ALLOTMENTS across the city are opening their gates to show off their sites to the public.
Next week is National Allotments Week (12-18 August), and to mark the occasion, some of Leicester’s allotments are holding open days so that people can take a look around sites that are normally reserved for plot holders.
Red Hill Allotments - off the A6 on the edge of the city, close to Birstall - will be offering refreshments, fresh produce, homemade cakes and plants for sale on Saturday 17th August, with an open day running from 12-4pm.
On the same day, Groby Road allotments will hold an open day from 10am-12noon, with bric a brac, raffles, crafts and home-grown vegetables for sale, as well as refreshments and cakes.
Stokes Wood Allotment Society will also hold an open day on Saturday 17th August, from 12-4pm, with a scarecrow sale, cakes and fresh produce on offer, books and bric a brac to browse and the chance to enjoy some singing and line-dancing. The society will follow this with their annual horticultural show, which is also open to the public on Sunday 18th August, from 12-4pm. Exhibits will include vegetables, fruit, flowers, baking, preserves and crafts.
Later in the month, on Saturday 25 August, Rowley Fields allotments will be open to visitors from 10am to 2pm.
The city council is also supporting National Allotments Week through its Choose How You Move initiative. On Sunday 18 August, its free ‘Let’s Get Together’ stroll will start from Jubilee Square and take a guided walk route along the canal and through local parks to finish at Stokes Wood allotments for the horticultural show. More details are at choosehowyoumove.co.uk/events
Assistant city mayor responsible for allotments and community growing, Cllr Vi Dempster, said: “Our allotments are really popular, with 43 sites and more than 3,000 plots in the city. As these open days will show, it’s not just the satisfaction of growing your own fruit and veg that makes allotment gardening so worthwhile. It’s also a really sociable activity, great exercise, excellent for your mental health and a chance to share and gain gardening knowledge with other people.”
Members of Stokes Wood Allotment Society said: “We love welcoming people to our open events and sharing what we love about allotment gardening. Everyone is welcome to come along, support us and enjoy some of our home-grown produce.”
If you’ve been inspired to grow your own food and/or would like to find out more about allotments in Leicester, visit leicester.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/allotments for details. Please be aware that some sites do have waiting lists.
ENDS