We've been receiving lots of calls from all over the UK in the last few weeks about how to organise a Gardenshare project.  People have been asking what are the hidden downsides and difficulties? Do we run CRB checks? The answer to the CRB checks is 'no' - I do chat to the gardeners for quite a while when they come in, and make sure I feel confident  in their commitment before I match them with someone. I also would say that the process is relatively self-selecting. People either show up to meet you at the office or they don't, by the time you have talked gardens for a while and had them sign some forms and agree their boundaries the only people left tend to be those who are really genuinely keen.

All I can say is that the experience has been profoundly positive and  there have honestly been no drawbacks. All the 21 gardeners and the many garden owners have worked and shared their spaces with respect and commitment. The idea is a very basic one, and humans are so good at cooperating and working together beautifully as long as everyone knows what to expect. The most surpising thing for many people who've phoned to ask about how to run it smoothly, is that there have been no bad surprises. People don't  tend to take advantage of each other when they are working together on this kind of project  - it's about sharing, community, and a bit of hard work. I find that seeing how people cooperate like this and how happy it makes them to do so really inspires me to believe in our potential for community living.

Anyway, before I blather on.... here are some tips and all the documents that we designed for the project.

Please feel free to use, adapt,  or discount them as you wish:

Step 1: Put up posters and advertise in your local area to recruit garden owners (see Gardenshare Posterbelow).

Step 2: Interview the garden owners on the phone, or go and meet them and either get them to email in or go and take some photos of the garden - to jog the memory, and so you can give the gardener(s) a clear idea of what (s)he is taking on and whether it suits. Talk around and go through the Garden Owners' Form (see below) or similar to check that you have covered all the important points and got a clear idea of their expectations and situation. Make it very clear the way you are running the scheme, in our case that is:

That the Garden Owner offers an agreed part of their garden for a grower to grow on.

That the gardener is responsible for their plot and will share a proportion (we recommend 1/4 - 1/5) of the produce.

That the gardener is not sadly available to trim hedges and roses and do general upkeep, as that is not the remit of the scheme. This must be clearly stated - as you need to protect your gardeners from false expectations.

Step 3: Start recruiting Gardeners (see Gardeners' Poster below).

Step 4: Get all gardeners to make an appointment to come in to see you at the project HQ /  office. Use the Gardeners' Document form below , or similar, to have a general chat about their experience and commitment and go through all the details on the form. Again, make it very clear the way you are running the scheme, our this case we:

Step 5: They have a form to join South Devon Community Supported Farming as a member (£7-10 / yr), which means they are covered for public liability insurance in the garden they work in, so the garden owner doesn't need to worry about this (strange world we now live in but hey!).

Step 6: Try and match the gardener with a garden local to them, as close as possible. Check that their expectations and intentions for the scheme match. Do their schedules match? (A weekend gardener can't be paired with an owner who wants the garden to be private on Sundays.) Show the gardener the photos of the potential garden. If they are brimming with enthusiasm and all set to go I say I'll call the garden owner and if it is all systems go I will get back to them with the number. I then give them 3 copies of the Gardenshare Certificate to sign with the garden owner when they meet (they send me one copy, and keep the others themselves).I also give them a Gardenshare Sign to attach to the garden if the owner is happy for this, and ask them to send in photos (especially before and after photos!)

Step 7: I phone the garden owner and tell them all about the gardener and give them some idea of their situation and needs, and who to expect a call from, and ask if I can give their number to Jilly or Jim, or whoever.

Step 8: I give the gardener the garden owners number and they arrange to meet (occasionally I might go and introduce them if it is very close by, or if I think it would help the garden owner feel more comfortable).

Step 9: I give the gardener a call the next week to see how it all went (in general I try not to bother the garden owners too much - but do give them a call from time to time to see how it is all going for them).

Step 10: Every so often I give both parties a call and then at the end of each season send out feedback forms to hear how each gardenshare is working (see feedback forms below).