The Allotment Book
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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
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Andi Clevely has been a working gardener for 34 years. He rebelled from academic life at Oxford (Hons degree in English) to start a gardening career, progressing to the Crown Estate at Windsor Great Park and thereafter employed as a head gardener in private service (initially for J B Priestley and Jacquetta Hawkes, who encouraged early potting-shed writing projects). Now responsible for managing a country estate and sprawling garden, which is gradually being restored as a cottage and forest garden, based on self-sufficiency, eco-friendly and pro-wildlife practices.
He has written numerous books and is a regular contributor to newspapers and magazines. Andi was awarded Practical Journalist of the Year 2003 by the Garden Writers' Guild.
