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As regards "tidy" allotments I can't see that having a lot of rhubarb plants is untidy? It does rather depend on the allotment secretary and the committee. Some are very "organised" people who cannot understand why other plots are not regimented like theirs (just look at their plots!) Others are much more flexible. The boundary between untidy and freestyle is vague and a matter of opinion. The secretary has to obey the rules laid down by the council but they can often be "open to interpretation".Just ask for the secretary for the specific council rule that forbids what you want to do! If it's vague challenge it.
Quote from: George the Pigman on April 21, 2014, 21:42:19As regards "tidy" allotments I can't see that having a lot of rhubarb plants is untidy? It does rather depend on the allotment secretary and the committee. Some are very "organised" people who cannot understand why other plots are not regimented like theirs (just look at their plots!) Others are much more flexible. The boundary between untidy and freestyle is vague and a matter of opinion. The secretary has to obey the rules laid down by the council but they can often be "open to interpretation".Just ask for the secretary for the specific council rule that forbids what you want to do! If it's vague challenge it.You've hit the nail on the head in terms of my situation. Our committee seems to be dominated by one individual. His plot is very tidy/regimented/manicured and he doesn't seem to accept a more informal look, hence his criticism when I let my rhubarb plants run naturally to seed. Here's another example - I took a small, quite young, cherry plant in bare root state up to my allotment in a plastic sack. I intended to place it in my fruit cage and prune it like a shrub. The manager guy noticed the cherry plant and said trees are not allowed. He didn't accept my argument that many trees can be kept small, as hedges or shrubs. It was my experiment, which may or may not have worked. He's correct insofar as the written rules states that trees are not allowed. It doesn't say why but I assume it's in case a preservation order is slapped on a tree, or roots cause damage to adjoining properties. So I planted the cherry plant in a large tub and hoped to grow it as a container plant. He reiterated that trees are not allowed and that includes anything called a tree, even if it's in a tub. Surely, this is open to interpretation, like you suggest. Would you say it's a reasonable ruling? Perhaps he could have checked with the Council to see if they minded but, oh no, that would never happen and his decision is always final.
there is no universally recognised precise definition what a tree is, neither botanically nor in common language
Trees are not a taxonomic group but are a number of plant species that have independently evolved a woody trunk and branches as a way to tower above other plants and make full use of the sunlight.