Coverage from South London Guardian
 http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/green/homegreen/display.var.1407611.0.country_gardens_come_to_town.php

Country gardens come to town

A Balham man has launched a scheme to transform parts of the borough from urban jungle into cottage garden.

Seb Mayfield, 28, of Caistor Road, launched the Food Up Front project earlier this month, encouraging residents to turn their balconies and concrete driveways into vegetable patches.

Mr Mayfield developed the idea with a green-fingered friend, Zoe Lujic, to meet the growing interest in gardening and organic food in the borough.

"People are waiting between three and 10 years for an allotment, but there are lots of front gardens that aren't being used at all. We just put two and two together," he said.

"We want people to grow anything and everything from herbs through to lettuce, tomatoes and broccoli - anything you could grow in the country," he added.

Residents who sign up to the scheme are provided with compost, seeds and pots, sourced through recycling service Wandsworth Freecycle, and only have to pay a small fee to cover costs. They will also be given advice on how to get home allotments flourishing.
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Mr Mayfield said this was a pilot year for the scheme and would take on a limited number of gardens this year. But he has applied for community funding and hopes that by next year, Food Up Front will develop into a burgeoning network.

The idea has had an enthusiastic reception from gardening novices and seasoned vegetable-growers alike.

Roger Illingworth, 24, of Cavendish Road in Balham, who has planted parsnips, lettuce, tomatoes and herbs, said: "My girlfriend and I wanted to get into gardening. We have grown a few herbs in the past but they have tended to die so it is great having that support and people telling us how to do it."

For more information, email  info@foodupfront.org.