Preserving the Community: a campaign to waste less and appreciate more

We have been overwhelmed by the public response to our Preserving the Community RHS Hampton Court show garden. The concept of our preserving shed seems to have captured people’s imaginations.

Many communities have ways of recycling and rehoming household goods and clothes that would otherwise go to landfill, but often there is nowhere to take plants, seeds or garden produce that are no longer required.

So this got us thinking – what if we took our Preserving the Community idea nationwide?

Many visitors to Hampton Court shared their ideas and experiences and now we would like as many people as possible to let us know what they have been up to and to pass on their tips.

Do you collect fruit from neighbours’ gardens to share around your community? Do you save jam jars for your allotment friends or run seed swap or crop swap scheme? Do you have a neighbourhood honesty box? Or perhaps you re-home orphaned plants and trees? Have you ever used left-over seed packets to plant a community cutting garden?

We would like to know about your garden recycling, waste prevention and preserving projects. In return, we hope to pass on your experience and advice to everyone who would like to start a project of their own, no matter how big or small.

Leave your comments below or email Nicole

Thanks for your help – and look out for our feature on Preserving the Community in issue three, on sale early September.