Top of the plots - in pictures

Edgbaston Guinea Gardens were created for genteel use by the skilled working class or lower middle classes, and 'garden' rather than 'allotment' was the operative word. Ali Abdulla has had a garden of his own here since 2008. An asylum seeker from Kurdistan, Ali has found a warm welcome among the allotment holders. Photograph: Mark Diacono

Brian Carter's allotment in Birmingham is a sea of dahlias. Photograph: Mark Diacono

Bristol permaculture guru Mike Feingold has four plots which he uses to demonstrate, trial and teach permaculture principles. Photograph: Mark Diacono

Chris Achilleos's plot in London is a low-maintenance garden, a sheltered microclimate where plants thrive. Photograph: Mark Diacono

Glandel Archer on his allotment in Birmingham. One of his main crops is callaloo (Amaranthus viridis), a leaf vegetable eaten like spinach and popular in Jamaica and India. Photograph: Mark Diacono

Lia Leendertz and her friends and family on their Bristol allotment. When her plot became too much, Lia approached friends who were on waiting lists or keen on the idea of allotmenting to ask if they wanted to share the allotment. Now they meet on Sunday mornings to dig, weed and sow. Photograph: Mark Diacono

Nell Nile is an artist and the colours of her flower-filled allotment in Bristol reflect those of her art - soft pink and coral, vibrant purple, egg-yolk yellow and raspberry red. Photograph: Mark Diacono

Sophie Laporte's jardin familial in Paris is sandwiched between a train line and a tram line at Belvédère de Suresnes. The wal behind her plot is covered in ever-changing graffiti and a constant stream of commuters passes her garden gate. Photograph: Mark Diacono