Topic: Grow Your Own - Is it worth it?

[allaboutliverpool]

As everyone can see from my photos, all the paths in my plot are paved. I work as a GP locally and manage to nip to the plot in my suit and nice shoes and do a bit of work between visits and surgeries.

The worst part is keeping my hands clean as I hate gardening with gloves on.

Putting things into perspective, our annual 1 weeks ski holiday for three of us costs about £4000.

The same amount has given me 4 years of allotment pleasure.

[goodlife]

well...there you are....
Im sure membership in gym and buying all the fruit, berries,flowers and veg would cost me many times more...
I don't think I could afford to buy that amount of fruit from supermarket :o....their prices for a punnet of raspberries etc.... :o :o :o

[Jeannine]

Is it worth it...yes. However I guess that depends on which way you look at things.

I couldn't count the cost or set up an accounting system primarily because I  wouldn't know where to start as I share so much of what I get, be it extra veggies or extra seeds ....so why do I do it.

Growing your own is not just about veggies and fruit, there is an emotional bond with the earth that draws me..when I see what at a tiny seed can grow into and know I was responsible for that it gives tremendous feeling of accomplishment.


I sort of feel we should try to be somewhat self sufficient that comes from the Mennonite in me I suppose. I would not pay for someone to do anything for me if I was able to do it myself, that goes for just about anything from wallpapering a room to clipping a dog.

Picking something and eating ot on the same day just does not compare to picking something up from a shop that was probably grown a thousand miles away and is a week or more old. So if I want the best I have to grow it.

Finally growing my own gives me a wonderful chance to share, wether from seed to a new grower or by giving my surplus to someone who is unable to grow their own, it is a blessing on me to share.

Wether the paths are paved or grassed makes little difference in the long run. I used to get to my lotties in my business suit too between appointments and I managed to keep up appearances


So I repeat is it worth it... you bet it is!!

XX Jeannine

[nilly71]

I mainly do it for the kids. When they are older hopefully they will remember the time spent down the allotment picking fresh fruit and veg, unlike their computer game playing friends that are stuck indoors all day.

Neil

[allaboutliverpool]

KTLWSON asked me where the money went, I replied to him and thought the reply might help.

Hi Tommy,

The bulk of the money was spent in the first two years on a shed with double thick walls - it has already paid for itself as I have an extra strong hasp and padlock which resisted being broken into last year. Wood for the raised beds and structures, paving stones, fence posts for the perimeter, plastic and netting.

The cost of seeds is minimal as I mostly use the classic varieties that are free with magazines, large ones like peas and beans, I keep myself. Most of the special stuff I buy in Nice at a really old fashioned gardening shop in the middle of the city. Most of the seeds are from a company called Les Doigts Vert (Green Fingers) - www.lesdoigtsverts.com

A lot is written in postings about buying the "Best" seed, but I find that it is care that counts, from germination to cropping.

There are absolutely NO weeds on my plot! so no competition for light and nourishment.

At the moment I have hundreds of seedlings growing, tomatoes, chillies, peppers, aubergines, cucumber, squash, celery, celeriac, sprouts, calabrese, cabbage, and sweet corn. They are in a 6x6 greenhouse at home with brassicas now moved under cover to the allotment.

Any plants that I do not use are donated to the allotment shop for sale to raise funds.

I also have hundreds of Strawberries, Blackcurrants, Gooseberries, Boysenberries, Box, pansies, Euonymus, Hebe, Fuscia etc all for the shop.
 
All I ask is that the shop replaces the pots and labels and compost.

Regards

George

The above may also explain some of the time spent!

[lewic]

Havent worked it out exactly but have probably spent over £2000 on my plot, but once its up together I'm hoping the costs will go down. And I spend 30+ hours a week up there in the summer so its my main hobby. Trouble is I keep spotting things I really really need right now, like decking and a pergola and a polytunnel...
It keeps me out of the pub though - drinking all afternoon with my mates at the weekend used to cost way more!

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

another reason for me is the variety - i now eat a wider variety of veg and fruit - turnips, radish, salsify and fennel were never on my shopping list previously.  Also he sheer amount of perpetual spinach is marvelous and saves a fortune on that bagged stuff from the supermarket.

