The future of our allotment sites is constantly under threat of being reclaimed for building houses. Against all odds, ‘Brummie’ Dave Taylor took up the challenge to save a failing and near-derelict 75-year-old allotment site and return it to its former postwar glory…..
What inspired you to take on the challenge of resurrecting Longmeadow Crescent site?
I was approached by the chairman of Birmingham and District Allotments Confederation (BDAC) to join him on an assessment of the site. The complete area was appalling, covered in brambles and discarded rubbish (so far we have cleared a total in excess of 20 tons). My first impression was that it was beyond salvaging; on closer inspection the vegetation was above head height. However, after my third visit I decided to take on the challenge, providing I had the backing of the BDAC to tackle it in small sections over a period of time. The initial clean-up started by using machetes to hack a pathway down the centre of the site to make it accessible. The debris was sited in a specific area with the aim to get funding for a large dumper truck and digger to remove it at a later date. Only two or three plots were being worked when I first took on the challenge and these were people who had refused to give in. When I approached them to explain the intention to resurrect the complete site, they greeted me with a smile of disbelief. As more areas got cleared and plots became available again, this appeared to generate some momentum and the work is still ongoing.
What is the history behind Longmeadow Crescent allotments?
The allotment evolved soon after the war when Shard End estate was built around the mid-1950s. Originally a small stream ran alongside the site which was a boundary marker between Birmingham and Solihull, but this has since been rerouted underground.
Denne historien er fra October 2020-utgaven av Kitchen Garden.
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Denne historien er fra October 2020-utgaven av Kitchen Garden.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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SEPTEMBER SPECIALS
This month, with sweetcorn, figs and blackberries on the menu, Anna Cairns Pettigrew is not only serving up something sweet and something savoury, but all things scrumptious
FLAVOURSOME FRUIT AUTUMN RASPBERRIES
September - is it late summer or the start of autumn? David Patch ponders the question and says whatever the season, it's time to harvest autumn raspberries
SOW GREEN THIS AUTUMN
Covering the soil with a green manure in winter offers many benefits and this is a good time to sow hardy types, says KG editor Steve Ott
A HISTORICAL HAVEN OF FRUIT AND FLOWERS
KG's Martin Fish takes time out from his own plot to visit a walled garden in Lincolnshire which has been home to the same family for more than 400 years
RESTORING THE BALANCE
The phrase regenerative gardening is often heard in gardening circles, but what is it? Can it help you to grow better veg? Ecologist Becky Searle thinks so, and tells us why
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
Garden Organic's Anton Rosenfeld shares his expertise on using compost made from green bin collections with handy tips on getting the right consistency and quality
Celebrating Organic September!
In this special section we bring you four great features aimed at improving your crops and allowing nature to thrive
SEEING RED
Do your tomatoes have a habit of remaining stubbornly green? Or perhaps you're lucky to enjoy lots of lovely fruits - just all at once. Either way, Benedict Vanheems is here with some top tips to ripen and process the nation's favourite summer staple
NEW KIDS ON THE BROCCOLI!
Rob Smith is talking broccoli this month with a review of the different types available and suggestions for some exciting new varieties to try
A NEW kitchen garden
Martin Fish is getting down to plenty of picking and planting on the garden veg plot, while Jill is rustling up something pepper-licking good!
