This week sees the celebration of National Allotment Week, an opportunity to increase awareness of the physical and mental health benefits of growing your own, as well as the simple joy of pulling up a fresh crop of greens.
National Allotments Week started in 2002 as a way of raising awareness of allotments and the role they play in helping people to live healthier lifestyles, grow their own food, develop friendships and bolster communities. The campaign week is still thriving 18 years later and interest in growing your own fruit and vegetables has never been stronger since the WW2 Grow for Victory campaign.
Growing fruits, vegetables and herbs is fast-becoming a national past-time in the wake of COVID-19. Lots of people seem to be taking up 'growing-their-own' as they find themselves unable to do other hobbies and sometimes unable to get the food they want.
There is no denying the myriad of health benefits which working an allotment can offer; digging, planting and weeding all require physical exertion that can get your heart rate going as well as use your muscles, and it often feels much much easier than pounding the pavements.
When it comes to mental wellbeing, the garden can be a great place for mindfulness and calm. As well as the chance to experience natural beauty, the garden can also be a source of soothing scents like lavender.
Given the above, there is no surprise that recently released statistics from the National Allotment Society have demonstrated that many UK councils have experienced an increase of requests, even despite the likes of an 18 month waiting list in some cases. In the case of Hyndburn, Lancashire, they have even experienced an astounding rise of 300% in applications.
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