Also berries from supermarkets and expensive and the food miles disturbing so my own gooseberries, raspberries and blackberries continue to amaze me.  How much would I save if I ate the equivalent amount of shop bought berries....

Also, I now adore the idea of eating seasonally - it just feels right.

great thread by the way.

[Deb P]

Is it worth it? A million times yes! I really like the process of clearing and setting up an allotment..you kind of hate it at the time, but it is so rewarding when you start getting crops.

There is also the fact that I can grow varieties of produce that you simply can't buy in the shops, and as many others have said before me, the advantages of being able to grow crops how I would like them to be grown, I can control to a great extent what I feed them with and what they are exposed to.

I have been surprised that I also enjoy the social aspects of swapping seeds with like minded souls, growing veg need not be exclusive, and I would ague should not be exclusive, bearing in mind the threats of modern seed companies to try and limit access and tinkering with 'terminal genes' in seeds to prevent amateur propagation.

I also really like the recycling/ scavenging/and dare I say 'artistic' aspects of running a plot. The way different people approach their growing, and all the plots are different......Vive la difference! ;D

[shirlton]

I am addicted and any addiction costs money but the good feeling I get from working hard to produce our food is immeasurable

[1066]

Yes  ;D  8)  ;D

great thread AllAbout  ;D I love the way different gardeners approach things, but essentially we all love the growing aspect of it, how we achieve it differs. And I'm sure we all benefit from being outside, eating our own fruit and veg, and I imagine in your circumstances that going to the plot in your breaks is a great stress buster! I know going to my plot, even when I don't actually get much done, does me the world of good.

But most of all I'm impressed that you go to your plot in your suit! I'm such a mucky pup I would dream of it   :P

1066

ps - I'm too scared to add up what we spend annually on sking! But then I wouldn't change that either!!  ;D

[caroline7758]

I try to spend as little as possible and recycle as much as I can, but I sometimes wish I wasn't so mean, as I think some investments would pay off long term, such as decent cloches and robust crop protection. I think it would be different for a lot of us if we owned the plots rather than renting them.

[phlips66]

the enjoyment we get from our plot is priceless my young son enjoys his time down there.
ihave met some wonderful people,learnt new things,and have grown and eaten so many
diffrent things,also i collect up stuff i think might be useful oneday(and most of the time it is)
and with the a4a seed swaps i am now growing stuff i had never heard of and have plots that are
made up of recycled and often scavenged materails.
with an abundance of fresh fruit and veg at hand that far out weighs any costs

[artichoke]

I have just spent £50 on seeds and feel v guilty. I've also bought and planted a number of fruit bushes and trees, so my expenditure is unusually high at the moment.

I take cuttings from my established bushes and have passed many on to others. My site looks like a rubbish dump because I collect any wood I find, and currently have an industrial looking structure made from plastic and glass roofing and windows found on a skip (owner's permission, indeed encouragement).

But yes, it must be worth it. Being outside is enjoyable and relaxing and keeps me fit - I would NEVER go for aimless walks, join a gym, take up any other form of exercise.

It's wonderful to pick veg and fruit and take it home and share it with my offspring and friends.

It's a large open grassy site with trees and hedges where I can take my grandsons - they can let off steam without annoying others, light bonfires, cook their own food, help with picking and digging - it's priceless for that alone.

Recently my new daughter-in-law has developed a passion for joining in, and we have spent hours together working and making plans and getting to know each other.

I can't believe allotments are so comparatively cheap for such freedom and enjoyment. (I pay £50 for what amounts to three half plots on two sites).

[Robert_Brenchley]

I think it would be different for a lot of us if we owned the plots rather than renting them.

I don't think there's any doubt of this. Until the Council took it over at the end of the 1960's, plots on my site were let on long leases, so they were effectively owned by the tenants. They were valuable property, and people invested in them, with about a third (I think) having brick summerhouses built by the better-off tenants. All that stopped with the introduction of annual tenancies.

[skintnbitter]

From been very young I was always up to my eyes in muck as my grandparents had a veg patch at the end of their garden.  

Mum would save me egg shells so I could grow cress, I thought it was wonderful.

