So, what arethe challenges gardeners face as we go into 2021? Some famous green-fingered gurus offer their views.

Monty Don
“On a very basic level, the challenge is space. By the time I was in my early 30s I was on to my second garden of my own,” says the Gardeners’ World presenter, whose latest book My Garden World has just been published.
“But young people my children’s age, in their early 30s, don’t have houses, they don’t have gardens – it’s having the opportunity to garden.
“If young people have the energy and the desire to change things but don’t have access to gardens, like we did, that is a big challenge.
“Climate change is something that is affecting gardeners as much as anyone. It’s not necessarily disastrous but it is a change and it’s difficult.”

Alan Titchmarsh
The gardening guru, whose latest poetry book Marigolds, Myrtle and Moles: A Gardener’s Bedside Book provides a much needed escape, says: “One good thing that did come out of 2020 was the realisation that gardens had an enormous part to play in not only preserving the sanity of the nation, but also in providing food.
“I do hope that the legacy of this year – and the solace and stimulation that has been provided by gardens and gardening – will have a lasting effect on our attitude to growing things, and that future generations will see gardening for what it is – the sharp end of caring for the environment, albeit on a small scale at local level. It really does matter, and it really does make a difference.”

Michael Perry (aka Mr Plant Geek) and Ellen Mary
The co-hosts of The Plant Based Podcast say: “This year has been a challenging, yet enlightening, year for horticulture. While supply had its own challenges, interest in growing reached a peak. The world of mail order excelled and opened up a range of plants you couldn’t buy in the garden centre.
“Fingers crossed, 2021 will see further interest in horticulture, if not inhibited by availability. Our hope is that we can entice houseplant lovers to consider their outside spaces, patios if they have them, or window boxes.
“Indoors, we’d like to see a move to flowering houseplants, which opens up the world of orchids, calandiva and some super sparkly chrysanthemums. Outdoors, innovations for growing veg will make home harvests the norm.”

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Lucy Start

The SheGrowsVeg influencer with 105,000 followers on Instagram says: “When the first lockdown struck, suddenly the country found itself housebound with little to do and the garden, balcony or resident houseplant family quickly became the perfect way to pass the time.
“People who had never had much interest in gardening in general abruptly embraced the pastime with fervour and the scarcity of seeds, plants or just a simple bag of compost at the start of this year’s growing season is testament to the sheer numbers of people getting involved.
“The greatest challenge facing the gardening world in 2021 is to turn this sudden influx of gardening newbies into long term converts. To do this, there needs to be more ways for all people to grow, more focus on how to grow when you have little or no outside space and efforts made to keep the innovation and energy that has appeared this year alive and engaging.”