This page is being developed to help those new to allotment gardening.

If you are very new to having a plot or are on the waiting list and want to be prepared, there are various places you can learn more about vegetable growing:

Dulwich Vegetable Garden

The DVG was established to encourage people to learn about growing their own fruit and vegetables. The produce from the garden is shared with volunteers when it is harvested. Everyone is welcome to look around or join the activities and you can get some real hands on experience. See here for more.

• Dulwich Park, College Road, Dulwich, London SE21 7BQ (the garden is behind Rosebery Lodge in Dulwich Park).
• Open Sundays and Wednesdays, 10.30am-12.30pm. Email dulwichveggarden@gmail.com.

Charles Dowding No Dig

Charles Dowding has been developing and teaching “no dig” gardening for over 40 years. It is heavily reliant on compost. So what you save in digging time, you may lose in compost making/hauling. But it is great for the soil and allows you to grow healthy, nutritious food.

More info on his website and his YouTube channel.

Huw Richards

Also worth considering is the advice from Huw Richards, a man who finally dispels the myth that you only fully understand growing when you reach your 60s.

His YouTube channel

Earthed

Earthed is a charity and a nature skills platform that exists to make every river, city, farm and balcony burst with life. They promote Nature Skills: this includes sustainable growing but also extends more widely – caring for houseplants, farming regeneratively, harvesting rainwater and many more.

Their courses page is here.