Retired nurse manager, Redrow home owner and first-time allotment holder Karen Thirkell is enjoying the fruits of her labour.
Karen, who lives at Horsforth Vale, near Leeds, is one of many of our home owners around the country who have been encouraged to ‘get growing’ thanks to the availability of community spaces on their developments.
As National Allotments Week 2022 (Aug 8 – 14) gets underway, Karen shared what prompted her to get started, how she’s been getting along and why she thinks it would be a good thing if more home builders offered similar resources.
“I got my allotment in February last year when they were first released. I was still working in the NHS at the time, we’d been really busy through Covid and we were also still in lockdown. I wanted to get out in the fresh air and do something different. I was looking for a release and growing things seemed a great idea. I already had a little greenhouse at home and this was the next step,” Karen explained.
“I started with just a flat piece of dirt so there was a lot of digging in the early days, before I could plant it and make some raised beds. Since then I’ve grown lots of things - beans, peas, courgettes, fruit, flowers. In fact, you name it I’ve probably grown it – or tried to grow it! I’ve just picked three kilos of redcurrants and am making them into jam and syrup. I made lots of soups, curries and pasta dishes last year, which I froze, and this year I’ve got mountains of potatoes and onions, so it will probably be potato curry!”
With just herself and her grown-up son at home to eat the produce, Karen has frequently found herself sharing it with friends and neighbours: “Last year I even put a big box at the end of my path, filled it with produce and left it for people to help themselves.”
Learning what to plant - and when - has been trial and error for Karen and she’s largely taught herself with the help of books and the internet, as well as a friend who was already an allotment owner.
“Having an allotment is certainly great for your mental health and wellbeing. It also helps on the cost-of-living front as you need to spend less on shop-bought fruit and vegetables,” said Karen. “And it’s nice to chat with other allotment holders and see what they are growing, plus we swap stuff between us when we have a glut. I love it and think it would be great if every new homes development had community growing spaces like this – and perhaps more of them.”
Karen secured her plot in a ballot that was held amongst our residents who had applied to take one on. It’s hers now for as long as she wants it, providing she carries on living in her Redrow home of six years and observes the terms of the lease.
Our Horsforth Vale development – which transformed the former site of the old Clariant Works and neighbouring Riverside Mills – features eight growing spaces for rent and each one is what’s classed as a full-size allotment of around 250 square metres. They are managed on our behalf by specialist management company, the Greenbelt Group, who have offices in Leeds. Greenbelt also take care of the open space, mature trees, sports pitches and other amenity spaces at Horsforth Vale.
Karen and fellow allotment holder Gary Charlesworth met with representatives of Greenbelt and Redrow on site to show them some of the produce they’ve been growing.
David Faraday, technical director for Redrow Yorkshire, said: “It’s great to see home owners like Karen and Gary getting stuck in and enjoying a new hobby that’s good for their health and their pockets.
“Improving biodiversity on our developments is a priority for Redrow, as part of our commitment to creating thriving communities and building responsibly. Community growing spaces can play a key role in that; as well as providing enjoyment for residents they also encourage pollinator species and other wildlife.
“We’re already planning similar amenities at a new site off Red Hall Lane in East Leeds, and we will have a community orchard at our new Poppy Fields development of 320 new homes in Ravenfield, near Rotherham.”
Our consumer research has shown that living close to green space is a big priority for today’s home owners. During the 2022 and 2023 financial years we will create over six hectares of community growing space. That’s around 10 football pitches of new space dedicated to growing fruit and vegetables.
The UK’s leading land management company Greenbelt has seen an uplift in demand for sustainable and biodiverse amenities of this kind around the country. The company’s managing director Colin Thomson commented: “We care about what’s important to homeowners when placemaking: it’s why our passion for customer happiness underpins everything we do.
“And it’s why we work hard on their behalf to create sustainable public open spaces that meet their aspirations, nurture biodiverse environments they desire and encourage green infrastructure they genuinely enjoy.”
Greenbelt’s UK Operations Manager Tariq Saeed also welcomed the feedback on the long-term success of the allotments, adding: “They are an excellent facility for local homeowners to grow their own organic fresh produce, as well as allowing them to enjoy being in the great outdoors, at one with nature.”
For more on National Allotments week click here.
