Emma Bailey On Documenting Her Incredible Allotmenteering Journey
With a following of over 100,000 people on Instagram alone, Emma Bailey’s allotment journey has become an amazing resource for UK gardeners.
She’s released her own gardening calendar, an allotment clothing line and regularly updates her blog and YouTube channel with advice and tips from her allotment.
I spoke with Emma to dicuss her love of the humble allotment and what comes next in her journey.
How Did You First Get Into Gardening?
“After my nan passed away, I felt drawn to nature and to being outside,” shares Emma.
“I was renting at the time, so I could only really grow things in containers. I soon ran out of space and applied for an allotment plot, which is where I’ve been growing my own food and flowers ever since.
“I think there is something very calming and therapeutic about being out in the garden and in nature. It helped me to make sense of things that made no sense and gave me a purpose.
“My plants needed me and it gave me a massive sense of accomplishment when I managed to keep them alive or harvest something from them.”
What Is It About Horticulture That You Love?
“It’s just totally addictive!”
“Once you get bitten by the gardening bug, there is no going back. I can’t imagine a spring where I’m not rushing around sowing every seed I can get my hands on.
“For me, gardening is all about the possibilities, the excitement of seeing an empty patch of Earth and dreaming about what it could be.
“I love the fact that it takes time and patience to grow a garden. I’m not a very patient person usually, as I’m always rushing around trying to get a million things done at once.
“Gardening forces me to slow down a bit and live in the moment.”
Why Did You Start To Document Your Allotment Journey Online?
“I got my allotment plot about 4 months before the first lockdown,” Emma says.
“When the lockdown happened, I started filming my allotment progress and uploading it to Instagram and YouTube.
“I think I partly just wanted something to do. I love being creative, so this was a fun outlet for me to explore.
“Once people started to watch and comment how much they were enjoying watching my gardening journey, I realised I was inspiring a lot of people to give it a go themselves. That motivated me to keep going.
“I wanted to spread the message that growing your own food is not as hard as people think and it’s mainly about whacking stuff in the ground and hoping it grows!”
What Small Changes Can Gardeners Make To Help The Climate?
“Over the last couple of years, I’ve become a no-dig gardener,” she explains.
“This means that instead of digging into my raised beds, I simply top them up with organic material every year.
“Digging can release carbon into the atmosphere which is bad news for the climate. More than that, it can disrupt important microorganisms and the general structure of your soil too.
“So, by layering on organic material, such as compost, manure and even leaf mould, you can improve the quality of your soil and help the climate too.
“I’ve noticed that weeds have decreased since using the no-dig approach on my allotment plot too, which is a big bonus!”
What Recommendations Do You Have For Those Thinking About Starting An Allotment?
“It’s harder than you think. I do my best to show the reality of allotment life, the hard times and the work that goes into it because sometimes it’s really tough to keep going and stay motivated.
“Not every day is as happy and fun as showing up and picking a few carrots for tea. Weeds are relentless, pests are disheartening and keeping on top of everything takes a lot of time.
“So many people take on allotment plots and give them up shortly after when they realise the amount of work needed to keep on top of it all, so keep that in mind.
“However, if you do put the work in, it’s incredibly rewarding and very addictive.”
What’s Next For You & Emma’s Allotment Diaries?
“I’ve achieved so much so quickly with my online allotment diaries.
“I’ve written for gardening magazines, released an allotment planner, released my own allotment clothing line and smashed my target of 100k followers on Instagram!
“I would love to start a Podcast in 2024. I know I’m late to the party, but I think there is room for a good, entertaining allotment podcast for people to dip into while they are out doing some gardening.
“I would also love to release a book. Not so much a gardening book, because I don’t pretend to be an expert on the matter, but more of a collection of stories and lessons I’ve learned from my own experiences on the allotment plot.
“I think a lot of the lessons I’ve learned from the plot can be applied to life in general, so I can see it being a sort of self-help book.
“Aside from that, I’ll just keep uploading my allotment diaries and hopefully keep inspiring more and more people to get outside and whack something in the ground!”
