Our story
At Ards Allotments we provide a space for our community to grow their own. Members can indulge their horticultural ambitions to the full, growing organic food and flowers.
As pressure for development increases, private gardens in urban areas have decreased in size leaving little or no space to grow. Ards Allotments aim to combat this by offering an alternative. By growing our own food, we reduce the amount of chemicals used and avoid plastic packaging. It's also a great way to get outside, and quite often helps biodiversity by providing a habitat for friendly (and sometimes not so friendly) local wildlife.
The plots are developed on land at Patton Farm, where founder Maurice grew up. We have a rich history, from prize-winning parsnips to giving educational tours of the farm.
Our plots are managed, and we share our experience and skills with new and novice members to help everyone to get the best from their plot.
We also have a compost area. Peelings, leaves and plant debris from the plots can be converted into ready-made fertiliser for next year's crops.
Our founders, Maurice and Judith, have received an award for the work they have done in providing allotments.
Our advice
January: https://youtu.be/VeTt9KysPyg
February: https://youtu.be/U5QaQfDkroM
March: https://youtu.be/jWZesOj6tnA
April: https://youtu.be/hGqnH0u3a6o
May: https://youtu.be/vq09JiCnMjM
June: https://youtu.be/dQYoWTaQeQM
July: https://youtu.be/YNzDAi2Lmug
August: https://youtu.be/HKlIYu14mCQ
September: https://youtu.be/LpD5Zoy3Ykk
October: https://youtu.be/wdKNRzhXSAQ
November: https://youtu.be/PbhySo2jAFQ
December: https://youtu.be/7AWRTFTqf48
Our metrics
Allotment owners keep a diary of the work and activities undertaken. Diaries may contain the following information, which provides help and inspiration to other growers: hours spent on the plot; a record of costs – seeds, plants etc; what was planted; harvesting – weight of produce, comparative supermarket cost; recipes – some plot owners include their favourite recipes.
