Wartime gardening

[Greenleaves]

Enjoyed looking at the pictures in the photo article


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-49715638

[veggiechicken]

Thanks GL. Great photos..
I wonder how many men wear suits to the allotment these days! My granddad use to wear a waistcoat (and trousers obviously), on his allotment. Never Plus fours.

[Bren In Pots]

Thanks for the link GL

[SarrissUK]

I love reading about that era, how much could be achieved with so little. THe recipes from that era are fascinating too

[Snoop Puss]

Really enjoyed reading that and seeing the photos. People certainly packed a lot in to their plots. There's many a person today taking on a plot who'd like the new one that the man (in plus fours) about to dig.

[Chestnut]

A great set of photos!
I also enjoy reading gardening materials from that era - nice and succinct, but packed with encouragement and useful information for a beginner like me ;-)

[muckdiva]

Great article, thanks for posting

[Small pumpkin]

Some great photos. It fascinating to see how things were done back then. Not that long ago in the big scheme of things.
Really wish I could grow onions like that as well !

[weegie]

I love the third photo of the lady digging hard while keeping her elegant hat on!

[Bren In Pots]

Thanks GL. Great photos..
I wonder how many men wear suits to the allotment these days! My granddad use to wear a waistcoat (and trousers obviously), on his allotment. Never Plus fours.

In my old gardening book 'the ABC of veg gardening' first printed in 1937 (mines the 1958 reprint) Plus fours seem to be the way to dress

[ESBkevin]

I can remember my grandfathers veg garden, he was very old school and so was still gardening like that in the early 60s.
I like the way the plots are just bare earth, nothing in the way of fences, raised beds etc. I guess many in parks and such had no immediate history to accumulate those niceties. Also people in those days couldn't nip to the supermarket and get fruit and veg, so they took a real pride in thier gardens in a way that folks have forgotten.

[MillieBee2]

Awesome, I love old photos. Although my mum's family have a long long history of gardening, back to medieval times when they were yeoman farmers, they did no gardening in the war!

[lolie]

I like looking at the plans for victory gardens, like the plan shown in this article.

https://thehomesteadsurvival.com/victory-garden-family/

The recipe books based around wartime rationing are also fascinating.

[burnie]

This makes you think, if the predicted Brexit induces some food stuffs from abroad being either too expensive due to tariffs, or in short supply, do you think this current generation has it in them to adopt this sort of idea and dig for themselves? I have my doubts when you see shopping baskets full of ready made meals in the queues for the tills.

[greenishfing]

This makes you think, if the predicted Brexit induces some food stuffs from abroad being either too expensive due to tariffs, or in short supply, do you think this current generation has it in them to adopt this sort of idea and dig for themselves? I have my doubts when you see shopping baskets full of ready made meals in the queues for the tills.

I agree that the amount of ready meals in trolleys is unbelievable, but my trolley must look so unhealthy. Scarcely any veg or fruit particularly at this time of year.
We now have such an overpopulated country we couldn't possibly grow all our fruit and veg any more, even if all the young people wanted to.