To "hire out" the back end of my garden to any willing gardener?

[Fakebook]

I don't even know if this is possible to do, but would like some input.

We're lucky to have a very long and big garden. It's about 30 ft long. We don't do anything with it. We have a shed near the top end and a 10 ft wide trampoline for dd and that's it. It's a nightmare cutting the grass and I can't get my head around how to make it a nicer garden to sit in and enjoy. I will admit, it's shitty and overgrown and dd doesn't play out there.

So wibu to advertise the back half of the garden and let willing gardeners use my "land" to grow vegetables if they wish...a bit like an allotment set up. Is this a stupid idea? Would anyone do this? My DH thinks its a stupid idea and no one will come into someone else's house to do this as people enjoy gardening in their own space.

Should I just hire a proper gardener and do the job myself?

I think there was some kind of landshare scheme set up to encourage people to do this.... Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall was involved.... will google.

here you are

Hopefully there will be a forum or something on the site so you can try and work out what the pitfalls would be and what the best way is to go about it.

No, not unreasonable at all. I think Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall endorsed a scheme about this on tv a while back... There is/was a website to help gardeners find those with gardens, should still be going.

Oh thank you that is brilliant! Just off to check that site properly now.

Great idea. Not sure how much if anything you could charge though - maybe ask for a share of the produce?

I think you'd get plenty of takers. My FIL grows veg in various people's gardens in his village, and we use the lady from upstairs's garden (both with permission, of course). Lots of veg growers don't have enough space and would be grateful for more.

It's a brilliant idea, I think I'll sign up for that.

30 ft doesn't sound particularly long, especially with a 10 ft trampoline and a shed. Do you mean 30 metres?

Okay, so it seems one of my neighbours have advertised the back of their garden as well! Their description of the location and type of house is very similar to mine and they have the same trees mentioned in the advertisement.

This is brilliant, I'm going to discuss with DH and do some measurements then offer my garden. I'd be happy with some fruit and veg or take some of the earnings if they sell their produce.

30ft is not long, do you mean 300ft perhaps?

Sorry yes, I mean 30 metres.

My Mum used to have an informal arrangement like this after my Dad died. They had a big garden as Dad had been a keen vegetable gardener. However, it was too big for Mum to cope with so she let someone else use it and he gave her plenty of veg for herself in exchange

Sounds like a good idea then :)

You could try horticulture colleges local to you? or something along those lines. You get your garden done and the students get experience.

I think its a really good idea my mum who doesn't have a garden but loves gardening would love growing veg and its more private than an allotment :)