The Royal Horticultural Society has launched its biggest ever community gardening survey as it seeks to map what the charity believes to be a crucial but unwritten public service.

The ambitious national research project will create an in depth report on community gardening, providing a clear picture of who participates and why, its reach, impact and barriers to growth.

The survey seeks input from groups or individuals involved in gardening outside of private and commercial gardens and the results will contribute to a bigger report on gardening in the UK that will publish in October. The findings will ultimately help the RHS and other organisations to better support community gardeners in the future.

Clare Matterson, RHS Director General, said: “We know that gardening in the community can contribute to a reduction in crime, help drive better health outcomes for residents, and boost the local economy. Understanding where community gardening is happening and the form it takes – organised or other - will help in mapping this vital, public service and open up new potential avenues of support for building greener and more sustainable communities.”

UK data on community gardening is currently limited; each year the RHS works with approximately 5,000 groups but there are estimated to be thousands more groups doing invaluable work across the nation.

Indications suggest that recent years have seen an increase in the number of community gardening groups, particularly in urban areas. This growth reflects the increasing recognition of gardening as a tool for addressing socio-economic and environmental challenges.

Community gardening has evolved over the decades, beginning with small grassroots initiatives and now also encompassing larger, organised networks that collaborate with local councils, charities, and environmental organisations. While many groups still focus on growing fruits and vegetables for the community, their scope has broadened to include everything from promoting mental health, enhancing biodiversity, and fostering community cohesion, for example by engaging with schools or vulnerable groups. As well as thousands of groups, there is also an increasing number of individuals who have taken on sole responsibility for a plot of land that serves the needs of local people.

Examples of the variety of ways community gardening groups are supporting their community and local environment include:

• Bensham Court, Gateshead: Refugees fleeing conflict and persecution are invited to grow alongside their neighbours – sharing gardening practices, foods and helping to foster social cohesion. The work provided invaluable support during 2024’s riots.
• Team London Bridge: Creating gardens designed to capture, absorb and channel rainwater, helping to alleviate flooding on nearby streets
• Lauder in Bloom, Scotland: Have taken on responsibility for mowing local green spaces and raking cut grass, turning it into free compost for local residents.
• Bath in Bloom: Patrolling the annual toad migration in February/March to ensure as many as possible make the journey safely.

Sarah Galvin, RHS Head of National Community Programmes, said: “Community gardening is at the heart of creating greener, healthier, and more connected communities but the shape and structure of it is changing. On the one hand large scale and organised and at the other individually motivated and maintained. This survey is an opportunity to understand the incredible breadth and diversity of community gardening across the nation.”

Survey participants can opt into a prize draw for a chance to win one of eight £125 gardening gift vouchers. Winners will be notified on Monday, 7 April 2025.

To find out more about the survey or to take part, visit:https://www.rhs.org.uk/communitygardeningsurvey