Let's Talk Allotments - expert advice for growing your own

Andrew, Horticultural Director, Kings Seeds, Essex

Andrew has worked in Horticulture for over 30 years of which over 20 years has been in the seed trade. He also grows all his own vegetables to eat and for exhibition on his award winning allotments in Capel st Mary Suffolk.

Allotment holder Bill takes a lighthearted look at veg. He’s the author of Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History, the RHS’s Tales from the Tool Shed and, most recently, the Haynes guide Potato. Bill is a regular speaker on the horticultural society circuit.

Darren is a multi award winning garden designer, broadcaster, lecturer and garden writer. He runs a successful garden design consultancy, and was one of the first recipients of the City and Guilds medal of excellence.

 

After working on his fathers farm for 4 years, attending day release courses at Askham BryanCollege of Agriculture near York, he then became a banker for over 30 years, then took early retirement, managed a garden centre, then had his own garden maintenance business until a couple of years ago.

More recently, David has become a member of the RHS Fruit Vegetable and Herb committee, show schedule committee and recently passed his assessment to become an accredited RHS Floral judge.

David has been growing vegetables since he was a lad back in the 60’s, learning from his dad and grandad. His passion is growing vegetables for showing and has won several UK titles for carrots, parsnips and shallots. He is also a keen allotment and kitchen grower as well, providing food for the table all year round from his plots, polytunnel and glasshouse.

Until recently he was General Secretary of the National Vegetable Society for over 9 years and now with his wife, runs Select Seeds, providing those hard to find varieties for serious amateur vegetable growers.

Martin, Northern Gardener and retired freelance gardening consultant

Martin’s interest in gardening started at an early age working with his grand-father on his allotment. His career covered nearly 40 years with Leeds City Council Parks department, where he represented the Council and the gardening profession in national and international arenas.

Martin’s gardening style is inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement and many influential garden figures including Gertrude Jekyll, Christopher Lloyd and Beth Chatto.

Rod, Master Composter and member of the National Allotment Society East Midlands Regional Committee.

As a Garden Organic Master Composter he gives talks to allotment societies and garden clubs across the midlands, holds workshops in schools and encourages the public to compost as a means of reduce waste sent to landfill.

Sally is a professional gardener with a lifelong interest in unusual edibles. She has specialised in growing uncommon and exotic vegetables for over 20 years, and worked with the Heritage Seed Library to save some of the best adapted to UK conditions during the Sowing New Seeds project.

 

Stephanie is author of No Dig Organic Home and Gardener (winner Practical Gardening Book of the Year, with Charles Dowding) and The Creative Kitchen. With her partner Charles Dowding she helped to create Homeacres (featured on Gardeners' World), a 1/4 acre market garden which produces over £22,000 worth of vegetables a year.

President, National Allotment Society. He spent his early career in agriculture and grounds maintenance and later taught Technology in secondary education for many years. He has received Commendations from the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, and has more recently been bestowed with the British Empire Medal from the Queen for Services to Horticulture.

Fiona is a very experienced speaker and has given several hundred talks to gardening clubs and other groups in her home county of Gloucestershire. Her entertaining delivery, peppered with highly amusing anecdotes has endeared her to audiences for over 10 years. She shares her knowledge and experience based on many years as allotment officer for Cheltenham Borough Council and as an allotment holder herself.

David Hurrion has spent more than 20 years writing for and editing the nation’s crop of garden magazines, and is now Associate Editor for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine. He has also appeared both as a regular contributor and an horticultural commentator on a wide range of national and local radio programmes, as well as on television.