Episode 26

In a special programme exploring the enduring value of allotment life, Frances Tophill heads to Exmouth in Devon, where thriving plots and passionate growers are at the heart of a vibrant community. At a time when more people want to know where their food comes from and enjoy the unbeatable taste of home-grown produce, Frances discovers why these much-loved spaces matter more than ever.

Joe Swift heads to Manchester to offer advice to newbie allotmenteer De-Graft Mensah, who, when not presenting Newsround, can’t get enough of growing his own food. There’s a determined plot holder in Scarborough who refuses to let a pigeon-led brassica massacre get the better of her. And in Bradford, two allotment holders share how, for them, a love of growing has forged an unlikely friendship that bridges generations.

And in a dramatic finale, actors Zoë Henry and Jeff Hordley - better known as Rhona Goskirk and Cain Dingle from Emmerdale - share the real-life soap opera behind their much-loved allotment and dig the dirt on who really does most of the work.