Topic: Is it a female thing?

[aquilegia]

After discussion with people IRL about the programme "The Edible Garden", it seems (from my very non-representational research!) that women tend to like this programme but men don't.

Which leads me to the wider issue: is it a stereotype that when women are in charge, the veg garden tends to be more designed and intended to look nice as well as be productive, but men tend to grow things in straight row and not think so much about the design?

So are you male or female and how is your veg patch/allotment laid out?

I'm female and I want my veg area to look pretty as well producing lots of food. I grow in groups rather than lines. It's all a bit higgledy piggledy and I grow fruit and veg in with flowers (and vice versa!)

[Mortality]

I like the program, but prefer the garden to be tidy  :)

[irnhed]

Well, I'm a bloke, and I like the programme.

Interesting point about the 'neatness' and form of things.

My plots are laid out in straight rectangular beds because it makes the middles easier to get to, and you can make the paths etc. with the minimum amount of materials.

The funny thing is, I really love higgledy-piggely layouts - but I always default to the 'sensible' appoach.

Case in point is my new plot, which I've put 9 fruit trees in to (ignoring the pond, bog garden, hedgehog house, insect hotel & existing black current bushes) I've laid them out in a grid, with straight square metre 'collars' around them for mulch.

It all looks very formal with the straight lines, but that's 'cos I want to maximise the amount of space between the trees, so they get the most space to give them the best chance to thrive.

It's slightly more relaxed around the pea wig-wams that I built on Saturday.  There are 5 in a row, with paths either side - and I've sneaked a load of beetroots in the spaces between and around them - which is slightly more informal.

Having said that, I think all of my spaces look lovely  :)

[small]

I'm female and my plot is as straight-lined as I can make it - I suffer agonies because the north boundary (barn) and south boundary (greenhouse), are not precisely parallel - I overcome that by putting spreading stuff like courgettes somewhere in the middle.  But I really like the look of straight lines - the beauty is in the contrast of leaf shape and colour of the different veg. I  can't comment on the prog, not having a TV, but by what I've read I think I would find it a bit annoying!

[Borlotti]

My allotment is a mess, I hate straight lines.  OH said 'where is your line', I said I wasn't going fishing.  ;D ;D  I also often forget what I have planted or where, but get a lovely surprise.  Everything is mixed up, and grows quite well.  The strawberry bed is OK, all strawberries, and runner beans up canes, but apart from that plants grow where they like it best, so there.  And yes I am female.

[caroline7758]

I'm female. I have a vision of my allotment as full of flowers and veg, not particularly regimented but fairly organised but looking "natural", but in reality it's a mess and stuff gets put in wherever there's a weed-free space. I am incapable of sowing/planting anything in a straight line, no matter how I try, but it doesn't bother me! Maybe if I had more time... BTW I haven't watched the Edible Garden yet as I'm always out on Thursdays, but I do generally like Alys's style.

[aquilegia]

Borlotti - my strawbs are all either in pots or in amongst the flowers. I've not grown them with flowers before, so will see how they go! I often forget where I've planted things. I label seedtrays etc, but never label things in the ground (although I have drawn a rough map this year!)

Caroline - your plot sounds a lot like mine! I don't watch the programme when it's on tv, but on the BBC i-player. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00s08bx/The_Edible_Garden_Peas_and_Beans/

[Flighty]

I watch the programme and it's okay! As for my plot I grow flowers, soft fruit and vegetables, and like tidy informality as you can see -
http://flightplot.wordpress.com/2010/04/04/round-the-plot/

[goodlife]

Yes I Do watch it..my garden is in same line...sort of managed jungle...2 lottie plots one traditional, things in blocks and straight lines..another messy, something here and there...most top fruit that side under planted with something else...But I love the style of both..both they have their good and bad points with care...

[dtw]

My allotment is pretty random

[Digeroo]

I have a split personality,  My first piece of allotment was a rather mixed bag soilwise.  There was only one area which I could work up well enough for carrots, though I had planned them elsewhere.  There were also several very deep tractor ruts so I sort of planted in blocks as I fancied.   There are patches of things all over the place.  When I see a space I plant something in it.

My new piece has been designed on a spreadsheet so it is very regimented.  But the rows are beginning to get wobberly.

Quite a lot of our allotments have dead straight lines of each crop right across the full width of the allotment, and everything was removed including every last weed about a month ago.  Yes they are run by men.  Men also seem to like a much greater distance between rows and between plants.   I shoe horn mine in.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Theoretically my plot is in 4-foot beds, but it tends to be all over the place in practice.

[gwynnethmary]

I'm female, and I love the IDEA of informality but in practice I have to have straight rows, also I like my pictures on the walls to be straight, and I LOVE newly ploughed fields- tidy soil is great!

[grawrc]

I don't think male/ female has anything to do with it! It's more about where you are on the autistic spectrum! :o :o :o ;)

[Sparkly]

I am female and my plot is all nice lines within 10 x 4, 3x3 or 3x6 foot beds...

I tried 'broadcast' sowing once and once it impossible to weed!

[calendula]

from a female point of view I aim for beauty, harmony, produce, enjoyment, satisfaction, tolerance - not necessarily in that order but life is too short to be too fussy at the expense of more important feelings  ;D

[brownowl23]

im female but have never managed to watch the program. I however grow in straight lines, maximise the space.

[bazzysbarn]

Im female but cant stand her on GW so dont watch her prog. Watched Beechgrove for the 1st time last week and thought its like watching the old GW so will having fridays free now :D
As for planting mine are sort of straight but not really bothered as long as it grows.

[Plot69]

I love the program, she's a red head, what's not to love.

That aside, my two plots run North-South so all my beds are regimented East to West across the plots.  This year, after seeing the program and loving the complete randomness of her garden I decided to do something really radical... I've planted all my potatoes lengthways running North to South along the plot in completely the opposite direction to everything else.

When you've got two long narrow plots, each approximately 17x315 feet, it's hard not to plant in straight lines.

The inside of my shed however is a different matter  ::)

[mpdjulie]

I watched 1st Edible Garden and thought it was crap, 2nd one was okay and the 3rd again crap.  As far as neatness at our lottie my husband can be a bit anal about it although I love the neatness and ease of it.  We have on one plot 4 x 8ft raised beds separated by 2ft wide paths and on the other plot we have 16 x 4ft raised beds again with 2ft wide paths.  All the beds are lined up perfectly but my husband has always been the same - ever the perfectionist with whatever he makes/does.  Annoying sometimes but I love 'im.
 ;D