Success in Your Allotment

Growing your own vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers? This is the complete practical guide to growing your own vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers in an allotment, shown in over 530 hands-on photographs and illustrations. It explains how to get started on your allotment, from finding and applying for a site to assessing the conditions, planning the design and planting your first crops. It contains step-by-step instructions for essential techniques, such as testing the soil, weeding, composting, planting, sowing seeds, propagating and fertilizing. It includes down-to-earth advice on growing in the open and under glass, and how to deal with pests and diseases. This highly accessible book shows novice gardeners how to start their own allotment garden, from applying for permission and planning the garden through to planting, growing and harvesting vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers. A brief history examines the origins of allotments, from their first official inception in the late 1500s through the World Wars and to their role in modern society. Next, the book explains how to keep your soil healthy, plan what to grow where, and how to choose the best plant varieties. It includes practical step-by-step instructions for everyday techniques, such as sowing seeds, propagation, pruning, and harvesting. Finally, a season-by-season calendar of care provides an at-a-glance checklist of what to sow, plant out and harvest for every stage in the gardening year. With its expert information and more than 530 photographs and illustrations, this is an essential volume for anyone interested in cultivating home-grown crops.

Christine Lavelle is a lecturer in horticulture and ecology at Writtle College, Chelmsford, UK. and was assistant Head Gardener at Levens Hall topiary gardens in Kendal, UK. Her main areas of work are in organic growing and wildlife gardening. Michael Lavelle studied horticulture at Askham Bryan College in York UK. He worked as a professional landscaper before starting a career as a lecturer. Michael has designed and constructed educational exhibits at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, achieving prestigious gold medals in 1999, 2003 and 2005.