A YOUNG Northfields man hopes to show people of his age in Ealing that gardening can be as cool a hobby as playing football and surfing the internet.

Matt Kaczmarczyk, 21, is the youngest ever contestant of BBC’s Big Allotment Challenge and, despite being voted off in episode one, which aired on January 2, he is determined to continue sharing his passion.

Environmental engineering graduate Matt has been obsessed with growing his own vegetables since rescuing a tomato plant from his neighbour’s dustbin when he was nine.

He said: “I used to grow everything in little pots around my garden until there was no space left! I would sit there until the evening just watering everything.

“It was the most chilled thing to do as a kid and it just genuinely excites me. You’ve got a little tomato pip and, if you grow it well, you can get a bag full of tomatoes. Isn’t that cool?”

As well as his fascination for all things nature, Matt says gardening is an ideal hobby because it’s cheap and easy to try.

And, while growing your own vegetables may not excite most youngsters, he is keen to challenge the impression that allotments are used only by the older generation.

Matt and his friends often socialise at the Northfields allotment he has had since he was 13, arranging barbecues and relaxed gatherings.

“If people saw that, it would make more sense to them,” he said.

“It’s not the stereotypical going to say ‘hi’ to your granny. I’ve had some great parties there.”

Outdoor enthusiast Matt hopes to secure a job within the food supply chain, working with farmers and healthy, organic food.

And, as if looking for a job, maintaining an allotment and sharing his gardening tips wasn’t enough, Matt is looking to get into bee-keeping next.

It would certainly secure his status as an unorthodox, outdoors - and very cool - young man.

 

KEEN to inspire others, Matt shared a tip for growing tomato plants with us.

He said: “Tomatoes and peppers are warm and loving plants, something the UK’s not known for, so start them early, in the first week of March or last week of February on your window sill.

“When planting out into final position, take out and put the root mass a few inches below the main ground level and the stem will shoot out of its own roots - the more roots you have, the bigger the plant grows!”