FINDING THE PLOT

PLACES TO GROW AND SPEND TIME WITH NATURE, PROVIDING FOOD FOR THE TABLE AND CALM IN TIMES OF CRISIS. ALLOTMENT HISTORIAN JC NIALA DIGS INTO THEIR STORY…

Picture an allotment and it’s probably a comforting vision of British community. A patchwork of plots worked by people from all walks of life. There are peaceful moments when the wind ripples through plants, or butterflies land on flowers. Or more sociable moments as neighbours swap seeds and recipes for gluts, along with life stories. Then there are the inevitable dramas, and arcane by-laws. The variety of plants grown on allotments has expanded to include foods from other parts of the world, while the staples, such as potatoes, leeks, beans, broccoli, onions and rhubarb have not changed in over a century. But allotments do reflect changes in wider society. During the First World War, when men went to fight, their wives, sisters and mothers continued to cultivate the plots, leading to…

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The Simple Things (Digital) - 1 Issue, September 2024

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