is tending her plots. So, it would seem that the chance to escape the pressures of the outside world’ should be added to the list of advantages that growing our own vegetables on an allotment can bring. But, perhaps there is yet another healthy living box that we can tick?


Edna and Ray Jones - enjoying the same sense of escape their father enjoyed


Despite the sounds of traffic in the neighbouring road and the occasional drone of aeroplanes overhead, the Weston Allotment tenants of today mention the same sense of escape that Edna and Ray’s father enjoyed. Despite being the busy Chairman of the Allotment Committee, Belinda Hayes never takes her mobile with her when she’s working on her two allotments. While she enjoys the sense of community and the occasional conversation with other gardeners, it is the outside world that she wants to exclude while she


Think vertical as gardening takes an upward trend


Vertical gardening is a unique and practical method of making the most all of your garden space. When plants such as tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and melons are left to sprawl on the ground they will take up to 10 times as much space as growing them vertically. With the exception of tomatoes and pole beans, too few gardeners take advantage of this gardening technique.


In addition to saving space, there are a number of advantages to growing vegetables off the ground.


* They are cleaner and more resistant to disease.


* Plants will not be subjected to soil rot which results from the fruit lying on the ground.


* Many crawling and soil borne insects and pests will not bother them. * Plants receive good air circulation.


* Vertical gardening can provide privacy and screen off unsightly views.


* Gardeners who find regular gardening physically challenging will enjoy vertical gardening because it eliminates a lot of bending over.


Examples of plants that can be grown vertically: * Tomatoes


* Butternut squash * Cucumbers


* Pole beans and lima beans


* Acorn squash * Peppers


* Sweet and snap peas


The first rule in creating a trellis structure for vertical gardening is to make it very strong and solid


The standard allotment in England and Wales is a 10 ‘pole’ or ‘rod’ plot. This old measurement of ground is the equivalent of about 250 sq metres or 1/16th of an acre. Most plots cover a long and narrow strip of ground, and yet, as a brief stroll around any allotment will show you, every one of them is different. Some plots are organised with military precision, while others have a more naturalistic look. There are plots pecked by hens, plots crammed with exotic flowers and of course, there is every variety of shed imaginable. As long as plots are cultivated and cared for, there is no real sense of right or wrong. If something isn’t quite right this year then it’s easy to try something completely different next year. A bit of time away from the outside world gives people the opportunity to make their plot whatever they want it to be: to create their own little bit of heaven. In today’s frantic world, that can only be a good thing.


Weston Allotments Newtown Road Woolston SO10 9XH


Open for The National Gardens Scheme on Sat 3rd and Sun 4th July (2pm - 5pm)


Admission £3, children free


Some points to remember when thinking about ‘going vertical’!


* Plants require watering more often, so mulch accordingly.


* How high will the plants be at maturity? Keep in mind that you will need to reach them easily, so do not build the support trellis too tall.


* Plan so that the


vertical structures are on the north side of the plant beds so as to not shade the plants growing on the ground.


* Hanging baskets can be used with success. If the structure that they hang from is too high, rig up a pulley system to raise and lower the plants making access and watering easier.


The first rule in creating your trellis structure is to make it very strong and solid. It must be able to support the weight of ripe vegetables and also be able to withstand winds of up to 30 miles an hour when the structure is covered in vegetables..


You will also require a sturdy system of netting or other support upon which the plants will grow. Strong plastic or wire netting can be used. Wood lattice may work for one or two years, but since it is very cheaply built, it will not last very long or possibly collapse under the weight.


Country Gardener 31


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