Mark Ridsdill Smith founded Vertical Veg in 2009 after discovering how much food he could grow on the balcony of his flat. His website and Facebook page inspire and support people to grow food in small urban spaces, and Mark has run workshops across the UK, including for Garden Organic and Capital Growth.

Mark has shared his growing experience on BBC Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time, Alan Titchmarsh's Love Your Garden on ITV and BBC1's Countryfile. He has also written a series of 15 articles for the Guardian's 'Live Better' campaign and a feature for Which? Gardening.