Allotments used to be places where men went to dig their vegetable patch and escape their wives. Not any more! Growing your own veg is becoming hugely fashionable, and allotments are a must have item for many young professionals. Why is this?

Vegetable renaissance
One of the reasons could be that people are more aware of their food and where it comes from; most people buy their fruit and veg from supermarkets, and this is often grown for the longest possible shelf life rather than for taste and nutrition. For others who grow their own veg, it is the pleasure and satisfaction of growing your own produce – and it’s a lot cheaper too.

For budding gardeners, a first step is to grow vegetables in your own space - whether it be your garden, the balcony of your flat, or on your kitchen windowsill. Typical things to easily grow include tomatoes and salad vegetables. However, the BBC asked its viewers what they were growing and found that many are going into more exotic territories – lemon basil, okra, chilli peppers and even grapes were cited.

‘I put some pepper seeds in a pot on my windowsill and they grew into peppers without me even trying!  Now I have a back yard I can grow enough to make a salad – you don’t need much space!’  Maisie, 24, Bangor.

Allotment fever
If you really get into growing your own food and want more space, an allotment could be top of your wish list. These are plots of land that can be rented from local authorities that are traditionally used to grow your own fruit and veg – they are very much in demand nowadays.

Michael, from Reading, told the BBC: ‘I managed to rent an allotment this year …I cannot describe the joy of picking your own fresh vegetables. So far potatoes, cauliflower, cucumbers, courgettes, green beans, French beans, sweetcorn. Long may allotments flourish.’

Allotments can also help improve your health – the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers run ‘green gyms’ where gardening skills are used as a form of exercise.

It seems there’s no downside to this trend!

Stella
December 2006/January 2007

Trend UK -> UK Lifestyle -> Current page