Selfsufficientish.com

So after finally getting and using an allotment for a year I moved far away to the wonderful west country.. All wonderful except for the lack of allotment which I waited for so so long for in the first place.. I have signed up for a new one but the administrator at the council actually said 'do you really want to bother going on the allotment list? There are about 40 people on it already and we only get a change over of about 3-5 people a year'.. .

I have some garden space but it is limited and I have plenty of pot space. I know about the easy stuff like herbs, salad stuff, leeks and what not that do ok in pots but what does well in limited ground space and can be jammed in??

I am going to have a crack at the 3 sisters method again as it did ok with dwarf courgettes, beans and early corn last year but what other sympathetic methods do well in the south west of the UK?

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Gem

I'd search the site for container growing suggestions perhaps, but if you can get together a few other people who are on the list and find suitable land maybe you could pressure the council into forming a new allotment site? Looking on the landshare website could be a good place to start.

Oh Gem, I can totally sympathise. How frustrating!

Take heart though...if there are 40 people and (optomistically) 5 per year drop out, that is 8 years.

But then people like myself, who put their names down for a plot in Bristol a couple of years ago but then moved out of the area before it came up, will also be on that list (If mine comes up I'll let you know!)

So you can bet that about 25% of that list are no longer interested or have moved away.

I second the Landshare idea though - before I left Bristol I noticed there were loads of sites available. Admittedly, not all had water and some were on slopes, but I found 3 potential sites in Clifton before I had to move away (I still work there).

Good luck. It is sooooo unfair that there are people with huge gardens (like my parents) who aren't the least bit interested in growing things, while up and down the country there are frustrated gardeners cramming carrots into washing up bowls. If I was prime minister, I would make it a rule that you use your land or loose it!

May be worth looking into the allotment thing though, there is that well versed clause in the Allotments Act (1946?) where if 6 or more people want an allotment, the government have to provide?

Or you could do what Citizen Twiglet and others here have done and got a community garden going with a little help from the council.
Good luck!

Hi Gem, Not sure how far "south of Bristol" you mean exactly, but there are some advertised not far from Radstock. Not sure what the deal is as i've only seen the sign in passing.

Cheers

Gert

Could you put notices in the newsagents/supermarkets asking for people who have large gardens who'd like a veg patch tended to by you but share the proceeds of the harvest? There may be plenty of elderly people who can't cope any more with their veg patches who would love some help.

Thank you for the helpful suggestions guys .

I had a look on the landshare website a few weeks ago and there were no less than 3 other people looking for land in my village! I posted a request but it didnt occur to me to message them and try and approach the council regarding land. Very good idea.

Watch this space!

Gemx