Dig for Victory - the wartime gardening campaign
Back gardens, public parks and even the moat at the Tower of London were dug up to increase food production.
In the US, a similar 'Victory Garden' campaign was underway.
We're now being encouraged to dig for a very different sort of victory - growing some of your own food reduces your environmental footprint and saves you money.
Digging for Victory
by Twigs Way and Mike Brown
Digging for Victory: Gardens and Gardening in Wartime Britain
Amazon Price: $23.00 (as of 05/31/2012)
The latest book on Digging for Victory is packed full of fascinating historical information, together with pictures of the propaganda posters of the time and the actual pamplets issued to wartime gardeners in the UK.
The Ministry of Food blog
Feeding Britain in Wartime
Marking the seventieth anniversary of the introduction of food rationing in Britain, the exhibition shows that growing your own food, eating seasonal fruit and vegetables, reducing imports, recycling, and healthy nutrition were just as important in 1940 as they are today.
The exhibition runs from 12 February 2010 - 3 January 2011 and the Imperial War Museum London is open daily from 10.00am - 6.00pm (closed on 24, 25, 26 December). Last admission is 5.45pm.
Dig for Victory
Photos from the wartime and modern allotments recreated in St. James' Park (London) in 2007
THE GOOD LIFE - 100 Years of Growing Your Own
An exhibition at the Museum of Garden History, London
2009 was a year of 'Growing Your Own' - from allotments to balconies and window-boxes, people throughout Britain are growing their own and enjoying a slice of 'The Good Life'.
Discover the 100 year history behind the country's current love affair with growing food in our new exhibition. From the Allotment Act of 1908, through WWII's Dig For Victory campaign and the Self-Sufficiency movement of the 1970s to the present day, paintings, photographs, personal memoirs and even the odd home-spun sweater will tell the story of why, how and what we have grown.
The exhibits will take you through the highs and lows of produce gardening. Find out what happened to the Manor Garden allotments in the wake of the 2012 bid and how the world of allotments and community gardening is shaping up for the future. From a 1918 medal for vegetable growing in the trenches to a pamphlet on how to "grow your own smokes", you'll uncover some amazing facts and stories.
The exhibition also asks if the current boom is just a credit-crunch fad or whether we really want to change the way we eat for good. Whatever your experience, tell us your stories and share your opinions when you visit.
Entry is free with Museum Admission (£6 /£5 concessions /£4 Art Fund Members /Free for Under 16s, Friends & Carers of disabled visitors)
Read about The Good Life in an article from The Daily Express and on the Guardian Gardening Blog
The Wartime Kitchen and Garden
Wartime Kitchen and Garden Hb
Amazon Price: $147.56 (as of 05/31/2012)
Digging for Victory
Wartime Gardening with Mr.Middleton
Digging for Victory
Amazon Price: $10.71 (as of 05/31/2012)
The Dig For Victory campaign to encourage people to grow their own food began in Britain in September 1940. This was the government's plan to avert hunger in the event of the war lasting more than a few months. Formal gardens, lawns and sports pitches were transformed into makeshift allotments.The campaign was launched by the first media gardening celebrity Mr Middleton on the BBC Home Service. These popular broadcasts, with around 3.5 million listeners, were published for the first time in 1942. This new edition of "Digging For Victory" brings Mr Middleton's pearls of wisdom to a new generation of gardeners who are increasingly interested in growing their own food. It is a timely publication in light of the recent surge in allotment owners.
This beautifully designed book takes the reader through the seasons offering helpful gardening tips. Charming, chatty and immensely readable, "Digging For Victory" is the perfect book for all gardening fans.Rediscover the famous wartime gardening broadcasts by the original gardening media celebrity.
Great Dig for Victory Links
- Ministry of Agriculture Allotment and Garden Guides - 1945
- earthly pursuits presents a series of 12 leaflets on allotment gardening printed by the U.K. Ministry of Agriculture in 1945
- Dig For Victory WWII Allotment Garden Plan - Grow Vegetables Year Round
- Ministry of Agriculture WWII Dig For Victory Leaflet No. 1 by The Ministry of Agriculture. Circa 1940 - Allotment Cropping Plan p. 1
- Victory Gardens Handbook of the Victory Garden Committee - 1944
- Victory Gardens Handbook of the Victory Garden Committee War Services, Pennsylvania State Council of Defense 1944
- BAMBOO - British Pathe
- A bamboo plantation in Cornwall provided gardeners with canes to use as plant supports during the Second World War.
Say hello!
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jed78
Apr 12, 2012 @ 8:17 pm | delete
- In the US Victory Gardens were the thing ! They have seen a resurgence lately!
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JoshK47
Oct 26, 2011 @ 6:48 am | delete
- Very interesting subject - making your own produce is a good idea anytime, not just wartime! Blessed by a SquidAngel!
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tembrooke Dec 8, 2010 @ 12:34 pm | delete
- Interesting topic! Blessed.
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Demaw
Nov 9, 2010 @ 12:05 am | delete
- This goes to show you that a good idea never goes out of style.
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- But in the moments after his numerous victories in New York City, when middleweight Peter ?Kid Chocolate? Quillin would dig deep into a big bag of chocolates to disperse to the audience, it became apparent that Quillin had the potential to be something ...
by EmmaCooper
I am the author of 'The Alternative Kitchen Garden: An A to Z'. Check out my gardening blog, more gardening articles and the AKG podcast on my website:... more »
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