Patch the kids in
There are so many reasons you should consider getting a family allotment
HOW often does your family use allotments? Chances are, unless you’re an enthusiast, probably not very often. There can be a misconception that allotments are boring, but there are many reasons to have one. That is why National Allotment Week – August 10-16 – aims to draw awareness to allotment gardens that are locally available to you – and maybe plant the seed for you and your family having one for yourselves!
So what are the benefits of allotments? According to the National Allotments Garden Trust and the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners, there are lots. Here are just a few...
Everything grown in them is lovely and fresh.
You can nurture and watch over your own fruit, vegetables and flowers, and add your delicious food to healt hy family meals. Not to mention you can be sure t hat t here is no added r ubbish in t hem.
You can get t he whole family i nvolved with planting and maintaining an allotment plot and it could even be a community project.
You will have some great fun and conversations while you’re working, so it’s a real bonding activity.
You’ll also be out in t he open air gett i ng some great exercise which is fantastic for you, not just physically but mentally too.
Of course, that’s not all you can do with an allotment.
Everything you grow can be enjoyed by you or sold and, for the competitive among you, it can be exhibited so everyone can admire all the effort you and your family have put in.
National Allotment Week is calling for school pupils to be taken on visits to allotments but it is also asking owners of allotments to open them to the public for the week so you and your family can go along and find out first hand what it’s all about.
Allotments are constantly under threat from developers so it is very important that local communities support their allotments.
Visit an allotment near you to see what’s going on, or consider getting your own plot.
The National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners has got tips on designing a children’s allotment, especially for the little ones in the family. A child’s allotment is in essence very similar to an adult’s one, but just on a smaller scale.
Children are fascinated by how things grow and are even more excited by being able to taste what they have harvested – which is why allotment gardening is perfect for curious minds and mouths.
Children cannot rent a traditional allotment in their own right, as they require tenancy agreements, but there is nothing to stop parents or grandparents from sectioning off a part of their plot and turning the space into a children’s allotment (or even finding a space in your own garden if there is room).
Raised beds offer an ideal growing environment for children as their space is clearly defined, making it easier for them to weed and water their plants.
As children have little fingers, they can find it difficult to handle tiny seeds, preferring larger seeds or well established small plants.
Seeds and sets which are ideal for small hands include: broad beans; sunflowers; pumpkins; beetroot ; onion sets; garlic bulbs, and potatoes.
For scent, children will enjoy growing herbs like mint, lemon balm, basil and lavender, while Swiss chard is colourful, lettuce is fast growing (cut and come again variety) and flowers like sweet peas and nasturtiums, offer perfume and vibrancy.
It is worth investing in a set of gardening tools designed for children, along with some gloves.