Eco Comment – National Allotments Week

Unbeknownst to me this last week (12-18th August) has been National Allotments Week and this year’s theme has been celebrating Bio-Diversity. 

I am regularly surprised by coincidences and this week provided one. Whilst staying with a friend I found myself watering and experiencing the allotment world on a daily basis. If I didn’t know previously, I now know that watering should be done after the heat of the sun has died down, salad leaves and spinach need picking regularly, and slugs are incredibly persistent when it comes to eating cabbages! The allotment we were tending is relatively new to the family and so has a lot of work to be done to bring it up to the level of fruitfulness that we saw around us. The variety of produce nearby was amazing. Many of the other gardeners had the to-be-expected types of fruit and vegetables, but then I’d spot something quite different. There was a mulberry bush in the next allotment, heavy with fruit. It took great restraint not to pick any! One of my sisters in law has an allotment in London and the neighbouring plots to hers feature plants according to the country that the gardeners hail from. The beauty of this space is that all the allotment holders share their produce with each other so it is very much a community place.  

In a week where we’ve seen such unrest it’s reassuring to know that for so many people the allotment system gives people a means of being together and exchanging conversations along with the produce which is ultimately grown depending on the cultures from which people originate. 

As the National Allotment Week website states, ‘As far back in history as we can probably go, people have grown their own produce but actual allotments that you can rent started in the Victorian era. Allotments as we know them today, stem from the general Enclosure Act of 1945 that made provision for ‘field gardens’ to be used by the landless poor, although very little land was actually set aside for this purpose.’  The need to grow food during the two world wars saw the increase in allotment use and the greater awareness of sustainability along with financial and health awareness has seen an increase in their use in more recent times. Now we are encouraged to grow fruit and vegetables however and wherever we can. From individual plant pots, to window boxes to mini allotments to full size allotments no space is too small or too large. The variety of spaces compete with the variety of things grown. 

Grow Wakefield hosts a variety of sites locally and rents cost 26p per square metre and generally average out at £60 – £80 per full plot. Wakefield Council controls 60 sites across the district so there’s bound to be one near you if you have both the time and the energy to maintain one. I say this because having an allotment is a commitment and there are rules about the maintenance of them. I remember that we, as a family decided to try out having half an allotment when the children were small. But, we hadn’t realised that the busiest time for digging, planting and weeding would coincide with the busiest time for exam preparation and marking so sadly that was a short lived experience.  

If anyone reading this would like more information, Walton Allotments have an up to date Facebook page and are encouraging people to join the waiting list. Eastmoor Community Garden have a website and occasionally have spaces at Park Lodge Lane. On doing a bit of research I found out that most of the allotment sites locally have Facebook and/or websites so are all easily accessible for further information. 

The theme of bio-diversity will be a common theme at all allotments this year and as gardeners are renowned for sharing information, opinions and tips to beginner gardeners so ignorance is no plea in the drive to encourage more self-sustenance. If you remember the TV programme ‘The Good Life’ you’re probably of an age where this is all very well known to you but if you’re younger go wild, give allotments and gardening a go. 

Susan Morgan
Eco Group