Hull in print : Feature

Until last summer's floods when his allotment was 3ft under water, Arthur Wilson's wife hadn't had to buy vegetables from a shop for more than 50 years.
That's proof of his success in 'growing his own' at his allotment off Pickering Road.
The allotment, which incidentally is now back up and running, has been in Arthur's family for three generations, and he can remember going down there on a pony and trap.
But while technology has changed, the centuries-old, tried-and-tested growing methods remain the same in Arthur's mind.
That's why there was perhaps no better person than the 81-year-old to give inspiration to young allotment holder Mike Wilkinson (19), who has just taken over his first plot on Noddle Hill Way, Bransholme, as part of a project run by Bransholme Enterprises.
Mike is an ex-offender whose allotment is helping him make a fresh start and giving him new direction in life.

Tried-and-tested advice

Mike, along with his horticulture tutor Jane Burdass, visited Arthur at his allotment to see if they could pick up any tips.
"Little and often," said Arthur.
"You don't want to go at your allotment like a bull in a china shop because you'll tire yourself out and you won't be able to come back the next day – so you need to work little and often."
And there was no doubting his advice when Mike tried one of his Sungold tomatoes.
"I don't normally like tomatoes but that was gorgeous," said Mike, who asked permission to take a picture on his mobile phone of one of Arthur's giant marrows.
Arthur's tips for Mike soon began to emerge.
They included:

when your potatoes are chitted-up – which means small shoots are growing out of their sides and they are ready for planting – cut off all the shoots apart from two on either 'shoulder.' That way, the plant which eventually grows will yield larger potatoes
make a 'sweat box' in which you put all your soft green waste, then drain off the liquid from the rotting vegetation, dilute it seven parts to one in water and use it to water the allotment
borrow gardening books from the library, but remember they are written for the climate 'down south,' so for planting times you should add a fortnight in the spring and take one off in the autumn

Inspiration

"I'll try and do exactly the same with my allotment and see if I can get it going as good as this," said Mike.
"My goal is to be able to grow some fruit and veg for my family and get them to eat more healthily."
"They're really proud of me for what I'm doing, plus it's really good exercise."

See more of Arthur

Beginning this month on page 9, Arthur will be giving gardening advice for Hull in print readers in a regular column.
The former Hull bus driver learned everything he knows about gardening from his parents.
"We used to have to work on the allotment every day after school otherwise there was nothing for tea," he says.
From what to plant and when, to the best ways to look after your allotment or garden, to how to deal with blight, don't miss Arthur's tips every month.

Dig this!

There has been a huge demand for allotment sites in Hull in recent years.
"Young people especially are beginning to see the benefits of exercising and healthy eating," says Hull City Council's horticulture manager Andrew Wilson.
"And when it comes to taste, the stuff you grow yourself will knock the socks off anything you buy in the supermarket, where produce tends to have been grown at high speed for mass markets."
Currently there is a waiting list of more than 200 people who wish to rent one of the council's 1,726 allotment plots, located in 22 sites across the city.
"Around 200 plots are vacant but they are not in popular places," adds Mr Wilson.
"But in any case, even if you have a very small garden, growing your own can be great fun and good exercise too – and half an hour's weeding is a great way to beat stress."

Bransholme Enterprises

Meanwhile, Mike is also learning a great deal about gardening from staff and volunteers at Bransholme Enterprises, a not-for-profit company which manages the Champion's Allotments site at Noddle Hill Way, where his plot is located.
So far this year more than 150 people, including long-term unemployed and young people who are underachieving at school, have trained or volunteered with the company, which offers one-to-one sessions and links to local employers.
On top of its current gardening courses and activities, the company has recently gained accreditation from the Open College Network to offer two new courses: 'Introduction to garden horticulture' and 'Developing skills for using and maintaining garden tools.'

For details phone 821467 or visit www.bransholme-enterprises.co.uk


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