Patch Match

I know loads of you have been hankering after an allotment - but with regular plot waiting lists closed or punishingly-long (the Prior Street one is especially painful to read - I'd give you a link but it's broken and besides, I don't want to depress you...) then other means need to be explored.

The good burghers at Transition Westcombe have started a local Patch Match which puts people with gardens that they can't (or can't be bothered to) garden themselves with people who are desperate to get their mitts dirty.

I think it sounds fun - though there are obviously more restrictions than you'd have on a straight allotment. They are, for example, very clear that this is for food growing, when many traditional allotmenteers actually choose to grow flowers or just a patch of grass to put a deckchair on and read the paper. I don't get that this would be an acceptable use.

But then I guess this is private land and paying the rent in spuds and brussels is the least you can do for use of it - so if food is the reason you want to grow stuff, this could be the way to go. It's certainly the best current option, given the amount of proper allotments available these days.
If you join the scheme, let me know how you get on...