And by that title I mean, is your allotment truly yours or do you conform to what others think your allotment should be?
Being on social media with quite a large following, especially on Instagram can open you up to certain critics and judgement. And believe it or not, there is LOTS of judgement in the world of allotments for how an allotment should judge and function. What should be grown on it or how it should be grown.
I certainly know this for sure, I’ve had a 'certified' allotment judge come and critique my plot and give me pointers for how it should be made better...
I need more of my space dedicated to growing...
I need less flowers and more veg...
I need to grow broad beans and turnips...
But none of the above truly matter to me. They don't appeal to me as a grower, and they don't make my plot work for my family!
For instance, I have nice wide paths for my little girl as she has been growing up, for space to play for her and other children on the site to play with her, while she learns not to step on the beds and treat the growing space with care. I didn't set her up to fail and for our allotment to become a place of dictation about where she can and can't walk all the time - frankly as a parent it would have been exhausting.
Then entered our crazy labrador puppy who has even less respect for those beds!
We have a small family, and we were lucky enough to grow far more food than what could be stored or eaten, so I decided to grow flowers! And my love affair with flowers began.
My allotment has truly been a personal journey. A journey to show how my knowledge has developed and how my growing habits change. Nothing is set in stone, and these plans will undoubtedly grow along with my family’s needs and wants. And of course, our projects and experiments! I’ll never win any awards – but honestly for me it isn’t about that.
But, just because your allotment doesn't conform to someone’s traditional and quite frankly outdated ideals, please don't let that stop you making your allotment truly yours to enjoy.