[Aidy]

It all started for me when a mate of mine's old fella had one, we used to spend hours with him, then when I was 10 mother went to a flower show and bought me a packet of chilli seeds, thats where I got the chilli bug, when I left school it was of to college then moving around with work, finally woman and then kids. We have finaly settled in Blackpool (dump) we wanted a big garden but there is not that many so I decided on getting a allotment, that was 4 years ago. The veg has made a big difference on our diet, I am now also invloved with my daughters school, we have a small plot of land which with the help of the reception class grow fresh veg, we got a commendation from Ofsted for it. Funny how things turn out.

[John]

Sounds like your wife is going to rather exceptional lengths to get out of work on the plot John!

It's worse than that, she makes me go shopping just because she can't drive. I told her about online shopping but she says they don't have yellow labels!

Back to the topic - the man from Dobies told me they are selling more vegetable seeds than flowers now - it appears that grow your own is a growth market.

[silver8]

Came into by accident. Few years ago when house hunting just fell in love with a house with an established cottage garden and brought it. Started growing a few veg and was blown away by how much better they tasted than what I was buying at the supermarket. Moved since then and dropped out of the rat race and learning new skills everyday. Have always had a passion for cooking and there is no better satisfaction than growing your own and then cooking it. Just built a chicken house and getting excited about getting hold of some free wine making equipment.Turned into a aging hippie. The future for me is green.

[wellingtons]

... well I was kind of hoodwinked.  My friend's father in law had an allotment which he shared with his brother.  They both got to the stage where they couldn't cope but Charlie wanted to hand over the allotment to someone he knew ... and I sort of got volunteered.  I do remember thinking that the space doubled in size after I had signed on the old dotted line!

But I am a farmer's daughter, and I have a very small town garden which is complete, so I'm not unhappy with the project.  I have a divine other half who provides unpaid muscle and we've spent many happy hours grubbing about.  I love growing the veg and I love eating it too, but there is no financial driver for me doing so.

I will probably keep the allotment on for the next few years, but it's not a lifetime project for me.  It's something that I love doing right now

[Celtic Eagle]

A return to allotments for me this year, we had one when we lived in Northwich 20 years ago but gave it up cos of looking after the kids and decided to grow veg at home a 1 and a 3 year old was too much on the allotments.  Always grown some veg on and off over the years but this garden is too small and too shaded. I was looking around while out birdwatching found the allotment site and it all started again. Ah the madness digging planting eating but better still the picking fermenting  and drinking  opps is that too much a giveaway.     . I suppose what really got me interested was my uncle who had a hugh garden / orchard and when I was a kid I was always round there seeing what was going on. BTW I was brought up in Dutton Cheshire right in the middle of farming country so growing was all around us. Also got the bug for free collecting from the hedgerows.

[MumoftTwo]

Dad had an allotment years ago when we were little, but it wasn't much fun as far as I was concerned then, it was too far away, it always rained and there seemed to be lots of weeding and not alot of growing going on.

Went to agricultural college, although not to study anything even vaguely related to agriculture but it kind of sneaks up on you.  So having asked the OH for years to help get a vegetable garden established (we're lucky enough to have a huge garden) only for him not to be keen, (becausee he works on other peoples gardens all day long), decided to seize the day earlier this year, once the small people were of an age to start amusing themselves, and OH came home from work one day to find I'd pursuaded a farmer friend to plough the bottom half of the garden

Put a greenhouse up and am just considering the logistics of a poly tunnel - and funnily enough, now it's done, the OH is suddenly quite keen :roll:

[lucywil]

my dad and grandad both had allotments when i was a child and my mum has a small veg patch in her garden. being a girl and the youngest i always got left at home while my two brothers went to the allotment so i think i decided that now it's my turn to get my hands dirty!! my grandad also made wine and my brothers were quite quick to fetch me if they had been sent dandilion picking!

[lisa]

I went on holiday to Devon and brought fruit and veg from the locals, you know how it is down there!!!  little stalls at side of houses etc and it tasted so good, totally different to supermarcado stuff so I though I ll try this!!! Like its ever that simple!!  My dad does gardening and is my fountain of knowledge and it is so satisfying when you sit down to eat your dinner and stuff tastes nice.  I love doing it even though its hard work.

