
How long have you had your shared allotments?
We have had our allotments for more than five years. With both backing on to each other we decided to join them in a rare opportunity to maximise our output. Of course, we want to use these plots for our personal growing but also to share the positive messages about growing your own fruit and vegetables to people across the world.
What made you decide to share your experiences on social media?
We decided sharing our journey on social media would be encouraging to many different people up and down the country. We found we inspired a lot of people and they came to our social media pages to show support, and likewise, they inspired us to do more! It allowed us to also find out what did work and what didn't work and share those experiences.
We started with a Facebook page which has kept growing over the past year. It recently reached more than 10,000 followers from various areas of the globe, which is amazing. It's also interesting that other countries don't have allotments - they have different names for them and different rules on their sites. Not only do we aim to inspire a new generation, we are also finding the generations are inspiring us. We have expanded our social media on to Instagram and recently Tik Tok.
You took on another plot after your first. Did it take lots of work to knock it into shape?
Yes. We acquired two plots which required a lot of work. In total it took more than 16 van loads of tip runs to get them usable but with good soil practice we have begun the process of recreating biodiversity. We have many before and after photos of this process and this can be found all over our social media pages as we progress through the year.
We notice you use raised beds - are they no dig?
Denne historien er fra December 2022-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.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 2022-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.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på

DIGGING THE DIRT NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Every allotment site needs its own superhero and, luckily for John Holloway and his fellow allotmenteers, Sailor Steve came to the rescue

MAKE ROOM FOR CABBAGE
Our humble cabbage is a powerhouse of goodness and we could all benefit from eating more of it. KG deputy editor Emma Rawlings offers tips on growing this popular brassica

SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THESE
Instagrammer Olga Grieves is passionate about growing sweet peas. This month she shares her favourite varieties and explains how to create a stunning display

HERB OF THE MONTH MINT
With its strong flavour, distinctive aroma and its versatility, mint has to be one of the best herbs to have outside your back door, ready for you to pick from spring through to autumn

PRODUCTIVE PLOT
Last summer we launched a competition to find our Top Plotters, with the top three winning some great prizes and the chance to be featured in Kitchen Garden magazine this year. Here we meet our third-placed winner

SUPER SOUASHES
Every garden should make space for squashes but with so many to choose from and so many ways to grow them, where to begin? Benedict Vanheems gets us started

GET PLANNING!
As much as we love to get going straightaway on our veg patch or allotment it's always good to start with a plan, as Becky Searle explains

Bio-stimulant or plant food: What's the difference?
Angharad James, product manager at Maxicrop, explains the difference between a bio- stimulant and plant fertiliser, and discusses which to choose when for a thriving garden

MEET THE BLOGGER MY COTTAGE GARDEN
Inspired by her grandfather, Instagrammer Sarah Pursey from Northamptonshire shares her passion for growing veg and flowers in her long back garden, a throwback to the 1930s

POTTY ABOUT STRAWBERRIES
This month David Patch turns his attention to growing succulent strawberries in pots, offering useful practical tips and recommendations for some choice varieties