App matches people with garden space they’re not using, to people whose homes don’t allow for full gardens
It’s like Tinder, but for gardeners without a garden to call their own.
That’s the idea behind My Gardens Spot, the brainchild of Port Credit resident David Cutcher. The app matches people with garden space they’re not using, to people whose homes don’t allow for full gardens, and is set to launch on May 15.
“Gardening feeds my soul much more than my stomach. I realized that I’m not the only one,” Cutcher said in a recent interview. “I’m in a condo. I am an orphaned gardener. I’d lost my garden.”
The idea came to Cutcher when he downsized from a life in British Columbia four years ago, to be closer to family in the Mississauga area. With no outdoor space conducive to gardening, he started looking for local community gardens, but found many had wait lists.
Cutcher realized that private yards were an untapped community asset.
“I know this platform is needed because I felt that loss personally,” said Cutcher.
The app hosts two types of users: hosts, who are homeowners interested in offering underutilized garden space, and gardeners, who are in need of some space and can set a search radius within their town to find available hosts nearby.
Hosts pay an annual subscription fee of $75 per year, although if you sign up ahead of the launch, you get your first year on the app free with no commitment required. They’re expected to post at least eight photos of the land they have available, and are encouraged to offer tools like rakes or shovels.
There is also information on the app’s website on how to turn a section of lawn into a garden spot.
Hosts and gardeners are encouraged to make their own arrangements for payment.
Cutcher said some hosts offer their land for free as a way to essentially have free maintenance done on gardens they don’t have time to manage, while others will work out a fee, or in some cases, a barter-style system. For example, if someone is interested in growing vegetables, they could offer to share their bounty with the landowner as a form of payment.
In-app messaging means hosts and gardeners can connect in the app without handing over their phone numbers.
“They get to decide how much they’d like to charge. The app is just the matchmaker,” Cutcher explained.
Cutcher says that with food prices on the rise, he thinks the appetite for such an app will continue to grow. While the app will be available across Canada, Cutcher said he’s interested in promoting in areas like Simcoe County where there’s a large demographic of people living in condominiums and apartments, and people who have downsized following retirement.
“Connection strengthens the community,” he said.
My Gardens Spot will be available on both the Apple Store and Google Play. To pre-register to be a host or gardener, click here.