A3 colour poster illustrating sowing, planting and harvesting times of a wide range of popular cut flowers that can be grown at home or in your allotment. Information is also given on hardiness levels, life cycles and flowers suitable for drying. Timings are based on those I use in the market garden I work in, here in rural mid Wales - those of you living in the south of Britain may find you can use slightly earlier sowing times, and slightly later harvesting times. Printed on white matt (ultra smooth) 300gsm paper.
Guardian and Telegraph writer Lia Leendertz has written a brilliant book for gardeners both armchair and real, which would also appeal to travellers and cooks: a pilgrimage through allotments, ferreting out stories and characters. Once someone gets an allotment, which in London, can take years on a waiting list, they become understandably territorial. I've noticed that with my allotmenteer friends, that bitching is no longer about outfits and boyfriends but ugly fences and unacceptable insect eradication methods. Some seem quite scarred by their allotment wars but undoubtedly it is a lovely way to garden and make friends. I'm lucky enough to have my own garden but it can be lonely. Allotmenteering has its own culture and community. Lia writes of the history of allotments, how common land, widely available, which the poor depended upon for fuel and food, was given to rich landowners under the Enclosures Acts of the 1800s. Allotments were meagre but welcome compensation for free common land. She visits the oldest allotments in the UK and the oldest gardener still working on them. The book is a series of interviews with allotment holders some of whom, reflecting our multi-cultural society, come from Tokyo, Cyprus, Thailand and Jamaica. The stuff they grow reflects their background and the food they cook. Riverford cottage gardener Mark Diacono is the photographer for this book, capturing the diverse, often grizzled, faces of the characters, for instance the mad-haired permaculture guru Mike Feingold, looking like Einstein crossed with Wurzel Gummidge. We meet the glamorous titian coiffed Alys Fowler in her plot, where she goes every afternoon, lights a fire and makes tea. She grows with a view to fermenting, sauerkraut and kimchi. Lia writes of a dahlia fetishist in Birmingham and a floating garden near Amiens. I was ignorant of forest gardening and the book visits Martin Crawford's woodland allotment. There is a fascinating chapter on a plot that concentrates on growing plants for dyes such as madder and woad. Lia also explores community projects, an edible bus stop,a school allotment where gardening is part of the curriculum, an edible office garden and a skip garden. My only, albeit minor, reservation about the book is the design. It is part of a series, perhaps they all have the same look. It would have been helpful to have each allotment holder clearly identified and where their allotment is located. The typeface is hard to read and the background colour of the paper is unattractive. I've learnt as a blogger, when at first you experiment with black backgrounds and the like, keep it simple! You want readability so stick to white or pale backgrounds and black type. The publishers should also consider that people tend to get interested in gardening over the age of 35, and small tight fonts are not easy for older people to read. It's frustrating because this fascinating book deserves to be big and plush with lots of room. Buy my cool allotment here.
Got an allotment? Grow blackcurrants? Never know what to do with them? Then you need this Homemade Blackcurrant Cassis recipe. End of story :)
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The popularity of allotments has seen a resurgence in the UK in recent years. If you’re eager to rent a piece of land and start growing your own fruit and veg, this guide will tell you everything you need to know, from how to rent a plot to exactly when and how to plant the
Creating NO-DIG Growing beds 🌱 I’m in the process of converting an old unkept allotment into an organic no-dig vegetable garden and it’s finally time to create the main growing beds! And of course...
The erratic weather conditions we continue to face in the UK means waterlogged allotments have become a common sight.
Unusual Vegetables for your garden. A selection to grow whether you have a balcony or 4 acre walled kitchen garden
You're going to plant potatoes this year are you? No? Well you should. Potatoes are an easy crop to grow and they have the added bonus of growing out of sight so they're always a fun surprise when you dig them up. Potato harvest day is like the best Christmas morning ever because all your...Read More
This rhubarb and lentil curry recipe is an inventive way to use up a glut of rhubarb.
An allotment is the British English term for community garden, but it means more than that: it is a European concept of growing food where space at home mi
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See these magical photos of Yorkshire forced rhubarb being picked by candlelight in winter.
On a recent trip to Stockholm, as well as getting to merrily sing along at the newly created Abba Museum (great fun by the way), my fantastic host, Viveka, took me to see some amazing allotments. W…
After what seems like months of wet and cloudy weather the sun has finally put its hat on this weekend. A little sunshine is just what the allotment has been desperate for. Despite it being almost …
Photographer Ria Mishaal Wedding Dresses Hepburn by Caroline Castigliano & Jenny Packham from Bridal Collection Harrogate Flowers Flowers by Passion Videography Gorgeous
You might be surprised at all the foods you can grow in buckets on your balcony, porch, or patio. Here are some best foods to grow.
Creating NO-DIG Growing beds 🌱 I’m in the process of converting an old unkept allotment into an organic no-dig vegetable garden and it’s finally time to create the main growing beds! And of course...
The Allotment - A Pictorial Tour looking at different aspects of grow your own gardening -take a rest after digging your garden and enjoy
Having an allotment has been one of the most satisfying decisions we've ever made. Our kids love being there and we all learn together as we grow food and nurture each other. When we first
Creating a new veg patch or allotment, how to get started
Having an allotment has been one of the most satisfying decisions we've ever made. Our kids love being there and we all learn together as we grow food and nurture each other. When we first
Having an allotment has been one of the most satisfying decisions we've ever made. Our kids love being there and we all learn together as we grow food and nurture each other. When we first
The erratic weather conditions we continue to face in the UK means waterlogged allotments have become a common sight.
Do potato towers work? Comparing results of DIY wire cage, straw mound, wood box vs bag methods, & best ways to grow potatoes with big yields!
