Hackney schools set to plant mini–orchards

Monster mulch: the great fruit tree giveaway. Photograph: James O Jenkins

Donated apple, pear and cherry trees are at the root of a plan to help youngsters grow their own fruit.

Mini-orchards will be sprouting across the borough courtesy of Capital Growth, a network of food growing groups that is dishing out 500 saplings to sites around the capital.

The seeds of the project will be sown when nine Hackney schools get their apple, pear and cherry trees to plant and nurture next month.

The scheme, which has echoes of the wartime “Dig for Victory” campaign, is backed by online plant nursery Gardening Express, whose boss Chris Bonnet encouraged schoolchildren to pick up their spades and get digging.

Mr Bonnett said: “We are overwhelmed at the response from schools. From something that started as a conversation on Twitter, we have been able to support hundreds of schools and hope to continue to do so.”

Capital Growth is distributing grants of £350 aimed at giving a financial boost to green-fingered city dwellers and educational institutions wanting to join in with the fun.

So far the campaign, which intends to establish 2,012 food-growing spaces before the end of this year, has helped create 1,900 edible gardens – and Hackney has more such spaces than any other London borough.

The funding will boost the increasingly popular locally grown food scene and seeks to champion nutritious, cheaper produce.

With gardens cropping up on roofs, along canals, in skips, housing estates and even a prison, support for the initiative is blossoming.

London Food Board chair Rosie Boycott said: “Throughout the campaign we have seen an overwhelming response from Londoners, people are just keen to have a go at growing food together in their communities.”

As well as the grants, Capital Growth offers handy horticultural hints and training for anyone who feels a bit daunted.

So whether you’re a gardening guru, an urbanite looking to transform a grey rooftop, or simply someone who wants to get their hands dirty, it’s never been easier to grow your own.