Allot of fun to be had on the plot
Demand for veg patches shoots up but gardeners dig in for long wait
During the war we were famously encouraged to Dig for Victory.
While times may have changed, an increasing number of us are going back to basics and choosing to grow our own.
Allotment waiting lists are growing, community garden projects are thriving and homeowners are transforming their gardens into produce patches.
There are believed to be 300,000 allotments in Britain, with around 10,000 in Scotland. That’s up by around 4000 since 2007, yet waiting lists remain ridiculously long in some areas.
“It’s 90 years for some of the allotments in central Edinburgh and waiting lists have had to be closed in other cases,” explained gardener and writer Kenneth Cox, speaking on the eve of National Gardening Week, starting tomorrow.
Exercise, health, well-being, community spirit and awareness of where our food comes from are all being flagged as potential factors in the upswing of our horticultural hobbies.
Jenny Mollison is the secretary of the Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society (SAGS), a voluntary organisation that protects and promotes allotment sites and plot holders.
“At the end of the First World War there were 77,000 plots in Scotland and 90,000 by the end of the Second World War,” she said.
“In 2007, SAGS counted the allotment plots and it was down to between 6000 and 7000, but it’s creeping back up and now we’re at 10,000.
“The implementation of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act will make sure local authorities meet the demand for allotments by reacting to certain trigger points, which are still being ironed out.”
Jenny got her allotment in 1988 in Musselburgh, a few years after moving from Edinburgh city centre with her family. “I wouldn’t be without it,” she smiled. “I know it’s the place to go when the going gets tough – my family send me down there when I’m in a mood.
“It’s my bolthole, so I don’t share it with anyone else. There is something magnificent about putting the key in the gate – it’s like stepping into another world.”
While some, like Jenny, might enjoy it for the solitude and serenity, for others it’s as much about the community spirit as it is the pride in growing produce.
“Most allotments have a fantastic community spirit,” she continued. “People are friendly without being intrusive.
“The Lochaline allotment project at Morvern was building a clay pizza oven when I was over recently, as they like to make pizza after a day of gardening.
“And Killandean Community Allotments in Livingston have regular barbecues on site.”
Kenneth Cox is also impressed by the community garden projects getting off the ground. He points to initiatives like the Granton Community Gardeners in Edinburgh, where five growing areas on unused or abandoned land were identified. In 2014, just four years after being established, the group grew more than two tonnes of vegetables and the following year they began providing free meals made from the produce.
Last year they received a significant lottery grant.
He believes younger generations are also now more enthusiastic about growing fruit and vegetables.
“Social media has certainly helped spread the word,” he said. “Young people have gardening videos on Youtube, which inspires others of a similar age,” said Kenneth, managing director of family firm Glendoick Gardens.
“I toured with Alys Fowler, who presented on Gardener’s World and was much younger than your typical TV gardening show presenter. I watched as 19-year-old girls came up to her and said