Over the centuries, the British have acquired various reputations. These have ranged from being described by Napoleon as a nation of shopkeepers, to that association with a love of gardening that has been attributed to us in more peaceful times.

One question raised continually recently, however, is whether we will take the next step, practised during World War II, and again become a generation of allotment owners.

The country may not be in the same state as when it had to “Dig for Victory”, but as the recession bites, the idea propagated in the media of households creating their individual and untapped cornucopia of fresh produce, on or near their doorsteps, is emotionally attractive.

Admittedly, the timing could not be better. Spring, associated with planting time, is just around the corner. Seed catalogues are in the post, garden centres wait in expectation and TV shopping channels are offering fruit trees.

Grow Your Own, rather than Pick Your Own, is receiving a boost, headed up by exponents such as celebrity gardener Monty Don. The National Trust has waded in by announcing last week that it is making 1,000 plots available, and members of the public can apply to district, borough and county councils - although you may have to be patient, as the waiting list is reportedly some 150,000 long.

Even then, hope springs eternal, for there are also schemes in several counties extolling the benefits of garden sharing.

Theoretically, all this is hardly the best news for the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), which to its credit again recently launched an attack on national retailers for continuing to demand “more for less” from its members, particularly in the fruit and vegetable sector.

Fortunately, I am sure that they share my view that the industry will hardly be undermined - the country will not become a nation of smallholders.

The main problem for amateurs growing the simplest back-garden horticultural crops, which are mainly confined to roots and leafy green vegetables, is that nature makes no allowances.

It takes time and effort, even if the soil is “free”. The result, in my own limited experience of many years ago, is that at best there is a burst of fecundity at the peak of the season, during which crops are given away, as everyone gets heartily sick of a limited choice. The reality is that most consumers are not prepared, or do not have the facility, to till the soil. More significantly, they are used to convenience, year-round availability and value prices - and, if the truth be known, they probably care little that what they buy hardly covers producers’ costs.

At best, the public may ultimately realise that professional horticulture is a skill achieved by hard work, long-term dedication and investment. This is a message that the NFU must keep sounding, particularly at present, when it appears to be going unheard in the retail corridors.