I’m a no-dig allotment gardener that writes, takes photos, and promotes the mental well-being of men.
- Where: Rural Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
- Climate: Zone 8
- Style: No dig/no till, mainly vegetables, some cut flowers
- How do I start allotmenteering without digging? Start making compost as soon as you get your plot. Start clearing your plot by placing weeds and plants into a composter of your choice. My favourite are dalek composters. Once your plot is free of weeds, cover it with cardboard to prevent (most) weeds coming back. Place compost in rows/beds on top of the cardboard then plant. Continue to make lots of compost for a yearly mulch on the beds.
- How can I make lots of compost? Get lots of second hand compost bins from Facebook Marketplace then add browns and greens: cardboard, manure, remnants of harvests from your allotment, weeds, grass cuttings, newspaper, used coffee grounds, wood shavings/chips – they can all be composted.
- What’s the best way to start looking after my mental health as a man? Obviously it depends where you are but as men we’re often left to fend for ourselves even when we’re in desperate need of help. But ther first step is to always ask for help. Here are some things I do that work for me: gardening, journalling, reading, exercise (specifically lifting weights rather than cardio) and, connect with friends. I do the odd but of cardio now and then.
Writing an old school blog
Along with a newsletter, I write an old-school blog because they are both outside the scope of social media algorithms and I like writing them.
The blog is a place where I can publish and update content that I find useful as a gardener writer and advocate for men’s mental health that you might find interesting and useful.
This is why the search box is an excellent way to find out about specific content on this website.
To stay up to date with the blog subscribe here.
To follow me on social media try Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.