. But a great new idea could help solve this dilemma and make a lot of people very happy.
The pandemic, and rising awareness about sustainability, have inspired a new wave of home growers in the UK. The problem is, millions of people don’t have access to gardens, and waiting times for allotments in some areas can run into decades.
Offering a solution is AllotMe, a digital platform touted as the ‘Airbnb for gardens’.
It allows people who have green spaces they don’t use to rent them out to would-be growers with no garden of their own. In London, for example, less than 40 percent of residents have their own private garden space, but many still want the opportunity to eat healthier and more sustainably from their own patch. Furthermore, numerous studies show that gardening is good exercise and hugely beneficial to mental health.
The platform is the brainchild of architect Conor Gallagher, who came up with the idea when he noticed an unkempt garden in London. “It dawned on me that there is an untapped reservoir of outdoor space in London,” he said. AllotMe was born.
Plots typically cost between £15 and £30 a month. Part of the fee goes to the platform, which provides insurance coverage for those letting their gardens.
