Just walked through today as I was much too busy to do any work there......unfortunately.
However I thought I'd share this with anyone who's interested......!
I have a copy of "War Time Allotments Pigs and Poultry" (General Editor Mr. Middleton) which cost 1/- (one shilling....5pence nowadays!) in 1940. On page 72, at the end of the vegetable section are some tips for allotment tenders in those dark days of war....here is one....
"Keep your allotment plot neat and tidy, avoid, if possible, ramshackle huts and heaps of odds and ends or any of the unnecessary items which help to make allotment fields eyesores instead of beauty spots. Keep the plot free from weeds and rubbish; keep the edges trimmed and the paths smart".
Such advice does seem strange today when we think of the ramshackle, make-do-and-mend mentality of allotment holders as part of the charm of allotment society.
posted by lilymarlene @ 5:52 am
5 comments
5 Comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Oooh-er. Spooky! I posted on a similar theme today as well.
I have to say that I completly agree with Mr. Middleton. "Ramshackle" is not a good look in my book, but once I had re-read my original post, it sounded rather snobbish, so I softened it a bit, in order not to offend anyone....But nonetheless, I still prefer "tidy" to "tin shed chic".
(P.s - I am not a bad person. Honestly.)
to each his own and because the people at the magzine thought that was the right way doesn't mean the real tillers of the soil agreed. you know waste not want not, people who grow their food are saving and along with that goes making do with what you have. when i take pictures of my chickens i have to crop the pictures because all the spare lumber laying around with assorted containers looks bad. my son told me when you die my brother will haul all this stuff to the dump. i said my son Kelly would take all of it home with him.
Kelly knows good stuff.
That's so strange, you would of thought in those day's they would have needed to recycle stuff.
I think 'Mr Middleton ' was a made up character for a magazine column, 'he' has many books too all written in the same 'shirt and tie' gardening style, very amusing, but I know a few old gardeners and they are great 'make do and mend' characters and never gardened in a tie.
Post a Comment
<< Home