Ireland: Why should I get an allotment? Four celebrity gardeners offer the answers
Celebrity gardeners are encouraging aspiring plotters to register for their local community garden during this year’s National Allotments Week.
By Hannah Stephenson
The Irish News
July 31, 2021
Excerpt:
Frances Tophill, TV garden presenter and author of Rewild Your Garden, suggests investing time learning how to create havens for birds and beneficial insects like butterflies and bees is really worthwhile, even if it can be challenging.
“On my allotment last year, I had some members moaning about the ragwort I had growing but when I pointed out the wildlife it was attracting, like the cinnabar moth, they were much more receptive to it.”
She also recommends not being too tidy on your allotment. “Maintenance-wise, leave seed heads through the winter for wildlife, leave piles of leaves and twigs and piles of pots which all provide great hibernation spots for a myriad creatures.
“To look after the soil, don’t dig unnecessarily but, allow the soil to build up its own microsystems. And build a pond as near to the ground as possible to help birds, hedgehogs and many more creatures to find a safe water source.”
