Security guard turns garden into massive allotment using YouTube

A man transformed his garden into a massive allotment growing thousands of fruits and vegetables for needy strangers. Christopher Jones, 35, found himself out of work during lockdown as he was a self-employed security guard, which led him to take up gardening.

The father-of-one established 25 beds to cultivate vegetables in the 120ft by 21ft garden of his rented property after learning how on YouTube.

In 2020 alone, he managed to grow 55kg of potatoes, 9kg of strawberries, 15kg of carrots, 15 trays of lettuce, and seven pumpkins. Despite money being tight, Christopher was resolute in his mission to aid struggling households in his local community.

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He estimates that consuming his own produce saved him "hundreds of pounds" on his grocery bills during the pandemic. However, most of his produce was offered for free on Facebook for those in need to collect as and when they needed.

As time went on, Christopher's gardening skills improved, and he was able to grow an increasing variety of fresh food. Christopher, from Halton, Cheshire, said: "It was a difficult time for a lot of people.

"It was about people who were struggling, living off reduced salaries, and people with kids. I had a woman come with two small kids, they took everything they could get, they were struggling.

"Every time something was ready she came and got a load of it because her children weren't getting free school meals."

Christopher, who started with minimal gardening know-how and a couple of small plants, has shared his remarkable journey of self-taught horticulture through YouTube tutorials. In just one year, he managed to cultivate an impressive variety of vegetables, including potatoes, parsnips, pumpkins, sweetcorn, spinach, and sprouts.

While he reserved a small share for his own consumption, the bulk of his produce was distributed free of charge, with people picking up from his home or other local spots like near postboxes. His efforts not only supported the community during tough times but also encouraged others to take up gardening, recognising its benefits for both physical and mental well-being, especially during lockdown.

Christopher expressed, "Gardening really helps, a lot of people struggled with their mental health in lockdown."

He continued to promote the therapeutic aspects of gardening, saying, "I was trying to also get the message out that gardening can help, to stimulate your mind and body."

He even went as far as assembling little pots with compost and seeds to give away, inspiring others to try growing their own food. Although he has now returned his garden to its original state, Christopher's passion for gardening remains undiminished.

He has taken on an allotment to keep producing food for those in need and aims to encourage more people to grow their own organic food and save money, adding: "My aim is to get people out there to go 'you know what? I can save a few pounds and grow my own food, and do it organically'."