Meeting the neighbours

Top tip:
When moving onto your new plot, stop to say hello to your neighbours - it will make life easier in the long run.

10.03.10
It turns out that there is no typical allotment owner (not that we own our plots – we merely rent it and tend it until we can't cope any more or get bored or move on). The view of plot holders as gnarled old men isn't entirely true – I would say that 40% of the plots on my allotment are tended to by women. Half of those are Turkish and do weird and wonderful things with grape leaves and courgette flowers – mainly stuff them (from my understanding a mix of rice, onions, pine nuts, mince, spices, lemon and mint).

True, there is a mix of traditionalist and experimental approaches – one guy makes pies for an old school butchers and used to be a boxer while we also have a long haired organic fan who is doing away with compost bins as such and starting an open trench system (I think - must look it up). My immediate neighbour used to be a tanner in Ireland and concentrates his growing efforts on mainly onions, cabbages, turnips and potatoes. Granted he has branched out to sweetcorn and a couple of tomato plants but he is the king of stew vegetables and there is very little about potatoes that he doesn't know. It seems to be that as long as you can grow well and keep your plot tidy, anything goes.

We are a pretty international lot with a couple of West Indian allotmenteers, 3 plots (at least) being tended to by a Turkish contingent and one Chinese guy . This Chinese man has an enviably neat plot and is growing some fascinating things including enormous marrows, climbing melons (I think but they look long so they might be cucumbers) and unidentifiable but tasty plants. He doesn't really speak any English so it's even harder to pick up tips from him than it is from the Turkish ladies.

There are also a few younger people tackling a plot but, as they work, they are seen less regularly and are examples of what you can grow without putting in herculean efforts and time.

Most people take the time to stop and chat to anyone else that happens to be on the allotment and you can always pick up some tips, gossip or recipes while you're weeding.