Growing Food

One thing that is an easy change to make is to grow your own food. It might be growing herbs in your kitchen, growing from containers on your balcony or patio or growing on a larger scale in your garden, allotment or community garden. Any food you grow will help minimise your environmental impact. It is also a great way to exercise and to eat healthily.

Being an island nation we have grown to rely on supply chains from abroad. However, in times of supply disruption, during the wars, during the Covid pandemic and then disruption from Brexit many people have supplemented their diet with home grown produce.

'Whilst the famous Dig for Victory campaign was very successful in helping to reduce the need for imported food and caused a resurgence in allotment numbers to about 1.4 million, the actual peak for allotment numbers was in the First World War when there were 1.5 million allotments under cultivation.' - John Harrison, Dig for Victory Monthly Growing Guides and Commentary.

If you are interested in growing your own food use the links below to explore some ideas. I would also recommend buying a guide. Books purchased through John Harrison's Allotment & Gardens website are also supplied with free seeds worth £6. Excellent value when his books start from £7.99.

Don't forget to add some pollinator friendly plants in your garden, let herbs and other plants bolt and flower. Provide a source of water for animals and beneficial insects.