I would plant seeds from melons, apples, lemons etc, anything I could get my hands I wanted to see if I could get it to grow.

Things have not changed much now that I am all grown up - it is just on a bigger scale.  

Being on the allotment and growing my own veg brings back many happy childhood memories, this for me is priceless.

  

 

[Vortex]

The answer is yes which ever way you look at it. I reckon I spend between £120 and £250 pounds a year on the cost of plots, seeds, compost, pots, materials, and save between £250 and £120 a year on my food bill - or rather it allows us to spend the extra on stuff we wouldn't otherwise be able to afford.
But the raw figures don't tell the full story - because I can grow it we get to eat far more of certain things in season than we would ever consider buying, Asparagus, Sweetcorn, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, runner beans, and french beans are all good examples.

[Mrs Gumboot]

Two reasons -

One - almost all of the stuff you buy in supermarkets (including the organic stuff) will have been sprayed with something, even if it is only to make it shiny!

Two - it is nearly impossible to get certain things in supermarkets, with my particular bug bear being properly ripe tomatoes that actually taste of tomato. Unless you buy the most expensive version all the time, which is not always what I want to be doing, you get a bag of water! The ones I grew last year were delish. No comparison really for such a small amount of cost/time input.

[cjb02]

I am not an allotment holder yet but have my name down. I have a small veg patch at the back of house at the mo.. however, would it be worth it?

Yes. Why...

1/Social aspect, meeting like minded people who share an interest in growing produce.

2/Health aspect, gardening is a little exercise, regularly. you cant beat it

3/Carbon footprint, the more you grow yourself the less you are putting on importing food from other countries cutting down air miles

4/Mental health, gardening is soooo relaxing, just chilling out in the garden (actually gardening) beats a skin full any day (although gardening with a half a shandy has its perks)

5/Knowing where your food comes from and that is has been produced in line with my own believes (not full of chemicals, picked when ripe and grown for taste not looks)

6/Keeping alive generations of gardening skills and heritage seed lines

just my opinion though

CJB

[jennym]

I think that growing your own is definitely worth it for me, both in social/health and monetary terms.
Just seeing people and having a chit chat about things that are completely apart from the daily grind is worth its weight in gold, and the exercise is great, and I don't have to wear a soppy leotard to get it.
Can honestly say that after having a good think about what I spend in a year that it's very cost effective. I totted up on an annual ongoing basis - £45 rent, about £35 seeds, about £10 compost, average £40 in new and replacement permanent plants, say about another £20 in gloves, wire, string etc = £150 a year.
Then there's more permanent start up costs like a few seed trays, rotavator, petrol/oil, mypex, concrete for posts, straining bolts, nails, which probably comes to about £600. Spead that out over 10 years to £60 a year, so the total is about £210 a year. I'm not including paths, shed etc, because the materials were all scavenged, wood and slabs, and a wheelbarrow or 2 other folk were throwing away. Horse muck is free nearby for those who go and get it
I reckon to cover all vegetable costs for an average of 6 months of the year which would work out to £35 a month - I can't buy the veg we eat over 6 months for that money in the shops!  The fruit I grow, masses of it, and all the things I do with it is therefore FREE.
So all in all, well worth it and I reckon I make out of it too.

[cornykev]

Yes deffo worth it
No idea of the cost though
Most stuff is free or cheap if you get the bargains
Skip savaging for netting, wood and so on
Free pots at garden centres
Freecycle offer loads of stuff
I get a lot of stuff from work, pallets, netting, wood, sand paving stones etc
I was lucky when I started as my mate got us a load of scaffold boards and boarded around my whole plot.
I send off for all the free seeds and buy in the sales for the following season
Exercise and freshish air is got to be a plus as I'd be down the pub if not
I'll spend about 15 hrs a week down there in the growing season
Fresh food that tastes great
Meeting folk I would probably never get to meet
George has had to spend the money on raised beds and paths as he has explained about doing a bit in between surgery and keeping clean but I think he'll regret telling everyone about being a GP, as all the sick notes will be coming out the woodwork  :-X
Lastly George I've been getting this pain in my arse lately and I wonder if you could recommend anything.      ;D ;D ;D