Green-fingered gardeners at Cultivate London have launched a new landscape gardening and maintenance service in west London.
Horticulturists with the help of keen young gardeners got their hands dirty trimming down the herbal knot garden on Turnham Green in Chiswick, to officially launch the business.
The scheme received a cash injection of £10,000 from Santander's social enterprise development awards, and £12,500 from Heathrow Communities for Youth, as well as Brentford -based graphics company Octink who branded the snazzy van and truck.
Experienced landscape gardener Auberon Bayley headed up the team and closely supervised the trainees throughout the project.
Rebecca Frayn, chair of the Friends of Turnham Green, said: “Auberon and his team of young gardeners did a great job.
"Not only were the little hedges beautifully trimmed, but it’s nice to know that we are supporting a local charity and helping to train the next generation of gardeners in the process.”
The new venture means the charity now also deals with lawn maintenance, one-off garden and allotment clearance, garden design and build, trimming hedges and bushes.
Mike Freely, MD of Brentford-based Octink and a trustee of Cultivate, said: “It’s great to be able to help a local organisation that not only works so well for young people, but also has an effective business role in growing local plants - and now tending local gardens.”
Cultivate London received a Santander growth award to help develop this part of the charities work.
Steve Pateman, head of UK Banking at Santander, said: “We’re delighted to be able to support Cultivate and the valuable work they do training young people.”
The charity has sites in Brentford and Isleworth, with four big polytunnels on the South Acton estate (just off Bollo Lane), where it trains young people to grow plants, herbs and salad leaves.
