Our Plot

by Cleve West

Cleve West is one of Britain's top garden designers, with six RHS gold medals to his name and a high profile Daily Telegraph sponsored garden at Chelsea Flower Show 2011. He is also a true allotmenteer, heading off to his plot whenever he can to get his hands dirty, find peace and contemplate life and nature. His book is a joy to read, humorous and humble, full of practical commonsense, and a belief in the values of community and sustainable living. There is plenty of advice here for plot holders - often of the what-not-to-do sort and written from sorry experience - and plenty of inspiration too in the creative ways that Cleve and his partner Christine make the most of their plot and enjoy the company of their fellow allotmenteers. There are easy to follow sections on Vegetables and Herbs, Flowers and Fruit, with recipes and troubleshooting tips as well as chapters on Community, Creativity and Children. Amply illustrated with Cleve's own beautiful photographs, fantastical drawings by Cleve and Christine and shots of the two of them at work taken by Cleve's cousin the garden photographer Derek St Romaine,

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2011

About the author

Cleve West is a multi award-winning garden designer who is based in Hampton Wick. He began designing in 1990 and has won six RHS gold medals at The Chelsea Flower Show. He won "Best in Show" and gold medal at both the 2011 and the 2012 Chelsea Flower Shows.
A committed vegan, he is also a true allotmenteer, heading off to his plot whenever he can to get his hands dirty, find peace and contemplate life and nature.

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed this from the library on a whim, expecting another pleasant book about growing cabbages but got something much better!
An engaging tale of their plot, including the people, the challenges, nature and some important food for thought on the future of our global food model.
A brilliant book, I especially recommend it for impatient vegetable growers in winter or early spring when you are desperate to get started but still have a few cold, dark evenings to get through first!

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

An allotment book by a garden designer turned out to be a much better idea than I thought it would be. Cleve West doesn't claim to be an expert on vegetable and fruit growing, but he is obviously a real enthusiast, and this book tells the tale of how his plot(s) have developed over the years, with plenty of tips for the novice grower. I especially like his philosophy that an allotment is a marathon rather than a sprint.

[Steph Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read for any budding allotment holder.