About me

Hi there, I’m Teresa! I’ve been hooked on growing veg since I was 7. When my family moved from an East London slum to our first home, our neighbour — a master of beans and tomatoes — took me under his wing. A vegetable gardener was born!

My hero was Geoff Hamilton, champion of organic, “make-do and mend” gardening. Thanks to him, I’ve always grown naturally — no pesticides, no herbicides, just healthy soil and happy plants.

In 2006, I took on my first allotment in North East London. It was hard work, but the harvest made a real dent in our food bill. Only later did I realise I’d been practising Charles Dowding's “no-dig” gardening method all along — feeding the soil so it could feed us.

I’ve lived in North Chingford for 30 years and Waltham Forest for 60, growing fruit and veg for most of that time. For the past 14 years, I’ve tended my allotment organically, working towards self-sufficiency.