Looking for Allotment in the Richmond Area

[Gwen11ian]

Hello all,

I am looking for an allotment in the Richmond Surrey area. I have spoken with the Richmond City Council, which stated their waiting list is so long they are no longer taking names. Does anyone have suggestions where else to look? Even a half plot would be fine, or helping with an allotment in exchange for a few veggies now and then. I just want to get out in the dirt and grow something!

Thanks!

[bluemoon]

Hi, Gwen. Welcome to the vine. Sorry to be picky here, but there's more than one Richmond, it might help someone sort you out if you say which one. It's always helpful to everyone if you put your location on your personal info too as advice can vary depending upon where you live. I hope you find something really soon, meanwhile do you have space to grow in containers? There are lots of things which can be grown in a very small space - even on a balcony and 'Simply Vegetables' do what they call Lilliput Allotment, which is a collection of seeds specially for container growing.

Best wishes BM

[Gwen11ian]

Bluemoon,

Thanks for the point. I've just moved to the UK from America and hadn't realized there was more than one Richmond (should have thought about it though, there is more than one 'Richmond' in the US). I've corrected it in the first post.

I have three window boxes on the 1'x3' cement slap that is 'my area' outside the flat, and have plans for a couple of hanging baskets of tomatoes on the door awning once the last frost is past. I'm trying to use every space possible. The other problem is that the space only gets about half an hour of direct sunlight a day, because it's between our house and the one next door (running north to south). I've tried to stick with part-shade veggies, but am trying a few full sun in the hope that as the sun moves into high summer I will have a bit more light.

Thanks!

[bluemoon]

You could try strawberries in the hanging baskets too - come to think of it cranberries do well in them, it might make you feel more at home come Thanksgiving. It must be so frustrating to want to grow things and be unable to do it. I hope you find something very soon, and stick with the vine, there are others in the same position and occasionally someone comes up with a creative solution. The best advice is probably to pop down to your nearest allotments and offer to help people out. You may find someone who either through age or health reasons is finding it hard to cope and who might even allow you to use a part of their plot in exchange for a hand with the heavy work.