Topic: Should flowers be allowed on allotments?

[tonybloke]

should flowers be allowed? of course they should! It's interesting to see how many 'little hitlers' there are on the forum, telling folk what they can (or can't) grow for their pleaseure.
As all of our members are affilliated to the Natiuonal Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (Hint, notice the word leisure) we don't dictate what folk can or can't grow, in fact we welcome the diversity of all of our allotments!! ;)

[Mushy Pea]

Am I daft?

Surely without flowers we wouldn't have any peas, beans, corgies, toms etc.  ???

MP

[pigeonseed]

Wow I didn't expect everyone to be so flower-friendly!

Your plots all sound gorgeous (well although some confess to killing flowers without meaning to!)
I always think flower beds can be easier than veg beds, because if they're not grown for selling/exhibiting, you don't need to fuss over them as much. They need less watering and weeding and feeding. And they do add something to a veg garden, I think.

I think maybe this is a case of people moaning for the sake of it. As my mum would say 'come over here and I'll give you something to moan about'.  ;)

[Ninnyscrops.]

Good Luck, flowers and me somehow don't work. They die on me.

XX Jeannine

I don't believe that, if you can grow all those squash and pumpkins to maturity, pick a favourite flower and get someone here to help you along the way Jeannine  :)

Ninny x

PS. Just don't as me about freesia 'cos I'm totally useless  :(  :'(

[fi]

whats wrong with people off course flowers should be allowed, they should be encouraged.
i leave some vegetables to run to seed because i love the flowers and  it encourages lots of hover flies. i also grow flowers flowers for cutting.
the carbon footprint of cut flowers is enormous and the chemicals sprayed on these crops is also bad. subscribe to the ecologist there are previous articles  about the exploitative nature of the cut flower industry.
 it seems to me that since allotments have become popular it brings out the worst in some people, and it has amazed me the trouble on our allotments since the dreaded waiting list started! 
waves to AJ, didn't see that picture on the ponds and water feature course!

[Jeannine]

Ninny I can grow houseplants no problem and outside I am good with vines and roses. I am growing tiny trees for Bonsai too, but the regular flowers  just croak on me, myabe I just don't value them as highly. I have those  pelag,,  whatevers  like the the geranium, in my window boxes on the patio and I am OK with those, they look really good actually and I can do a hanging basket or flower hanger but in the garden I always end up with a jungle of flowers all different sizes that die off on me. I have excellent African Violets, but garden flowers don't like me.Hionest..

XX Jeannine

[Ninnyscrops.]

Understood, Jeannine, I know the feeling. When it comes to a choice of tending the flowers here or the fruit and veg at the plot, the latter always wins out  ;D

Ninny

[pigeonseed]

I like the fact my flower garden at home doesnt need much tending. Most of my gardening energy goes on the veg.

A flower garden can be very romantic and beautiful. The flowers I love are either tough perennials or self-seeding annuals. I like them to do stuff by themselves, without my input, not just because it's easier, but because I love that half-wild-half-garden look you get when they grow well. And they get better every year, whereas most veg start again every year.

I'm not good with containers though - they just seem to need watering every five minutes and still wilt and go brown out on the south facing front of the house. I'm still working on that.

If any of you would like seeds or root cuttings of my get-on-with-it-by-themselves flowers I am happy to share.

[Emagggie]

Pigeonseed, consider a watering system. It's some of the best money I have ever spent. I never have to give watering the baskets, tubs and wall-pots a thought.

[pigeonseed]

I think I need to do something. I'll look into it!

[cornykev]

Any update on this Pige.  ::) ::) ::)

[pigeonseed]

I take it you want an update on the gent with the flowers, rather than my sorry-looking window boxes!

Well, I don't think anything much has happened - except that his dahlias have started to flower, so I expect he will be feeling very happy. If I hear anymore I'll keep you all informed.

He wanted to take them to a show in September, so I wonder how he will get on.

[cornykev]

Cheers.   ;D ;D ;D

[Digeroo]

Pleased to hear he has not been thrown out yet.

[busy_lizzie]

Was surprised to read this as it is such an old fashioned attitude. Flowers are a bonus on site as not only do they encourage bees and other polinating creatures but they are great as companion plants, and of course they brighten up the plots. Some people on our site don't have gardens so they sometimes have little cutting gardens. The main idea of an allotment is to grow veggies, but flowers are lovely on an allotment. We always grow, sweet peas, dahlias, calendula and marigolds, cornflowers, gladioli and nasturtiams and the odd bright poppy always comes up in the most unexpected places. I also have lupins, penstimens and delphiniums at the front of my plot, which the bees love. busy_lizzie

[pigeonseed]

I passed him on the way home this evening - lots of the dahlias are flowering now and he was very happy with them.

He was starting to construct the temporary shelter which stops them getting damaged by sea fog and rain, between now and the flower show. Those things can make the flowers go brown I think he said. Apparently that temporary shelter is a problem with the council and some other allotmenteers who say it's a structure which is not permitted.

Well, he was going ahead with it anyway. As it's only up for a couple of weeks, and there are loads of fruit and brassica cages, I don't suppose his will make any difference. I can't see a problem with it anyway.

[Jeannine]

Tell him to get into the habit of sending a few bunches to the local hospital, they will leave him alone then..flowers are as important for healing as veggies for food.We had a man that did dahlias and Crysanths, he used to put a bucket full of bunches at  the gate when he had spares with an honesty box for a quid a bunch, proceeds to local shelter.  Picture in paper..XX Jeannine

[grannyjanny]

Some hospitals no longer allow flowers Jeannine. SIL was in hospital earlier this year & couldn't take any for her. I don't know how widespread it is though.

[Digeroo]

I think it is fairly widespread.  Everything has to be washable.  They also cause allergies. 

[Jeannine]

What a shame,,what about old folks homes