WI allotments
Nothing beats the satisfaction of growing your own fruit and veg. But what if you could share the workload with your very own WI allotment?
Hailing Sapphires WI, Social Lites WI and Girton WI have done exactly that. Here they share how they got growing, the excitement of the first harvest and the friendships they forged along the way...
Hailing Sapphires WI
The ladies of Hailing Sapphires WI, Kent-West Kent Federation have been growing their own produce for over a year, thanks to a dedicated team of ‘Allotmenteers’...
Allotmenteers Mary, Jane, Val and Linda
We inherited a very large, overgrown and weedy plot last June. It had been left unused for quite some time, so the weeds and grass were waist-height. Initially we cleared small sections at a time and planted as we cleared, but this was a mammoth task.
We started with nothing but have been really lucky and resourceful, and have sourced a shed, compost bins, water butts and some tools. As we started late in the year, we were gifted a number of plants which we planted in the hope that something would grow. We had a great crop of vegetables that lasted well into the autumn. This year we have chosen many of the same crops – such as courgettes, squash and pumpkins – and also added a variety of other vegetables.
The group started with easy-to-grow crops, like these courgettes
We have a small group of Allotmenteers with a range of knowledge and skills. One of our ladies, although not green fingered, is our head of maintenance and construction and has decorated our shed and built our patio, gazeebo and potting area! You can find the motley crew: Jane, Mary, Lynda, Val, Purdey and Caroline on our Facebook page for
As we were all novices, we started with easy-to-grow crops like squash pumpkins and courgettes. The idea was that we could use these to make chutney to sell at local events and fetes, and they went down really well. We were lucky to inherit a number of rhubarb plants and they’ve continued to do well. This year, we have also planted sweetcorn and runner beans along with a small patch of pick-as-you-go veg like beetroot and lettuce. In the future, we hope to have a well-stocked fruit section, a chutney/pickles section and a pick-as-you-go section. The produce we grow is either made into jams or chutney and any excess is sold at our meetings to help raise funds.
The Allotmenteers are tremendously proud of their allotment
Our biggest (and ongoing challenge) is keeping the weeds at bay. We cleared the plot last year only to come back after the winter to weeds, weeds and more weeds. We cleared it much quicker this year and are already making plans to better protect the plot, so we are not faced with the same problem come spring. We are fortunate to have amazing soil, so pretty much everything we grow has flourished, and we were particularly proud of our bumper pumpkin crop from last year. As we learn more, we will become more adventurous in our choice of planting.
The best thing about growing your own is how incredibly fresh everything tastes. Tomatoes taste like tomatoes and I don’t think the vibrancy in home-grown translates to the supermarket produce. You also know that everything was grown from scratch and hasn’t been treated with any pesticides or chemicals. There is also the huge satisfaction that you get from planting a seed and seeing it grow – something I know we are all tremendously proud of. We hope to have a proper plan next year and expand our range of crops, and the Allotmenteers will continue to dig away happily!
Social Lites WI
After working hard to transform their overgrown plot last winter, a group of members from Social Lites WI, Cheshire Federation have been enjoying bumper crops this year...
One of the best things about the Social Lites' allotment has been the camaraderie among members
Our plot had not been used for over two years and was fully overgrown when we took it over at Brookfield Allotments, Flixton in October 2017. There was an awful lot of digging and weed pulling involved throughout the winter. Our Craft Group made us a Rosie the Riveter scarecrow. We also dug a 9 x 12-inch base and prepared it for a builder to lay us a patio. Doing the groundwork ourselves saved us £300.
We were finally able to begin planting in March and were so excited to see the first shoots poking through. So far we have grown onions, beetroot, potatoes, courgettes, cucumber, strawberries, tomatoes, peas, beans, lettuce, sweet corn, various herbs, raspberries and kale. We have been amazed at our bumper crops.
Members carried out all the groundwork on the allotment themselves
We have a WhatsApp group where we liaise with everyone that has shown interest. Four of us are key holders and anyone is free to come down and join in. We also share news of the plot on our Social Lites Facebook page and monthly newsletter.
We have been 100% organic. We are now growing comfrey to use as a fertiliser for next year’s crops. When you grow your own food from seed, you know there are no chemicals involved, no miles travelled and you are eating it at its freshest. You appreciate the effort gone into it and it just seems to taste so much better.
Just some of the produce from the bumper crops this year
Apart from the fabulous produce we have grown and the seeds and plants we have received from other Social Lites, by far the best thing about the allotment has been the camaraderie. We are a group of women with no experience, learning so much and working hard together.
Elsewhere around the WI...
Nine members of Girton WI, Cambridge Federation have allotments in the village site, where they enjoy exchanging tips and making new friendships. Every year, they get together to share homemade chutneys, jams and cakes at the allotment tea party, which is organised by a Girton WI member. They have also recently established a wildlife garden.
