Joy of Allotments

What makes the allotment my place? It s a mix of meditation, therapy and exercise, a place for me and my thoughts. That s what I ve tried to capture in this book what it feels like to tend an allotment. Frankly, I view growing vegetables as a bit of a bonus. Caroline Deput took on an allotment nearly fifteen years ago, clearing the weeds and years of buried rubbish, digging a wildlife pond and building a greenhouse to make Plot 19 the perfect place to grow vegetables (and somewhere to escape to). Yet, there is always something to do. Follow the year on Plot 19 through Caroline s illustrated diary of colour drawings and share her eternal optimism (often misplaced) as she keeps her allotment sufficiently weeded, watered and hoed to grow vegetables with the alluring names of Lady Balfour, Bull s Blood and Hurst Green Shaft. From spring as she plants with high hopes to summers spent harvesting her first crop then the autumn chores of sowing for the early Spring harvest. On Caroline s allotment time is adjusted to the different rhythms of the seasons and absorption in the tasks that need to be done. It is the perfect place to go to escape the worries of daily life. Discover the delights and frustrations of allotment life. The Joy of Allotments is a wittily realistic and moving account of the good life, providing hours of vicarious pleasure for armchair gardeners and shared groans of recognition for fellow allotment-holders. Review Allotments are all the rage these days... a new book by a Richmond horticulturist that tracks their growing trials and tribulations with an infectious twist of humour... The Joy of Allotments is a delightful riot of observation, gentle humour and gorgeous whimsical illustrations.'Surrey Life -- Surrey Life ― . This charming volume conveys the highs and lows of an allotment season. -- The Richmond Magazine ― . Caroline Deput's illustrated diary takes the reader through two years of life on her allotment, Plot 19. She shares her joy in growing her own food in a humorous, quirky way... A fun and honest account of growing your own. -- Garden News ― . There's plenty of fun to be had and plot holders will be nodding sagely at her battles with fruit cage-invading badgers and hungry slugs. -- Grow Your Own ― . A charming pictorial tale of life on Caroline Deput's allotment in colour drawings... Inventive and humorous... Life is depicted in a much more realistic way than most allotment manuals manage using photographs. -- Veg Plotting blog ― . You can never have too many gardening books... when 'The Joy of Allotments' arrived... I was delighted to welcome it to my collection. Its light-hearted tone makes it a refreshing read... Caroline is a talented illustrator and there are witty, colourful doodles and sketches on every page. -- Allotment Mum ― . Every page brings joyful discoveries of Caroline's allotment... all handwritten alongside her exquisite drawings. -- Dobies of Devon ― . Armchair gardeners and allotment -holders alike will enjoy this light-hearted almanac, particularly as the pages are brightly illustrated with Caroline's own full-colour drawings. -- Evergreen ― . Author Bio Caroline Deput has worked in advertising for twenty-five years. She, and her husband Steve, have an allotment in Richmond, London.