This week is National Allotment Week. If you haven’t got one, London’s are easy to forget, often hidden away down alleyways and behind closed gates. But they offer a lifeline for many Londoners who don’t have access to their own , and provide a connection to nature and the earth in a city that can sometimes feel very detached from the natural world.
Allotments are also often hotspots of , offering a refuge to insects, birds and a host of other city dwelling wildlife. However, this isn’t always the case, some allotment associations still have strict rules about the ‘hygiene’ of allotments and encourage the use of weed killers and pesticides to wage war against problem plants and insects. Recognising the value allotments play, the (NAS) has chosen biodiversity as the theme of this year's National Allotment Week.
The society has sets the benchmark for allotments, and has been working to preserve and promote them for over 100 years. London-based garden designer and allotment blogger, , is the latest ambassador to join the NAS, having won two awards for her Get Started ‘Renter’s Retreat’ garden at last year's RHS Hampton Court flower show. From her allotment, Claymore shares some of her tips on maximising biodiversity when growing your own, showing that an imperfect plot has a lot to offer nature.
“Making your own compost is a great way to support all kinds of insect life as well as some small mammals. I’ve created a bay system out of old pallets on my half pl.