[muntjac]

born and bred on a farm ,.growing things from being a tiddler ina  pond of 21 other fish had to get my finger in some how,started off growing little bits then nicked a patch froma  filed corner closest to ther tap after the filed has been ploughed flattened  etc,,, ( not daft huh  )  ghot some spuds from the seed sacks n went scrounging for other stuff cabbage plants etc from around the farms in the louth area in old lincolnshire .found some roofing battens and a lump of damp proof plastic ina skip first green house .went in the navy stil kept my hand in showing kids etc abroad how to grow a few bits to help thier families .came home .first thing was get a job .first allotment followed after an old fella died who had one outside my back gate ( i over look the allotments of 4 in a group ) another old chap and died and his wife didnt wnat to let it go as you say to a stranger so i got that one .of the four i now have 3 .and as soon as the old fella on the last plot goes i have the whole lump .the old guys  i got mine from had been on them since and before the war.
Nobody in the village wants them .we have 4 allotments in total with 50 plots and only 31 are used .those that are used are kept very very well indeed .we dont let an unused  plot go to ruin though its cleared and rotavated weeds cleared and then ready to let out .anybody taking on a plot for the first year gets it free  for 6 mths ,we can have sheds greenhouses ,chuck pens rabbits /here on my plots i havent ever had any damage that was not payed for .the football team play on the field next door and if they break windows they pay, great people on all of the plots in my village

[trapper]

Ex Millitary 22 years of the great outdoors , as a kid lived off the land (we was poor)scrumped, ate sugar beet and just about tried every thing that I could , I used to watch the fellas on the lotties and envy it all even then. My dream is to live a sorta RIVER COTTAGE  type of life. Work hard reap the benefits,. Looking now for a bit of land to realise my dream, although I am getting a bit creaky. Just love the peace and the tranquility of it all ,hate the digging, but all for the good . In the summer I put my hammock up between my apple trees  and sometimes just grin and give the lotty a good stare,and it is enchanced with my two grandaughters cuddling up , and I can spin em a yarn, not quite at nirvana but progressing! Pop Larkin would say PERFIK JUST PERFIK!!!.(  NEARLY THERE).
Trapper
the end.
 

[James]

My father grew vegetables in his garden, and his father before him, so I was only three or four when I was given my first corner of garden and a packet of radishes.  I've grown vegetables ever since, whenever I've had a scrap of ground to occupy.

But I've never had an allotment, so does this disqualify me from this discussion?

[hermon]

my grandad had a large grenhouse and he only grew toms! i was brought up to always be outside and mum had a small veg patch as we were poor it was foor food not for fun! now my morlas have mad me do my own veg to cut down on transport/packaging and taste! also how espensive are they when you realise how easy some are to grow its a total rip off!
its also an inbred human instinct to work the land i love it!!  

[GrannieAnnie]

I think we can use the word allotment as all encompassing James!  I don't have an allotment, but it feels like it when I'm out there!!!

My Dad had allotments since before I was born.  He was 21 years older than my Mum, so was more like my granddad!!!  I also had my own tiny veg patch where I grew radishes and lettuce when I was little.

then when I went to work and dad was ill, we moved to a flat, but he still went to his allotment!  In fact he was on his bicycle on the way to his allotment, when he had a heart attack and died, but at least he died doing what he loved!!!!!

Then I didn't do much until we moved here to Lincolnshire, what with family and work and commuting taking up too much of my time.  I started off with a few runner bean seeds that the man who was looking after the bungalow next door gave me.  the next year I bought a few packets of seeds, the brussels did well and again the runners, but nothing else seemed to grow, but that was more my fault than anything I think.  Ididn't look after them properly.  Last year was bigger and a bit better, and although I've had a lot of mishaps this year, it has been the best so far, especially with all those tomatoes!!!! lol

Now I've got 2 greenhouses and a polytunnel! So hopefully next year will be even better!!!!

Went to look at a plot of land yesterday.  No house on it, just 10 acres and an acre of glasshouse, with planning consent for a house, but the farmer wants £250,000 for it.  No way, even grade 1 land here is only worth £4,000 an acre and the glass is 10 years old!!!  Even the estate agent said it wasn't worth it.  The same estate agent that sold the nursery I wanted!!!!!  But we reckong this other place is only worth about £100,000.  Still, the farmer might come down when he can't sell it!!!!!

[yanfoex]

Both of my Grandfathers were very keen gardeners - one had a "weekend" nursery with one of my Uncles and even produced his own, named varieties of roses etc; the other had an allotment behind the house in which he lived. My mother also had an allotment. Me? Having lived in London flats for 10 years+ I hankered after a garden, which wife and I got when we moved to the E. Midlands. I took an allotment in June for similar reasons to those already mentioned but also because allotments are part of our heritage and deserve to be protected.

[jennyb]

my grandfather has always grown veg (mum's stories and memories from her childhood with them) and he still does today - it's sprouts for every meal looking at his garden this year!!  i think he must have over 20 plants which all seem to be producing large crop!!

i guess mum must have picked it up from him,  i remember as a little girl in sussex we had a green house (no room in this garden sadly)  and we had tomatoes, cucumber there and mum also had an allotment which we used to go up to together.

my nan is more into flowers and saves seeds from everything!  she tried peppers a couple of years back and this year both her and i have tried (and failed i might add) with melons this year.

i don't suppose there are many 20 year old's who would like their own allotment........ but it helps me with my health as well and keeps me busy.  i'm certainly not your average 20 year old!!