Be inspired by an allotment packed with ornamentals
Over the next few months, we visit our 2020 Gardens of the Year finalists. This month, we discover an allotment in Warwickshire unlike any other, as Andy Gladman shares his passion for plants
PhD student Andy Gladman spends his days researching aphid attacks on brassicas. So when he had the chance to take on a large allotment site in Leamington Spa, he knew he wanted a break from cabbages and to grow as many ornamentals as possible. And since taking on the overgrown site in 2018 he has created an astonishingly vibrant and drought-tolerant garden driven by his lifelong passion for plants.
Andy and his partner Alec live in a top floor flat, so this allotment is also a haven for the couple to relax in as well as a place for him to experiment and build his collection of plants. Everything in the allotment has been created on a tight budget so seed sowing and recycling are key. Andy’s achievements bring a smile to his fellow allotment holders and his beautiful plot is buzzing with pollinators.
What was the allotment like when you first took it on?
It was basically a field of couch grass and bindweed. Some parts were waist high in rubbish. It took about two months to clear before I could start planting. I was very grateful that another allotment holder helped me take lots of loads back and forth to the site
Alan Titchmarsh, competition judge
rubbish area. Then I sketched out some ideas of what I wanted it to look like. I knew I wanted mainly borders because it was the plants that interested me and I wanted to ram in as many as I could – which I think I’ve achieved!
What do other allotment holders think of your plot?
I think that I was lucky with it being such a problem plot, as the committee were happy for me to do what I wanted with it – so long as it looked good. It’s quite a prominent plot as it’s near the community huts so I think they appreciate my efforts. When working on the allotment you do hear comments as people walk by. It’s not like a garden that’s hidden away, it’s completely on display, with people passing by all the time. But people shout in and say it’s looking nice and I’ll invite them in for a look around. I’m quite happy to talk anyone’s ear off about the plants, as that’s what
Andy has chosen a range of droughttolerant perennials, such as euphorbia, kniphofia, eryngiums and echinops A collection of succulents in old terracotta pots is Andy’s way of connecting his allotment to the first plants he fell in love with as a child
An old bench in the middle of the allotment is one of the few items that was left behind and makes a good place to sit and enjoy the abundant planting Andy raises cacti and succulents in his first greenhouse, which also shelters other tender plants over the winter
I’d love an allotment like that! It takes careful planning and positioning to get that planting right and a path like that on an allotment is just brilliant!
Andy’s plant collection includes many cultivars of species he loves, such as kniphofia (red-hot poker). He is planning to apply for a National Collection holder status for these and his echinops (globe thistle) Andy made the path from old bricks donated by another allotment holder. It takes visitors on a delightfully winding journey through the colourful plot This water trough is a cleverly recycled item Andy found. It is now both a practical and beautiful feature really interests me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen another allotment that looks like this one.
How do you decide which plants to grow?
I knew there were plants I liked when growing up, or that my dad grew, so I made a list of about 10-12 genera I wanted to grow – things like kniphofia, echinops, buddleias. Instead of going to the garden centre and buying 50 of them I decided to collect different cultivars over time. So there’s about 100 cultivars of kniphofia that I’ve been trying to accumulate. Ultimately, I’m interested in the diversity of plants and I quite like the ones that aren’t very pretty or that nobody wants to grow.
Around half of the plants you see have been grown from seed. I think a lot of the joy is sowing the seed, watching them grow, potting on. It’s only ones I couldn’t grow from seed – such as the kniphofia – that I’ve sourced from various nurseries. I like going around and chatting to nursery workers and seeing what they have. My partner’s family live in Kent and we always come back from visiting them with a boot full of plants!
How have you saved money on the allotment?
It’s been very important to me throughout the process to try and source and use materials that otherwise would go to waste. The entire path is made up of pavers from a fellow allotmenteer’s old driveway, both greenhouses were second hand and all the furniture in the second greenhouse (or summer house) is from charity shops. Even the water trough is second hand. As a student my budget is hugely limited so I simply couldn’t afford all these
things brand new. Doing all the work on the allotment myself really helps me to appreciate and be proud of what I have created. There’s something quite special knowing that everything around you is because of your hard work.
Do you find your allotment a relaxing place to be?
Yes, living in a top floor, northfacing flat when you’re very keen on gardening is difficult! So I did feel the need to have some outdoor space and to be able to garden. I think the main thing we like to use it for is to just come down here and relax. The second greenhouse is very much set up for relaxation. I do suffer with the gardener’s problem of not being able to sit still for long, but my partner is much better at just being able to admire it all. It’s good having someone saying, “It’s really nice – just sit back and enjoy it!” We can be at the back of the allotment just sitting or working and it’s as if we’re in our own little world.
I’ve noticed so many insects visiting. Did you hope to bring in lots of pollinators?
I have to be honest, when I started out I wasn’t thinking about wildlife. It just happens that a lot of the plants I like – buddleia, verbena, echinops – are also plants that insects seem to really like as well. There are always bees everywhere – there’s a bumblebee nest in one of the beds that I have to make sure I don’t step on! I did the Big Butterfly Count 2020 and there’s lots of butterfly diversity, too. I think many of the other allotment holders are pleased with the amount of pollinators my allotment is bringing in.
NEXT MONTH We discover the secrets to making a tiny garden truly special
A second greenhouse, used as a summer house, was added as a secluded spot for Andy and his partner to unwind in at the weekend
Andy made the unusual choice to grow only ornamentals on his allotment and is keen to encourage other gardeners to mix and match more blooms with their veg
The summer house is decked out with second-hand furniture and offers a lovely spot to look back on all of Andy’s hard work
This plot demands we rethink what an allotment can be Lucy Hall, Editor and competition judge