Plymouth gardeners being encouraged to 'Grow-Allot' with a city college

A CITY college is working to turn disused land into an allotment-style community garden.

Grow-Allot is an initiative created by City College Plymouth to restore an area of disused ground at its Kings Road site.

From left are Luke Attwood, Joel Wilson, Richard Leatherby, of Tool Shed, Zoe Jordan, Matt White and Kelvin Pashby. Left: the planting area

With funding from the Big Lottery's Local Food Programme, its aim is to create a relaxing, green space for students, staff and the local community.

Allotment project co-ordinator at the college Matt White said: "This project will give budding gardeners the opportunity to explore the wonderful variety of edible plants that can be grown here.

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"I hope to make gardening fun and accessible by introducing participants to the great diversity of colours, shapes, tastes and smells on offer around the allotment.

"It's a great opportunity to improve health through physical activity and incorporate more fresh fruit and veg into our daily diet.

"The allotment will give participants the opportunity to grow produce locally and develop new practical skills.

"It will be a great place to learn about organic cultivation and to gain knowledge of edible plants, composting and biodiversity.

"The college will be working with students to enhance and conserve this unique habitat. We look to improve the biodiversity on site by installing wildlife boxes and feeders.

"The college will teach students about the important link between pollination and productivity, through practical workshops."

As part of their course, students studying construction will build brick raised beds, which will form the allotments' disabled access area.

The college has also been working with The Conservation Foundation's Tool Shed project. As part of the project, broken garden tools and equipment are sent to local prisons where they are repaired and restored by inmates.