The Allotment Book

Product Information

In New York, the City Farms project revived the Victory Garden zeal of the 1940s, organizing the production, marketing and distribution of fresh food among disadvantaged neighbourhoods from over 30 community gardens. So protecting and regenerating these community plots should be a key part of local strategies in the changing environmental context.

In urban areas, allotments are vital oases of open recreational space, healing places that soothe the spirit and subdue mental stress. But with this dedication not only comes the fruit of your labour, but the health benefits associated with just being outdoors come rain or shine. Local authorities vary in their commitment to the sites in their care, from fiercely supportive to indifferent or hostile, and the land itself is often a valuable asset coveted by developers. Growing vegetables and fruit is not one of those academic things that you can learn from books as you really only learn from a hands on experience.Regular exercise is just as vital, and working in the open air on your own piece of ground can be a more agreeable and productive way of keeping fit than going to the gym.

Committees and associations have sometimes had to respond to threatened erosion of rights by assuming self-management, mobilizing defence campaigns or filing legal challenges. I feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to grow fruit and vegetables for my family on a public allotment.

He is also a regular TV presenter, appearing on Granada’s Cook’s Garden and From the Ground Up for Carlton. Absolutely the most useful, and equally importantly, enjoyable gardening book I've ever had my hands on. All the photographs included in the growing guides were taken by me to record the crops I have grown over the years. This decline, interpreted by pessimists as the imminent end of the allotment movement, was not reflected worldwide, where material necessity often remained (and still remains) an urgent motivation.

Here, a simple urge to grow-your-own or become self-sufficient, brings us closer to a community of people, wildlife and plants that are often more diverse than the cities and towns that surround them. In-depth crop planners show you when to sow and how to cultivate more than 60 herbs, fruit, and vegetables, including potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, strawberries, and apples. Encompassing the oral recordings of plot-holders alongside descriptions of regional variations on the plot itself, such as pigeon-fancying, seed collecting or leek competitions, it looks at British society and history through the prism of allotments. Whether you are a budding newbie or a seasoned gardener, there's a wonderful range of books on allotment gardening to help you create the perfect plot.There are quite a few, and many seem to overlap: can anyone suggest the best one for my specific situation? This was a departure from John's other works being a hardback, lavishly illustrated in colour with photographs.