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Allotments

by MarkDiac |

So, from today, no more River Cottage for me but, as if by magic, more interesting things appear to ensure that at least for now there’s no threat of a return to the days of living in an old people’s bungalow with two friends (one of whom had the conservatory for a bedroom) watching Going For Gold in a dressing gown with a bottle of sherry and four cans of Crucial Brew for company*.

I seem to be writing four books in the next three years and am taking the photographs for another. It is this ‘another’ which I’d like to draw to your attention. The publisher is getting that Lia Leendertz (or Lena Linedance as someone straight-facedly referred to her as a couple of weeks ago) to do the largely inconsequential job of filling in a few words to make the white spaces around the delightful images seem less dull.

The book is about amazing allotments. The definition of allotment is very loose – community gardens, flower allotments and roof gardens are among those that fall under our rather untidy umbrella.

It’s a very simple book – we write about and shoot the most amazing allotments, the people who garden in them and some of what they grow. If we get it right it should be beautiful and inspiring, a tale of people and place.

GARDEN PARTY 01 Les potagers Belvédère Suresnes – La tomate from GARDEN PARTY, l’émission on Vimeo.

We have many fantastic allotments, like the one above, that we hope to include but we are after a few other belters. If you have one or know of one you’d like to suggest, please let us know either by adding a comment or emailing us.

Thank you thank you

* Coming to a grand total of £4.85 and therefore meeting the strict rules applied to the £5 challenge

  • I have a long standing notion to write/photograph a book dedicated solely to the different structures used by gardeners to grow runner beans. (only runner beans you understand, none of the fancy foreign italian borlotti nonsense). I hope you're not going to steal my idea.

    Your loyal servant S.S.

  • Are you just doing UK allotments or is this an excuse to jet off around the world taking fab photos of what allotmenteers grow in different countries and picking up cooking tips on the way! If not I have given you the idea for a follow up book – or even a TV series.. I'd watch for sure. And Lia already has the Lena Linedance stage name.

  • Pah!
    Getting us to do your research while you and Linedance loll about eating cheese and having full body waxes.

    I've got a camera on my telephone, maybe you would like me to take the pictures as well?

  • RISC roof garden in Reading. It's my absolute favourite. Based on principles of forest gardening and permaculture, it's also an educational space – they do great tours and courses sometimes. Really worth a visit, if you haven't been already!

    http://www.risc.org.uk/gardens/

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