Local Islip couple, Edd and Harshani Curbishley-Brown, started their TV gardening challenge adventure in February 2013, after being selected out of 3,000 applicants to be one of nine teams to enter The Great Allotment Challenge to create an allotment from scratch, to grow, show and compete.

The venue was an old abandoned walled garden set within a beautiful stately home at Mapledurum near Reading. Edd and Harshani wanted to share their interest in biodynamic gardening, which gardens by the phases of the moon, alongside an organic, spiritual approach, creating an amazing potager-style allotment of fruit, fl owers and vegetables, all grown to a TV deadline for the competition and show.

Everyone started with a bare patch of earth, empty greenhouse and a supply of their chosen seeds and plug plants. Everything was to be grown on site, and the participants could only use what they grew for the challenges for Grow, Make, Eat. The biggest challenge for Edd and Harshani was dedicating up to 30 hours every week from April to September to grow, maintain and nurture their patch – that, and to grow to a timed schedule, of course, during a long hot dry summer! Much watering was indeed needed on their weekly visits.

But what a year and such a pleasure to see their allotment patch take shape and blossom into an amazing space in which to enjoy their weekends. Much blood, sweat and tears went into it all and, at the end of the fi lming, Edd and Harshani had to walk away, knowing that the ground was to be put back to bare earth for the next series.

Edd and Harshani take with them shared experiences, friendships and many happy memories from the Big Allotment Challenge.

Harshani is a Cognitive Hypnotherapist, Reiki Master & Yoga Teacher at www.mindbodywellbeing.co.uk

The Six Month Big Allotment Adventure

The Six Month Big Allotment Adventure