Follow the first lady's lead – grow your own

The idea about spreading the good word about vegetables came to him as he landscaped the back garden of a house in the suburbs of Dublin. "It was around the time when oil prices were shooting to the moon and I found myself talking more and more about sustainability with the lads I work with, when all of a sudden I realised really for the first time the amount of land out there that is not at all being used to its full potential," recalled James.

His experience of changing plain rectangular back yards into more interesting spaces and his recollection of agricultural practices in the former Eastern Europe got him thinking.

"In Russia and Cuba they were literally forced to look after themselves and become self-sufficient, which they have, incredibly, done. It is actually quite amazing what they have achieved there. All over the country people have turned to their own gardens for sustenance. In the cities and suburbs they clear away where buildings have crumbled and in their stead cultivate the ground and plant food, which not only provides fresh organic produce but also introduces a healthy, vibrant, abundant, colourful living tapestry to the otherwise drab and rundown aspect of the streets."

Things are different here but Ireland is also a self-sufficient country which has turned on its heels and now imports over 90% of its food including fruit, veg and meat.

James believes it would be a good thing to lean back and rely a bit more on ourselves and for children to experience at first hand that carrots come from the soil in the ground and not from Tesco.

Now he has teamed up with his friend Paul Cully, also a horticulturist, and together they are setting forth to encourage people to take a little power back.

Their project is known as 'Harvest Garden' and they are encouraging people to start growing their own vegetables and to assure them that whatever space they have, even if they don't have a lawn garden, they can grow a wide variety.

The pair will also help people to plan and design their vegetable gardens with their own requirements in mind; they will teach them how to grow vegetables and fruit and will be on hand for maintenance and support..