'A female gardener can be an important companion'

Working on her allotment was just a hobby for Janet Wood until Covid hit and the hospitality industry she was working in came to a halt.

Six years later, Wood and her friend Justine Hutchinson who are based in Henley on Thames in Oxfordshire, have grown a network of more than 800 female gardeners across the country.

On International Women's Day Wood said: "We know women have been underrepresented in trades for a long time, there are lots of trades' directories out there but they are very male-led.

"What I found was that there's a huge need out there for women gardeners to work with older people who just can't manage their gardens anymore."

So Wood and Hutchinson set up WeWeed, not just for gardeners in general, but also female gardeners who could offer companionship.

The company is a network that connects women across England and aims to support them entering the industry.

Wood said the scheme is built around the concept of companion gardening: "We get really sad stories of people who've maybe lost their wife who's looked after the garden before.

"Now they see their garden just disintegrating before their eyes and they can't manage it, and then they feel like they have to leave or downsize.

"So to have a gardener who can come and be company and talk to them is just hugely important."

Hutchinson, who is a mentor for women who want to become gardeners but began as a companion gardener, echoed this: "It was fantastic."

She recalled one woman who she would speak to about "quite important things".

"I think it was enriching for both of us," she added.

Wood helps Janice Jones with her garden in Henley once a week and has done for years.

Jones said: "She's absolutely transformed the garden which was in a bit of a mess before... she's just been so helpful really."

"Normally I go and say hello, and then we have a little walk around the garden, decide what needs to be done and what would be a good idea, and we chat about other things as well… she's just nice to have around."

Wood said they are hoping to expand WeWeed even further.

She said: "I knew very early on that there was just this huge need.

"It fantastic that there's so many of us now across the UK, but we really want to expand it into the thousands."

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