The Allotment Book

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The Allotment Book
Andi Clevely

A wonderfully illustrated celebration of the blood, sweat and joy to be had ‘growing your own’ in an allotment – with the in-depth, practical gardening know-how for which Collins is renowned.No longer considered the preserve of old men in sheds, allotment gardening is currently enjoying a renaissance of interest. People of all ages and from all walks of life are digging their own plots in search of the ultimate in fresh, organic produce – and you cannot get more locally-sourced than your own allotment!This book testifies to the vibrancy of allotment culture, aiming both to inspire the next generation of plot-holders and to provide all the practical knowledge needed to turn a patch of soil into a lifelong adventure.Open to all the eco-gardening techniques, and the various weird and wonderful ways people make use of their plots, contents include:• the history of allotments – from 19th century origins, through wartime ‘Dig for Victory’, to the cosmopolitan communities of today; features photos and interviews with current plot-holders• planning your perfect allotment – finding it, assessing it, clearing the ground and working out what to grow• the brown stuff – all you need to know about soil management, the key to growing success• choosing a gardening method – organic, biodynamic, rotation beds, companion planting, greenhouse, multi-level, potager, cottage garden, and so on…• the hard stuff – constructing sheds, compost bins, cold frames, fruit cages, ponds, seating and play areas• selecting crops – what and how to grow, from parsnips and peas to chilli peppers and lemon grass• cultivation techniques – digging, sowing, feeding, weeding and harvesting, plus troubleshooting pests and diseases• the allotment calendar – extensive, month-by-month look at what’s in season, jobs for now and looking ahead

The Allotment Book

Andi Clevely

A practical guide to creating and enjoying your own perfect plot

This book is dedicated with love to Ruth Prentice, who devised the idea. Nice one!

Table of Contents

Cover Page (#udbcb9200-bdff-51bf-8719-a31d79de8486)

Title Page (#u605cfb71-0713-55a4-90af-01fc1ef8ac3d)

Dedication (#u88393867-ff72-510b-bacc-382aa2b7a293)

Foreword by jekka mcvicar (#uf9f5259a-4083-5e6d-9af5-169b57cdd132)

Introduction (#ua27e5a30-d2cb-5e21-973f-c57c6deeaa1a)

The perfect allotment (#ubda7ecd6-775b-507d-b66c-dad511ada789)

Crops for your allotment (#u00e76048-954c-50f6-b7f8-9b4d82c9a58a)

Cultivating your allotment (#u56805aa3-9a8e-56d1-99dc-fbb665b17585)

The allotment year (#u5acefd4b-54e2-5e6a-b4c2-8a668968dc80)

Resources (#ue01d1516-ca5e-536b-a44c-c1d421c51e60)

Index (#uf957c2b9-7bb1-5aa6-a498-1dd7036b0fec)

Acknowledgments (#u30901807-4350-5332-82d2-3dc72e002053)

About the Author (#u6fe6e7cf-08f5-57a0-b996-266983b2d8c7)

Copyright (#u6a08a598-69d6-57fd-86d9-c487066711b6)

About the Publisher (#u50846e80-7c57-5f06-93de-2e9d8f909319)

Foreword by jekka mcvicar (#ulink_a0d88a14-821e-50b3-8900-13d36f841bf6)

I vividly remember as a child helping my mother to dig up the new potatoes in our garden and being amazed that the one potato we had planted had produced so many baby potatoes. I also remember the delight of helping to pick the strawberries, which included eating as many as I put in the punnet.

The many bonuses of being brought up with a productive garden was not only the abundance of fruit and vegetables but also the fact that, because my mother was a fantastic cook, the house was often filled with the aroma of wonderful food. This was most prevalent at harvest time when she made jellies, jams and chutneys, which we used throughout the winter months and which she also gave as Christmas presents to friends and family.

Crowned the ‘queen of herbs’ by Jamie Oliver and one of Rick Stein’s food heroes, Jekka McVicar is the UK’s leading organic herb grower. Her family-run organic herb farm now grows over 500 varieties and holds the largest collection of culinary and medicinal herbs in the country. In addition to managing the farm business, Jekka is a regular TV and radio presenter and has published several successful books on growing herbs, raising plants from seed and cooking with flowers. This picture shows Jekka at work on the farm with her dog Hampton (also known as Mutty). Visit her website at: www.jekkasherbfarm.com.

I have been lucky enough to re-create these fond memories for my own children with a vegetable plot for which they have sown the seeds and harvested the crop. Growing your own vegetables and fruit not only gives you control of what you and your children eat but also the goodness of delicious fresh produce and the added bonus of fresh air, good fun and great exercise.

In this beautiful book, Andi Clevely captures the essence of the allotment, showing how it is a relaxing and sociable way to garden, and a great opportunity to meet fellow gardeners, young and old. You are guaranteed the sharing of fresh food, expertise, gossip, fun and friendship, which goes to prove that the allotment is a microcosm of today’s society without walls. More importantly, this book is teeming with valuable information based on the experience that Andi has gained over the years in his garden and on his allotment; this includes seed germination times, average yields and his recommended varieties of fruit and vegetables. He also demystifies gardening terminology and gives good basic down-to-earth information on dealing with pests and diseases, making this book relevant for both the novice and the connoisseur.

With this book I defy anyone not to enjoy the wonderful world of the allotment, from the soil to the table.