Time to grow your own food

Published: Monday 11 August 2025

This image shows a general view of Allers allotments in East Kilbride

If you ever fancied growing and eating your own fruit and vegetables then this is the week to start.

National Allotment Week is the perfect time to make a start no matter what time and space you have.

You don’t need an allotment or even a garden, fancy tools or lots of time to grow your own food.

Whether it’s a pot of herbs on your windowsill or a few salad leaves in a tub outside your door, growing food at home is easier than you might think—and it comes with loads of benefits.

Growing your own can help you eat fresher, save money, feel more connected with nature and as well as being rewarding and a lot of fun, helps reduce food waste too.

Councillor Norman Rae, the Chair of the council’s Climate and Sustainability Committee, said: “Growing your own food, either on an allotment, at home or as part of a community project, provides tasty food without food miles.

“It has no negative impact on the environment, provides a healthy lifestyle through regular outdoor exercise and also improves your mental wellbeing.”

If you do have limited space you can regrow celery or lettuce from kitchen scraps in a bowl of water.

And herbs like basil and mint do well in small pots and are handy to have in the kitchen.

Even tomatoes can grow on a sunny windowsill—just choose smaller varieties and give them a bit of support.

If you do have a bit more room then why not try growing salad leaves, strawberries or raspberries in containers – they are easy to grow, and taste amazing when picked fresh. You can even reuse old buckets or tubs as plant pots to keep costs low.

Want to be more eco-friendly - collect rainwater to use during dry spells and always choose peat-free compost to protect Scotland’s peatlands and wildlife.

If you are not sure what to plant now check out what everyone is growing on the Fernbrae Meadows Allotments

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