Big Potty
aka Elaine
So where to start? For as long as I could remember Dad always had an allotment. He had to - with 7 kids, he had to feed us somehow! So, whilst 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, though 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 ARDAA. A day not to forget and one that Bill will requote! 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 now plot together and as they say…..live happily ever after…..(after, that is, I have told him what to do of course)!
Little Potty
aka 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, plus I have made some wonderful friends on this site and my previous one.
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!
We Blog
Elaine: Whatever that is!?!?Blog: May to June Blog: April to May Blog: March to April Blog: Spring has sprung
Julia: Well, on the The National Garden Scheme's webiste we have our very own 'grow your own blog' which is basically us rambling on about how to grow your own at various times of the year.
Elaine: Better to see it than let us try and explain what a blog is!
We Scare
Elaine: Every Sunday morning, between 11:30 and 12:30, we get to scare a presentor of BBC Radio Derby - our sidekick in other words!
Julia: They even let us call in live!
We Talk
Julia: And boy can Elaine talk
Elaine: How dare you! But yes we do talk a lot whether its with our chums on the plot, on the radio (and sometimes the telly) or on our brand new podcast (whatever one of those is) which we have called our Plotcast!
Julia: That sounds exciting Elaine but where can you find it?
Elaine: Good question my little friend. I'm reliably told by our new best friends at Amberland Media that it is available on your favourite podcast platforms to download, listen and if you like it Subscribe!
Julia: Wow! So just click on one of links below...
We Repurpose
Most of all... we HAVE FUN!
