I’m not much of a gardener, I don’t pretend to be a gardener… but some stuff does seem to grow, beside weeds! If you’re considering getting an allotment, there are more great reasons than you’d think…

I inherited my allotment from my sister when she moved away. Having never really been much into gardening I have since found some rather good added benefits. Aside from the obvious rewards of fresh fruit and vegetables, which by the way do taste far better than anything shop bought – it’s actually a wonderfully relaxing past time. I love to be outside but there’s always plenty to keep me busy inside, so the allotment really gave me a reason to get out, and spend a few hours in the fresh air… and sunshine if I’m lucky!

It does take some hard work at the beginning to prepare for planting, but I just view this as good exercise. It’s amazing how quickly seeds will germinate and begin to grow, it’s sometimes a bit of a surprise if you haven’t visited in a few days to suddenly find you have shoots, or your mange tout have suddenly appeared! I think that’s my favourite part – when my hard work over a few months starts to show in all its green (and other coloured) glory.

The past few summers have been all-in-all, pretty stunning, great for making my plants grow and for getting a tan. Keeping everything well water can be challenging, but if you’re training for World’s Strongest Man, then the watering-can ‘farmers walk’ is great training!

If you want somewhere you can disappear to for a few hours, an excuse to get outdoors, a (generally) quiet retreat and the feeling of pride for growing your own… even if the carrot is more mouse than man sized, then you really should consider joining the allotmenteers club!