The Growing Tastes Allotment Garden

By Jon Wheatley, Mary Payne and Terry Porter. Forming the central feature in the Growing Tastes area, between the NS&I Cookery Theatre and the Growing Tastes Marquee, this is an example of a traditional allotment, one that is very much a family concern.

Father tends the vegetables, while mother looks after the cutting garden, growing flowers to sell at the local Farmer's Market along with any surplus vegetables and fruit.

The children have their own area and grow colourful annuals, and any vegetable and herb seeds dad has left over.

The family aims to be as self-sufficient as possible and makes jams and preserves from the surplus fruit. They keep chickens to provide fresh eggs and bees for honey and pollination.

Environmental awareness is a priority and they conserve water where possible, mulching their crops with a variety of materials.

Fleece and Environmesh are used to help prevent crop damage by pests, reducing the need for chemical pesticides.

A scarecrow made by the children stands proudly among the rows of produce.

Plants list

Click any of the plant name links below to learn more.

Vegetables
Beetroot 'Alto F1'
Beetroot 'Boltardy'
Broccoli 'Summer Purple'
Cabbage 'Red Jewel'
Calabrese 'Ironman' F1
Carrot 'Bolero' F1
Carrot 'Maestro' F1
Cauliflower 'Clapton' F1
Celery 'Giant Pascal'
Courgette 'Atena' F1
French bean 'Safari'
Kale 'Redbor' F1
Kohl rabi 'Purple Danube'
Leaf beet 'Bright Lights'
Lettuce 'Dazzle'
Lettuce 'Red Deers Tongue'
Lettuce 'Stealth'
Onion 'White Spear'
Parsley 'Favourite'
Parnsip 'Albion' F1
Pea 'Peewee 65'
Pea 'Sugarbon'
Potato 'Rocket'
Potato 'Rooster'
Pumpkin 'Amazonka'
Purple sprouting broccoli
Radish 'French Breakfast'
Runner beans 'St George'
Shallot 'Red gourmet'
Sweet corn 'Prelude'
Tomato 'Belricco'
Tomato 'Conchita'
Tomato 'Elegance'
Tomato 'Tamina'
Tomato 'Hundreds & Thousands'
Turnip 'Atlantic'

Cutting garden
Amaranthus 'Crimson Tassles'
Calendula 'Orange King'
Chrysanthemum carniatum 'Sunshine Mixed'
Clarkia 'Pretty Polly Mixed'
Cornflower 'Frosty Mixed'
Cosmos 'Sonata Dwarf Mixed'
Gypsophila 'Covent Garden White'
Larkspur 'Stock Flowered Mixed'
Nasturtiums 'Little Gem Mixed'
Scabious 'Paper Moon'
Sunflower 'Peach Passion'
Sunflower 'Aslan'

Other plants
Ammi majus
Ammi visnaga
Antirrhinum 'Rust Resistant Giant Mixed'
Catananche caerula
Dianthus 'Cosmic Swirl Pink'
Gladiolus
Helianthus 'Valentine'
Helichrysum bracteatum
Hollyhock 'Chater's Double'
Papaver nudicaule
Leucanthemum maximum
Liatris spicata
Lobelia 'Queen Victoria'
Orlaya grandiflora
Zea 'Stars and Stripes'
Zinnia elegans
Sweet peas

Dahlias from the National Collection
Atlanta
Arabian Night
Bonesta
Glorie van Heemstede
Ivanette
Karma Corona
Kevona Challenger
Ballego's Glory