Allotments - not just for pipe smoking oldies
- you get to make junk fences, battle giant rabbits and
make war against slugs plus you might even grow some lovely
fruit and veg.
If you live in a flat or don't have access to a garden,
its an ideal way to be outdoors and meet some great characters.
First contact your local council office or website
(I include Brighton's
here) and look for a vacant plot, these can be huge and
range from £15 for a half plot to £35 a year.
You could get a few friends together and take on a few
plots or just share.
Then, when you have your plot, you will probably
have to fence it with old bits of scrap metal, ask your
mates for any unwanted baths or barrels, these make ideal
water catchers and compost makers.
Next up, the back breaking work of digging over
the land and ripping weeds out.
This is where your friends disappear and you are left
knee deep in mud and muck.
Then plant your seeds and wait.. British summer
weather being what it is, anything can happen.. but its
worth it just to munch fresh veg and maybe a blackcurrent
or two.
Key things to remember:
*Don't be frightened of asking advice from just about
anyone - people on allotments tend to be a helpful lot,
you can get advice on what to grow in your soil type.
*Do Join local organic groups as they can give advice
and also have seed exchanges in the spring.
*Check out the local riding stables for good horse manure,
watch out for too much straw or wood chippings as they
are acid in content.
* Pigeons love cabbage, so try hanging old CD's from some
string or plastic bags for the rustle.
* Slugs, the hardest pest to remove, various methods include:
The slug pub, a few drops of beer in a pot buried into
the soil, the slugs can't get enough of the beer and fall
in.
Onions and garlic grown around the edge of the plot, coffee
grounds and copper sheets also work.
Good luck! |
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Future
Foods is a small independent
mail order supplier specialising in rare and unusual edible
plants, offering seeds of fruits & greens, roots &
tubers, salads & herbs.
Plants
For A Future a resource
centre for rare and unusual plants, particularly those
which have edible, medicinal or other uses.
Heritage
seed library (HSL) aims
to conserve and make available vegetable varieties that
are not widely available.
Over the decades many varieties have been dropped from
popular seed catalogues. Their collection contains family
heirloom varieties that have never been in a catalogue.
The Real seed catalogue
No hybrids or genetically modified seed here - just varieties
that do really well and taste great when grown by hand
on a garden scale.
Many are rare heirlooms, and all are open-pollinated (non-hybrid)
so you can save your own seed for future years, using
the instructions.
www.vidaverde.co.uk
Supplier of Heritage Seeds & Bulbs
for the Period Garden @ Thomas
Etty esq.
'The
little book of slugs' and other products from CAT.
Related organic links:
Allotments UK and other related allotment links. www.allotments-uk.com
A group for gardeners in Brighton and Hove, to promote
and learn more about organic gardening. www.bhogg.org
Moulsecoomb Forest Garden and Wildlife Project - plus
allotment advice. www.seedybusiness.org
Brighton
Permaculture Trust
www.soilassociation.org.uk
Organic
gardening - large site with tons of info and a 'ask
the gardener' forum.
Allotments
4 all - fantastic forum everything from wildlife,
plant tips to making wine.
See the 'Guardians' interview about women on allotments
-
read more>>
BBC video on the allotment Shed.
Watch here>>
Seed exchange and info
www.seedysunday.org |
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