With organic food being expensive, over packaged and hardly ever locally grown, the more energetic members of Ports foe decided to put spade to soil and grow their own.

We took on two plots at Long Meadows Allotments in Copnor, Portsmouth. Armed with trowels and enthusiasm but hardly an ounce of experience between us, we came across 10 rods x 1.5m high of nettles and weeds.

We soon learnt the tricks of the trade and covered the whole thing with old carpets, this kept the weeds under control while we begged, borrowed and scrounged materials; wood, pallets, bricks, slabs, glass bottles, plastic bottles, flower pots, seeds, plants, spades and two old baths.

We made raised beds to conserve watering and digging energy.
We investigated companion planting. We made keyhole beds and planted them in a potager style; food plants in amongst ornamental plants which attract wildlife. We have a herb spiral, a pond in an old bath, a scaffolding tower supporting our beans, a comfrey fertilizer and a wormery

Our harvest has been plentiful, we have been inundated with strawberries, beans, spinach and potatoes. Our superfluous onions are being stored for a year -round supply. We have had no luck this year with carrots (we only had one!) or tomatoes (diseased), tips and advice always welcome.

Present and forthcoming projects include mulching, seed saving, growing green manures and soaking pernicious weeds in water so they become compostible (beware, it really stinks!!). Being city dwellers we understand that growing space isn't always available, We are hoping to demonstrate that potatoes can be grown in tyres, food grown in pots, or even toilet rolls!

You can find us at the allotments most Sunday afternoons during main growing season, (and in the pub from early evening onwards). We are opposite the Can-do Composting site. Come and have a look, (or give us a hand), so we can show off our newly acquired “green fingers.”