An allotment is an area of land used for growing fruit and vegetables. As many new allotment growers discover, growing vegetables requires new knowledge and skills and the satisfaction gained from eating their first home grown strawberry or fresh tomatoes makes them taste even more delicious! Read below our 5 ways allotment gardening benefits us!

1. Fresh, seasonal fruit and veg. If managed properly, an allotment can produce enough food to supplement a weekly shop, with fresh fruit and vegetables over the year. Whether you’re trying to eat a little healthier or just can’t get enough of fresh peas, getting an allotment is a great way of encouraging a more nutritious diet.

2. Exercise! Working on your allotment is a great form of exercise. From vigorous activities such as digging and building beds to planting and watering.

3. Help the environment. Allotments are good for the environment because growing your own food will reduce your personal carbon footprint compared to shop-bought alternatives – and you will limit the packaging used. Growing organic vegetables will also benefit the environment as you help limit the amount of pesticides and other harmful chemicals in the soil.

4. Sense of achievement. As well as keeping you busy, maintaining an allotment is a project which requires planning. Seeing a project through from start (planting your seeds) to finish (eating your fresh produce) can be extremely rewarding.

5. Saves you money! Once you get the hang of things – and your allotment starts to give back – growing your own produce can be a very cost-effective way of living, especially if you grow perennial fruit and vegetables.

Useful resource for allotment growers: The National Allotment Society