Belfast entrepreneur creates AI Hazel to inspire young gardeners to grow own fruit and veg

Conor Gallagher, founder of AllotMe, and gardener Corrie Rounding

Conor Gallagher, founder of AllotMe

A former architect and urban designer from Belfast has launched his latest innovation aimed at spreading the appeal of gardening.

Conor Gallagher has created Hazel, an AI gardening assistant powered by Chat GPT, with the hope of encouraging younger people in particular to grow their own fruit and vegetables.

Hazel is hosted on the AllotMe platform launched by Mr Gallagher in 2021, which lays claim as the world’s first ‘Airbnb for gardens’.

AllotMe secured investment totalling £250,000 last year and has expanded its reach to 500 plots available for rent and 5,000 registered hosts, users and enthusiasts.

As well as promoting sustainability, it was created in response to rising demand for space in urban environments during the pandemic and soaring food inflation.

A further innovation launched by Mr Gallagher, sustainable hydroponic planter GrowPod, is said to be another world-first and featured in the London Evening Standard’s list of best new home tech.

A past pupil of St Malachy’s College in north Belfast, Mr Gallagher studied architecture at Ulster University, London Metropolitan University and the Glasgow School of Art. He had been working on £30m-plus construction projects in New York and London before giving up his career as an architect and urban designer to indulge his passion for sustainability and urban regeneration. He has also been involved in another start-up, Farmacy NYC.

Hazel is the latest phase in his platform’s mission to break down barriers to people growing their own and contributing to a more sustainable future, according to Mr Gallagher.

“The two greatest barriers to more people growing their own are lack of space and insufficient knowledge,” said Mr Gallagher.

“We’ve already provided a solution to space with AllotMe, and now it’s time to tackle the knowledge with Hazel.

“If you’re new to gardening, it’s not always possible to get to a garden centre or easy to wade through, compare, and contrast the glut of advice that emerges from a Google search. Hazel has been designed and trained using our growing guides to provide a frictionless solution.

“We also live in an era where almost every service is available at your fingertips, and why shouldn’t gardening be the same? People can ask Hazel what plants will be best suited for the conditions where they live, order seeds from AllotMe’s curated collection, and have them delivered to their door or plot all in one space. It’s a one-stop shop.

“We’re here to break barriers to growing for all generations, and a crucial part of that is dragging gardening into the 21st century — innovation like Hazel is an important part of that.”

Hazel answers question posed by ‘greenfingers’, AllotMe’s term for its users, on gardening and growing fruit and vegetables and has been designed to make advice more accessible for gardeners and growers of all abilities.

Its launch follows National Allotments Week, an event raising awareness of allotments and the role they play in helping people lead healthier lifestyles, grow their own food and develop friendships, as well as strengthening communities.

Hazel uses Chat GPT’s extensive growing guides to channel its focus and ensure responses are as accurate, useful, and practical as possible.

It aims to address lack of knowledge as one of the biggest barriers to growing your own. Research suggests the biggest sources of information are currently visiting a local garden centre, followed by a Google search gardening shows on television.

Hazel gardening assistant hopes to offer a faster, more accessible alternative, and is setting its sights on becoming the go-to for gardeners of all abilities and experience levels.

Conor Gallagher, founder of AllotMe

Among ‘greenfingers’ already using Hazel is professional horticulturist Charlotte Connelly, who found there was insufficient space available at the communal garden attached to her Edinburgh flat.

As a registered greenfinger on AllotMe, Ms Connelly found a new plot five minutes away by bike and has been using Hazel as a resource to grow herbs, vegetables and fruit including an experimental Kiwi plant, as well as flowers and ornamentals.

“In the past I had tried using a communal garden but there were just too many people to grow what I wanted,” she said. “I’ve even done a bit of guerrilla gardening in the past. To wait for an allotment could’ve taken 15 years.

“I use apps for plant identification quite often but usually end up having to dig through the internet for gardening queries. Hazel speeds up the process immeasurably.

“It’s also a time saver for quick tips on things like spacing, feeding and harvest times. I can see this being massively popular.

“It’s a marvellous platform, and one that coupled with Hazel’s instant expertise will open the door to gardening for so many people.”

Mr Gallagher founded AllotMe in response to rising demand for growing space amid diminishing availability in urban environments, particularly in London where some areas have waiting lists of up to 40 years for allotments.

Greenfingers pay £15-30 to rent plots on minimum three-month terms.

Hosts list their land on the platform, setting pricing and outlining specifics of the available plot. Greenfingers and organisations then find local plots that suit their growing needs, exchange messages with potential plot hosts, and request to rent the plot on a monthly basis.

After a rental request is accepted from a user, AllotMe pays hosts each month, taking a small percentage fee.

Once an agreement has been made, greenfingers can begin growing their own fruits and vegetables. Hosts also benefit with their empty garden taken care of while, with 25% of emissions absorbed by plants, the community environment is also said to be a winner.

The start-up last year secured more than £250,000 investment, including £120,000 from venture capital outfit QVentures, £50,000 from the HBAN Angel Network in Northern Ireland and further backing from investors Alastair Bell and Michael Harding.

Announcing the investment, Robert Walsh, managing partner at QVentures, said: “QVentures is proud to support AllotMe on its journey to creating the future of cities and a more sustainable future for the next generation.

“We’re also very happy to be working alongside Conor Gallagher, an innovative founder and architect disrupting this industry.”

AllotMe also offers an extensive catalogue of free-to-access growing guides designed to help gardeners of all levels with their projects.

GrowPod, the sustainable hydroponic planter, meanwhile requires only seed pods, water and natural sunlight and is designed to allow people with limited indoor space to grow vegetables indoors.

Weekly Business Digest

Margaret Canning's selection of business stories sent every Tuesday

Please check your inbox to verify your details