More greenhouse and garden growers 'cultivating food'

13:07:20 16th July 2009

Growing your own food has become increasingly popular in recent times, it has been claimed.

The most comprehensive survey of allotments ever carried out in the capital was published by the Greater London Assembly in October 2006.

It found demand is at an all-time high, but noted supply is drying up - with 1,500 plots being lost in the decade leading up to the study.

Commenting, Grow Your Own Magazine editor Lucy Halsall explained people lucky enough to have room for a garden and greenhouse were fortunate as it is becoming increasingly difficult to find an allotment.

"It's hugely popular," she said. "The last couple of years there's been a massive increase in the popularity of growing your own food - fruit and vegetables."

Mayor of London Boris Johnson is hoping to increase the number of food growing sites in the capital as it prepares for the 2012 Olympic Games.

The campaign is backed by the Royal Horticultural Society, which is also pushing its Grow Your Own scheme.