Growing trend

LAST week I had the honour of undertaking the mountainous task of judging a local village allotment competition. I approached the mission with some trepidation as, having worked on and rented a few myself, I knew that I was entering a world of secrets, sheds and seriousness.

I prepared myself by drawing up a list of definitive criteria. These were overall attractiveness, productivity, environmental compatibility and "anything unusual", and armed with clipboard and pen I walked up grassy pathways, brick patios and stone trods. I peered over clipped boundaries, raspberry hedges and supporting trellis work. I saw rows of onions, racks of sweet peas and crees of pigeons. The thunder cracked above my head as the heavens opened and I was temporarily forced to find shelter and a cup of tea, but the actual judging was easy though, as the good gardens stood out just as emphatically as the bad ones.

Allotments are trendy at the moment.

If you live in a flat or a town house with no garden, then an allotment is an ideal way to have your own piece of land to grow vegetables, herbs or even fruit. Evidence suggests that they were first introduced in England in 1831 after mounting public pressure. The largest growth of allotments happened throughout the world wars, during the dig for victory campaigns. In this time much of the available land in the British Isles was turned over for growing crops, creating an amazing 1,500,000 allotments.

During the 1980s and early 1990s many allotments fell into decline and owning one was thought to be a hobby for old cloth-capped men. On many allotments throughout the land, there is still a fair share of elderly gentlemen getting out from under their wives' feet for the afternoon.

However, there is also a new breed of allotment plot holders, and that is young couples and young families. With the news full of food scares and obesity stories, it is not surprising that this wonderful past-time is starting to have a long-awaited revival. Allotments also offer an ideal opportunity for people who want to eat home-grown and organic produce and not pay organic or delicatessen prices.

Choosing the perfect site though can be a hit-and-miss affair depending on where you live. For many Londoners, as in some other popular parishes, there is a six-year waiting list. In other smaller towns and cities, you might find yourself spoilt for choice.

WHEN looking for an allotment there are many features to be taken into consideration. It might be tempting to plump for the one with the best view. More practical is to choose one as close to home or as easy to access as possible. On days that the weather is not being too kind, a cup of tea and the television might just seem a much better option.

An allotment in the middle of a housing estate might suffer from one of the hardest pests to deal with - teenagers.

Don't let this put you off though. I suggest that, when choosing your plot, you ask some of the people already there about their experiences.

If you are really lucky you might just stumble across a site that has shared tools and where seeds are sold, where there are toilets on site and where sheds are provided. Often there is just a stand pipe. Not many allotments offer the luxury of running water. If there is no running water this can be catered for by collecting rain water.

Whatever your local site offers, the chance is there to create your own little haven, where you and your family or friends can experiment, explore and educate yourselves in all things vegetable.

These top tips for choosing and working on allotments have been suggested by the Allotment Handbook:

■ Contact your local council to get a plot during the winter. This is the right time of the year as people are renewing/cancelling subscriptions

■ Don't be disheartened if the plot you take looks a bit over-run.

■ Don't expect to do it all at once.

■ Dig or clear a small bit at a time.

■ Try and get something planted even if it's just radishes.

■ Use as much re-cycled bits to make compost bins and boxes, etc, as it keeps costs down.

■ Keep a chair up there. It's not all digging and weeding. Sit and read a good book. You might also want to bring a little gas stove or a barbecue as there is nothing like cooking vegetables straight from the ground.

■ During the winter months dig and then cover with carpet or black plastic to keep the weeds down.

■ Only grow what you enjoy eating.

■ Most important is to remember that it is not a slog unless you want it to be. Relax, have fun and enjoy.

JOBS THIS WEEK

If your onions are large and swollen, and if the flowers are starting to appear on the top of the stalks, then now is a good time to lift them. Put them somewhere dry and cool and they should dry off nicely, ready to sustain you throughout the autumn and winter.

Continue picking courgettes and marrows in order to ensure a bountiful supply for the next month or so.

Check apple trees for woolly aphid. If you notice any grey clumps on the branches, and especially near cut ends, then they need to be wiped off with neat alcohol, or meths as soon as possible to prevent the possible spread of disease.

■ Brigid presents Ask About Gardening every Sunday on BBC Radio Cleveland 95FM from 1-2pm.

Questions will be answered on the day by emailing brigidpress@bbc.co.uk anytime during the week, and texting 07786-200995 or phoning 01642-225511 during the show.