Product Description

Robin Shelton and his mate Steve were complete neophytes when they decided that having an allotment might save them a bit of money. But what had seemed like a good idea over a couple of beers seemed rather more daunting when faced with a weedy patch of ground. Still, both men were at a crisis point in their lives and the allotment represented their desire to achieve something concrete. They persevered and, despite the weather and confusing advice from their elderly allotment neighbours, managed to plant and grow a successful crop of vegetables.

As he writes about their year in the allotment, Robin describes his own personal journey. When he takes the allotment on he is divorced, broke and suffering from depression. Working on the allotment brings back happy memories of his father, who died when Robin was sixteen, and also draws him closer to his own two sons. Gradually Robin finds stability and a sense of purpose in his life. His and Steve's tale is funny, moving and enlightening - a book for anyone who's ever bitten off more than they can chew, but muddled through anyway.

"Their struggle to plant their crops against the baffling advice of fellow allotment holders is funny and moving. Our heroes finish the year wiser, saner and with an impressive array of veg." Daily Express

"A comforting antidote to the glossy perfection of gardening on the telly." Evening Standard

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #114379 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Guardian
'Shelton simply and inspiringly shows how quickly you can leap from total incompetence to harvesting your first radishes.'

Daily Telegraph
'The redemptive power of growing veg is the theme here as Shelton
cultivates his way back from a failed marriage'

About the Author

Robin Shelton worked as a jewellery designer and teacher, before taking up writing full time. He lives near Winchester.

Customer Reviews

Fascinating slice of life...
All hail Robin Shelton for making gardening seem fun, witty and charming. Well, at least his book his!

I'm not a gardener myself, but you don't really need to be to read this. It's not a gardening manual. It is a year of someone's life - dealing with his family, his friends, his personal thoughts, and spending a year on an allottment trying to grow some veggies.

It's warm-hearted, funny and insightful. It's a pleasure to read, easy to read, and fun to read. Occasionally Shelton will ramble a bit, but that's what happens when you transfer your thoughts onto paper.

Nevertheless, this was enjoyable from start to finish, and might even get you int ogardening yourself. Robin was a non-gardener too before he decided to have a bash on his allottment. His caricatures detailing the people he met and how he gained gardening knowledge is amusing. Ken, the alarmingly real character with the walking stick is a hilarious part of the book.

And as with all men, there's even a whole chapter devoted to the shed!

Indispensible read, and you may even pick up some tips from it.

Educational AND entertaining?! I didn't think it possible!
This is more than the ideal book if you're thinking about getting an allotment, or just doing something more purposeful with your garden. It is a must-read.

In this book you will find the truth about not only the joy an allotment can bring to even those who have given up trying to find anything worthwhile to care about, but also the hard toil that it demands. It won't fool you into thinking it is a journey of pure ease and happiness; Robin Shelton writes also of the tantrums involved in digging, digging and more digging, the fury in battle against bindweed - the most evil of all things that grow - and the devastation when not all your tender-loved seedlings survive.

Shelton and his best mate Steve begin with practically no knowledge at all of gardening and a non-existent budget. Tools and accessories are minimal and mostly come from the local dump. I don't think you ever needed more proof that anyone can do it if they put their mind to it. It is the honesty of this book that kept me giggling and chuckling throughout every page and despite the previously mentioned graphic detail of the struggles involved, I can't wait to do it myself!

Although Shelton does not necessarily provide factual information, i.e. what to do if this happens, etc, you learn far more by following his journey, learning from (and laughing at) his mistakes and being totally jealous because you don't have one of your own yet!

Cautionary note: This book will make owning a shed seem essential and non-negotiable and you will wonder how you ever lived without one before!

I love a book with a good plot!
As soon as my husband mentioned this forthcoming book, I knew I had to have it as soon as it was on sale. As a newcomer to allotment holding myself, I couldn't wait to find out how these two friends would cope with their first plot. The book is as much about the developing friendship between Robin and Steve as it is about the healing power of allotments. Robin's struggle to emerge from the pit of depression whilst coping with divorce, joblessness and weekend parenting is evident but the book is written with a dry humour that made me laugh out loud. Both men discover that hard physical labour in the company of Mother Nature gives them purpose, peace and confidence. I was almost as excited as they were when they unearthed their first potatoes and the 'time stood still' type description of this event had me transfixed. If you have an allotment and a sense of humour you will love this book. If you have neither, you will at the very least, marvel at Robin's determination and be inspired to get an allotment for yourself.