Some hobbies cost a lot. Growing vegetables needn’t be at all expensive, and the benefits are many.

ALFI’s Westbrooke plot is a small roadside verge which a group of us have been cultivating for the last 11 years. From the beginning we have done this without spending much time or money on it.

At our first working party of 2020, 5 of us spent 1½ hours preparing the raised beds for cultivation. We forked them over with some good compost and soil improver, and planted broad bean seedlings which had been raised from seed. We hoed and weeded around other areas and pruned and mulched gooseberries. The flourishing herb garden must wait another month for a spring tidy up.

Almost all the seeds for this year’s planting came from ALFI’s Seedy Saturday in February, when people bring spare seeds to swap, or make a small donation to take some away. We have a variety of salad crops, peas and beans, beetroot, carrots and spinach – all waiting for the soil to warm up. At the Seedling Swap in May we shall be looking out for any extra plants to squeeze into spare corners.

Our narrow strip by the path was planted last autumn with insect-friendly flowering plants almost all of which were transplanted from other gardens. A few crocus corms and daffodil bulbs were all that needed to be bought to start the season early.

We collected some well-rotted horse manure from a kind horse-owner last October, and together with the soil-improver which ATC lets us have for free, we hope the ground is well fertilised. Paths between the beds are covered with bark chippings, again collected free from a donor in Selborne – no shortage of shredded bark after the gales we have had.

And tools? Well, yes, there is an initial outlay, but my husband and I bought some tools at least 50 years ago when we first had a garden. We bought good quality, and are still using them – hoe and rake, spade and fork, and our solid metal wheel barrow are all middle-aged and well-loved. But if you are starting from scratch, at ACAN’s Eco-Fair in the Public Gardens on Sunday July 12^th, we hope to have second-hand tools no longer wanted by their owners, and also someone who can sharpen your tools which gives them a new lease of life. (If you have unwanted tools let ALFI know and we will collect them for this event.)

And the benefits? Working in the sunshine (I know, we were lucky!), chatting to the other volunteers, sharing our experience – none of us pretends to be ‘an expert’ – looking forward to seeing the beds fill up, and flowers coming out, exchanging a few words with appreciative passers-by, greeting our friendly robin… I know that I always come away from the monthly ‘Westbrooke working party’ feeling encouraged and energised. And if things go well, there are some lovely fresh vegetables to enjoy as a reward. If you would like to volunteer to help with any of ALFI’s gardening or other activities, you will always be welcome.