Welcome to the Naughty Corner, home of The Potty Plotters

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The Potty Plotters Naughty Corner sign

Big Potty

Elaine
So where to start? For as long as I can remember Dad always had an allotment. He had to - with 7 kids, he had to feed us somehow! So, while Dad grew for the family, mum hoed as the kids dragged watering cans up and down the garden path to the allotments at the back of the garden. Those were the days - when the summer was always hot and the sun shone every day (it seemed).

The lifelong lessons stayed embedded and about 15 years ago, one of my sisters took on a plot in Derby city. As her work grew, she asked me to help her on her plot and I did. As her work took over her life, I took over her plot and settled into allotmenting and Bill became the ‘allotment widower’.

As my journey to that plot got longer in the traffic, I decided to move sites and on the 19th February 2016, I had the tour of the plots here at Ashbourne Road District Allotments. A day to remember and one that Bill will re-quote! He thought I was bonkers, but I saw the potential of the plot and knew we would be happy on the site. In the following 3 months, we pulled in favours from family and friends and never looked back.

A relaxing pastime with a fruitful ending and a happy one too. Bill and I work the plot together and as they say... live happily ever after... after, that is, I have told him what to do of course!
Big Potty

Little Potty

Julia
After years of suffering from depression, and after a particularly bad episode in 2009, I was encouraged to start growing my own veg at home. I enjoyed doing this so much I started to take over the flower borders with potatoes. At that point I started thinking perhaps I should get an allotment!

I went in at the deep end and took on a full-sized plot. Initially I didn't know if I could cope with being around other people, but that's the beauty of most allotments; if you want to be on your own you can be, but if you want company there is always someone around to chat to.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, having an allotment has been the best thing for my mental health, it's my little haven and I get a great sense of calm when I am on my plot. The satisfaction and wellbeing from producing your own fruit and veg is incredible. In addition, I have made some wonderful friends on this site and my previous one.
Little Potty

We Grow

Elaine
Well at least one of us has!
Julia
Rude!
Elaine
Click below for more about what we grow and how you can too.

What we grow

We Cook

Elaine
If you can't eat or drink what you grow then what's the point in doing it?
Julia
...and we frequently do it on the plot!
Elaine
Between us, we have loads of recipes that we'll be popping on the website soon... promise.

We Talk

Julia
And boy can Elaine talk!
Elaine
Yes we, I, do talk a lot. On BBC Radio Derby every Sunday between 11:30am and 12:30pm and on our podcast which we have, cleverly, called our Plotcast!

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We Talk More

Elaine
At WIs, gardening clubs, you name it, we'll talk at them.
Julia
I told you she can't shut up. I warned you!
Elaine
Contact us by email if you dare.

We Repurpose

Elaine
Whether it's a takeaway container, one of Julia's bras or an old oil drum we can repurpose it for growing.
Julia
Nothing goes to waste!

Most of all...

We HAVE FUN!