What with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s recent series transforming a piece of derelict land in a Bristol estate into a miniature urban smallholding, and the increasing price of food showing no signs of slowing, growing your own food is becoming an ever more attractive proposition. And what better way to do it than with an allotment?
There are so many advantages to having an allotment that it’s hard to understand why more people don’t do it. Not only is it a more cost-effective way of getting your food – allotment rents can be from as little as £5 a year and often don’t go far over £35 a year – leaving you with extra pennies to put aside for a rainy day or give yourself a little treat, but it can also be a great way of meeting new people and sharing tips and knowledge.
Many people are into allotment gardening for the long haul so you can easily track down the more experienced allotmenteers to give you a hand. Whether you are trying to find out what the best varieties of vegetables are that wll do well in the soil type on your plot or want to identify which pesky beasties have been helping themselves to your crops, there will always be somebody to ask.
Then there’s the health benefits. Nobody will ever deny the good that a couple of hours out in the fresh air will do you, and gentle digging, weeding and watering can be excellent exercise. What’s more, because you’re having fun, it doesn’t even feel as though you are putting any special effort into getting fit! And don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be all work and no play. There’s nothing better than setting up a chair and sitting back with the sun on your face to admire the fruits of your labour.
On top of all that, the average allotment site is a beacon for recycling the old and unwanted. You only have to walk past them to see the creative use of anything from old plastic sheeting and netting made into fully functional poly- and net tunnels to cold frames made from old window frames, even down to scratched or unwanted demo cds that would otherwise be relegated to landfill being used as bird scarers. Allotments really can be the home of recycling.
So if you fancy giving it a go, there are a number of ways that you can find out what facilities are available in your area including contacting your local council. If you know of an allotment site that we don’t have listed, please let us know so we can add it to our database. The easier it is for people to find out about and make use of these and other services, the more likely they are to stick around.
If there is a waiting list for your local allotments, don’t be disheartened, put your name down and your chance may come round quicker than you expect. In the meantime, there are many ways to start growing food around your home in pots, window boxes and on window sills. See the related articles section at the bottom of the page for some ideas to get you started.
If you already have an allotment, or decide to start out with one, why not share your experiences with the rest of the Green Village?
Happy Growing!
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