General

Why do we have an allotment?

It is not just about saving money and if that is your only reason please think again. There is :-

• Satisfaction from growing your own. 
• Knowing what your crops have, or have not, been exposed to. 
• Growing varieties for taste and freshness  
• Enjoyment of the fresh air, the views and the general outside life. 
• The opportunity to teach children about food and nature.
• Exercise for body and mind – but be careful not to overdo it.
• The Camaraderie of your fellow allotment holders

Although many new allotmenteers are good, a fairly high percentage fail, so consider carefully whether you can give your allotment the time and effort that will be required.

Supermarkets do an excellent job of delivering fruit and vegetables to the majority of us at reasonable prices but ask yourself this.

• How do they get the produce so blemish free?  without chemicals ?
• Why do their offerings all have to be the same size, shape and colour ?
• We usually cut them up to cook or eat them don’t we?
• What happens to all the produce that doesn't make the supermarkets "high grade"?
• What has happened to much of the taste and flavour?
• Why do we fly fruit and vegetables half way around the world?
• Then there is the impact on the environment of all the packaging involved
• Perhaps worst of all is the amount of food that we throw away unopened

When working your allotment try to :-

 In the present coronavirus circumstances follow the latest advice.     Keep your 2 metre distance at all times.  Remember hard surfaces could harbour the virus - so washing/or sanitising your hands frequently, and/or wear gloves.     Don't touch your face.       

• Work with the weather not against it.
• Check soil condition – "the answer does lie in the soil."      
• Work little and often, rather than blitz and disappear for ages
• Dedication is needed to do what is needed at the appropriate time
• Keep some record of what works for you – it is surprising how many of us don’t and regret it.

If you don’t know how, what, or when to do something then the guides under "Hints/Tips" and "Info" pages should help you.

• If you cannot find the answer there, then look at the reference websites given under "Links" on the Info page. 
• However, in the first instance, why not just ask one of your allotment neighbours, who looks like they know how to garden, for their advice.

If you are interested in having an allotment why not visit both sites first to see which suits you best, then proceed to the appropriate pages on this website for more detail.