Growing Concerns

Gardening is undeniably one of the UK’s most popular passions – from happy hobbyists to eccentric horticulturalists, all rearing the weird and the wonderful. And the current enthusiasm for growing our own food in the garden, allotment or window-box hasn’t seen the like for decades.

We’re now a nation that likes getting our hands dirty. We’re also a country which is slowly realising the benefits of gardens beyond beautiful flowers and tasty veg. Gardening and allied activities have an array of social, environmental and health benefits too – which are now being promoted and encouraged nationally – and that doesn’t just include finding the sun-loungers and crashing out on the lawn.

Social and community gardening projects have received much acclaim and promotion – helping improve run down estates and contributing to urban regeneration schemes. Some initiatives have been around a while: the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (www.BTCV.org.uk) is a charity set up in 1959 and has a successful history of environmental conservation volunteering throughout the UK and around the world. One of its inspirational enterprises is ‘Green Gyms’ – providing body fitness and dirty hands opportunities combined and aplenty. Other new ‘gardening for health’ projects are spreading nationwide too.

Here in Waveney, an evolving venture is Growing Concerns – exploring horticultural heritage and environmental arts initiatives, social and health gardening projects and, most immediately appealing to anyone with the slightest gardening interest, restoring and recycling old garden tools and allied artefacts. And sales from the latter contribute to project development in these other areas, all run by this social enterprise.

Growing Concerns is coordinated by Kessingland based Andrew Kitchen – and now operates throughout the East Anglian region. Other Growing Concerns projects include art exhibitions on plants, gardening and environmental themes; celebratory arts events; “arts in the wrong places” ventures; heritage displays and initiatives; and live performance projects. Allied ideas and input are always appreciated.

Growing Concerns sells restored tools – often cheaper than quality ‘new’ – from Cornucopia Antiques, Blackmill Road, Southwold (IP18 6AQ for ‘Sat-navers’), open every day 10am-5pm. It also sells direct, runs a tool finder service and is often keen to buy implements for restoration – [email protected]

Most of the aged and restored tools are designed to be used again – others are undoubtedly collectable and indeed much sought after. Most buyers love the feel and design of the older tools – noting the balance and strength of implements are vastly superior to many of today’s garden centre, mass-produced buys. Not only are they attractive – almost sculptural works of art, enhanced by age and wear – but there are still many more years of usage to be had, instead of a tool which bends beyond use in its first season.

Many people have also forgotten that tools were once made in varying sizes to avoid strains and pains, were even often gender specific (“ladies spades” are still very popular) and special tools were produced for children (often very sharp – perhaps a reflection of changing behavioural patterns!). Quantity and range of tools always obviously varies – these goods have to be found, not re-ordered.

And many of today’s gardeners are oblivious to the diversity of tools available to their green-fingered predecessors: Victorian and Edwardian gardeners often had a unique tool for every plant type – and got into trouble if they used the wrong one!