Gardens with Kerb Appeal - A Framework to Understand the Relationship between Britain in Bloom Gardeners and Their Front Gardens

Abstract

Britain in Bloom is a UK national campaign to help people improve their local environment through gardening, a popular and accessible pastime. This research presents a framework to understand the relationships between gardeners and their front gardens (yards). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of focus group data with 20 Britain in Bloom gardeners in Greater London explores why people garden in front gardens, how social cohesion may emerge from front gardening activities, and the health benefits of the presence of front gardens for residents and passersby. Front gardens played a key role in supporting participants’ personal identity and self-expression. Maintaining a front garden was seen as making a positive and satisfying contribution to their local area and to others’ pleasure. Social cohesion in the street or neighborhood occurred through informal verbal communication and knowledge-sharing. These findings are relevant to the impacts of front gardens and community greening initiatives in private spaces.

Keywords:

• Britain in Bloom
• community cohesion
• front gardens
• fulfillment
• gardening
• Royal Horticultural Society