Page 58 - ALG Issue 2 2019
P. 58

East Midlands
Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland
 REPRESENTATIVE MENTOR
MENTOR
Sandra Motley
East Midlands (South) 0845 013 0118 smotley.nas@gmail.com
   Mr Paul Howgill
37 Meredith Road, Rowley Fields, Leicester LE3 2EP 07803 828 777 allotmentbaron@aol.com
Adam Murphy
East Midlands (North) 0845 4786 352 amurphy.nas@gmail.com
Ashbourne Road and District ‘growing academy’
A new, innovative and exciting project is underway at Derby’s Ashbourne Road and District Allotment Association (ARDAA) who are, yet again, leading the way forward with a fabulous project that sets out to teach people how to become successful, productive growers; at home, on the garden, on the balcony - with patio vegetables, or on an allotment plot!
Plotholders at the century old allotment site are thrilled at the success of the launch of their ‘Growing Academy’, which they believe to be
a national first. Whilst many other sites offer growing opportunities for specific groups to engage and learn about vegetable growing, the Academy follows a timetabled programme of subjects which students can choose
to attend, relevant to knowledge
gaps. The informal classes take place in a polytunnel ‘classroom’ run by volunteer tutors from the site, and anyone who attends can do so free of charge, the one condition being, that attendees donate volunteer hours to maintaining, promoting and improving the site.
Allotment Secretary Chris Dawson believes the Growing Academy, together with the recently developed 5 Starter Plots, have given individuals the best chance of becoming successful allotmenteers. “Having an allotment plot should not be overwhelming or a chore. Here at ARDAA we are doing everything we can to prevent that happening. The Growing Academy has already been
very well received and oversubscribed by our current plotholders and members of the wider community. As time goes by, I am hoping that even more people from across the city will come and join us.”
The Growing Academy was the brainchild of BBC Radio Derby, Andy Twigge’s ‘Bit in the Middle’ programme regulars ‘The Potty Plotters’, Elaine Crick and Julia Slater who said: “We love our allotment plots and get a lot of thrills and pleasure growing and then eating our own produce. We just want to share that experience with as many people as possible! The Growing Academy is a central point for advice and knowledge exchanges, hands-on experience and an opportunity to get to know other growers in an informal setting – what’s not to like?”
In the spring of 2017, The Potty Plotters offered to take over a plot
with a dilapidated polytunnel to grow plants to sell and raise money for the association. Customers inundated the pair with requests for growing advice
– how to grow better, bigger or more productive plants? The idea of the Growing Academy was sprouted from there. “Let’s grow an academy to teach people how to do this for themselves,” suggested Julia, and from that seed being sown, the idea grew.
After the overwhelming success
of the plant sale in May 2017, the old polytunnel was recycled and
a ‘new’ second hand tunnel put in place. Then in August 2018 the sites’
Let’s grow an academy to teach people
small group of volunteers cleared, weeded and completely dug the plot over. This was followed by a layer of suppressant and mulch over all the cleared ground. A front garden was created with homegrown perennials and a recycled pallet fence. The inside of the tunnel was covered in 5 tonnes of pea gravel interspersed with slabs. An old bus shelter was rescued from a field, cleaned, repaired, painted and polished and now sits on the front
of the plot for weary allotmenteers!
               58 Allotment and Leisure Gardener






































































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