Читать книгу The Allotment Book - Andi Clevely - Страница 10

Well-managed allotment associations welcome new tenants in different ways. You may be given a starter pack that includes all the benefits and opportunities open to you (like sharing in a bulk purchase of materials or manure), a full description of the site as a whole and possibly details of your own plot, and even the offer of assistance from volunteer members to help you clear an overgrown plot and get started.

A key common reason for taking on a plot, whatever the private social or therapeutic motivation might be, is the deep sense of achievement when you harvest your own food. Daily work is often far removed from the basic satisfaction of making or producing something, while increasing pressure on the use of land results in gardens becoming ever smaller. An allotment can be a wonderful place to rediscover a sense of fulfilment.

Assessing yourself Whatever your motivation for acquiring an allotment, it is a good idea to assess your aims and capabilities. Be realistic about what you can achieve – it is easy for idealism to cloud judgement. However, owning an allotment may be less demanding than you imagine.

TIME It is possible to manage a plot well with a single weekly visit, although you will probably want to visit more often, especially when regular watering and harvesting are necessary. Add in your journey time if you live far from the site. If you don’t have your own vehicle, check out public transport links and consider whether you will be able to call upon friends to give you a lift with heavy items. Techniques like mulching can postpone the need for urgent attention, and neighbours will often share the care if you are away.

COMMITMENT Regular care is essential, even required in some tenancy agreements. As the sun doesn’t always shine, this will sometimes mean working in cold or wet weather. Low-maintenance methods, however, reduce the amount of routine tasks. You ultimately decide how much or how little you do, and even sitting out a rain shower in the shed can be therapeutic.

STAMINA Basic physical abilities are an advantage. Cultivating some soils can be strenuous work, and you might prefer to get someone to rotavate the plot for you. Routine skill and dexterity come with experience, and techniques are easily adapted for elderly and disabled plot-holders. And, with the goodwill of most allotment-holders, help with a particular task is often only a plot away.