About Us

About us

The Story Behind Borrow my Garden

Every great adventure starts with a blank canvas. For us, that canvas happened to be the magnificent, unspoilt British countryside.

Borrow my Garden was born from a simple but powerful realisation: there are thousands of people dreaming of hosting festival-style weddings, immersive corporate retreats, and unforgettable open-air celebrations, yet finding the perfect patch of land to rent felt nearly impossible. At the same time, thousands of farmers, landowners, and private estate managers possessed beautiful, underused acreage but had no easy way to connect with respectful event planners.

We built this platform to bridge that exact gap, creating a trusted, relationship-led marketplace that brings people together in the fresh air.

Explore our Directory

The Spark: A Garden Captured Through the Seasons

The story of Borrow my Garden began organically on the lawns of a private estate. Jo was working on a seasonal photography project for a client, capturing the shifting beauty of his spectacular garden as it evolved through the year. During the shoot, the owner shared a heartfelt wish: he wanted his magnificent private grounds to be enjoyed by more people, while generating a rewarding income stream to help maintain them.

This sparked a fascinating question. Jo could easily provide high-quality photography and vibrant content for a bespoke brochure website, but where could a property owner list an outdoor space so it actually reaches people looking to hire it?

Jo turned to Claire, affectionately known across the industry as the “Venue Queen” for her extensive background in venue sourcing. Drawing on her years of experience on the frontlines of hospitality and corporate venue finding, Claire knew instantly that a dedicated marketplace for private land hire simply did not exist. In all her time sourcing unique spaces for clients, she had never come across a platform that solved this specific problem.

Spurred on by Claire’s industry insight, Jo dove deep into long-tail search data to establish if there was a wider public demand. The results were staggering. Jo discovered that there were approximately 30,000 internet searches every month from people actively looking to hire a private outdoor space for an event.

The market was waiting, the landowners were ready, and Borrow my Garden was born to bring them together.

Jo Hailey – Visual Specialist & Data Explorer

Jo is the visual storyteller and data engine behind the platform. As the CEO of Striking Places Photography and a highly respected Google Trusted Photographer, Jo spends her life capturing commercial spaces, country estates, and hidden landscapes from their absolute best angles.

It was Jo’s sharp eye during a seasonal shoot that first revealed the hidden potential of private gardens, and her technical expertise in Google search data that proved the massive UK demand for outdoor event spaces. When you list your property with Borrow my Garden, Jo’s visual insights ensure your land stands out, captures the imagination of organisers, and ranks highly on search engines.

• Superpowers: Commercial photography, 360-degree virtual tours, and long-tail SEO keyword strategy.
• Favourite Outdoor Setting: A sun-drenched secret garden captured during the height of the summer bloom with bees.

Claire Lee – The Venue Queen & Event Strategist

Claire is the operational powerhouse of the partnership. Known affectionately throughout the industry as the “Venue Queen” due to her extensive background running Venue Queen Limited, Claire has spent decades working on the frontlines of hospitality, corporate entertainment, and venue sourcing.

If a unique venue exists in the UK, Claire likely knows about it, and if a space has potential, she knows exactly how to make it compliant and safe. Claire understands the precise logistical needs of corporate clients, wedding couples, and marquee suppliers, ensuring that every match made on the platform is practical, secure, and seamless.

• Superpowers: Event logistics, venue sourcing, corporate hospitality, and commercial landowner consultancy.
• Favourite Outdoor Setting: A vast, rural festival-style field complete with giant tipis and festoon lighting.

A Growing Movement for the Great Outdoors

What started as a collaborative passion project has grown into the UK’s leading dedicated directory for alternative outdoor venue hire. Today, Borrow my Garden attracts over 17,000 unique visitors per month and generates more than 200,000 page views from high-intent event organisers.

We have featured in national press coverage and have helped hundreds of hosts turn their green spaces into rewarding revenue streams. Whether it is a tiny, magical bluebell copse, a working farmer’s rugged field, a historic manor terrace, or an exclusive private island, we believe that every piece of land has a story to tell and a memory to make.

Our Simple Matchmaking Mission

Our ultimate vision is straightforward: we want anyone looking for a unique piece of land across the United Kingdom to have one clear, transparent, and inspiring place to find their ideal landowner.

We are not a cold, faceless corporate booking machine. We are matchmakers. We champion the rural economy, support local event suppliers, protect the land we love, and make it exceptionally easy for you to celebrate your milestone moments entirely your way.