Allotment or garden

[Old bird]

I am on dodgy ground on this one as I feel that allotment gardens are for growing produce and flowers for cut flowers.  I personally am not in favour of the "private garden" type environment. 

On our site we have a lovely tenant but she is elderly, lives in a flat with her husband, and has nothing else to do except take the odd weeds out that dare to grow on her lottie and then the rest of the time she descends on you or whoever is there and talks and talks and talks she criticises others, wants to be involved, always offers help, she has bought a rotovator and does lots of rotovating for other plot holders (these are blokes and none of them are incapable and yet allow a 70 is woman to do it for them!) cadges some veggies and you can't, without being rude, get rid of her.  If I see her car parked, I will sometimes now avoid going there just to avoid her - which is silly.  I do realise that she is lonely but she is not the sort of person that I could be "matey" with!

I go to the lottie for raising my plants veggies fruit and a quiet time.  I do chat briefly to all the plot holders on the site - but just a hello and hows it going type chat.  If there were more of the "garden" variety you would forever be having people watching you, trying to talk, having tea with the children type situations, which I don't think is what allotments are about.

Maybe I am being selfish but there are loads of open spaces now in towns and the like and if you choose to live in a flat then it is fairly obvious that the garden is not part of the deal!

Maybe also it may work better where there are larger allotment plots and some more annonominity (spelt that wrong!).  But I don't like being watched while I work!

Old Bird

[Old bird]

[albacore1854]

And I thought it was just me.

Thing is, where do you draw the line.

I normally manage a cheerio hello to all my neighbours, but a few of them are retired, and have all day to natter if need be, as thay can return the next day.I work 5 or 6 days a week, so on my day on the plot I really need to motor to get it all done

[sazhig]

I always saw our allotment primarily for providing fruit & veg for the family. But I would also include flowers, herbs & other smallish annuals or perennials that can be eaten or used in other ways in the household as well or just as part of a complementary planting scheme. Including these extra plants makes for a more natural growing environment IMO.

Having a small area for children to play on (e.g small lawn, sand pit and/or small playhouse) is also beneficial as it allows you to get on with your work & not spend your time chasing your kids around the site getting in everyone else's way when they get bored of 'helping' you  ;D

[artichoke]

I frankly admit that I chose my second allotment (half plot) on a site that is ideal for children, a large sloping meadow surrounded by mature trees and hedges. I cultivate it doggedly, but whenever any of my 7 grandsons are with me, that is where we go to build shelters, light fires, cook lunches, run around, climb trees etc.

I chose it because not many allotments are being worked (though that is improving once more as spring and new people arrive) so there is plenty of space and rough grass, and there are few people to find the children annoying.

I have rashly, today, taken on a second half plot, mainly because the sun is on it longer in the evening (my first is in deep shade from the hedge at about 6.30pm). I am definitely going to retain the heavy Mypex cover someone put on most of it, clear off the weeds that have crawled across it in 2 or 3 years, patch and reinforce holes where necessary, and eventually pierce it and grow fruit trees and bushes in the holes.

And somehow get hold of a shed from which to bask in the sun in the evening. I have only a small backyard at home, and I think that the ability to rent a patch of one's own and do what you like with it is fantastic.

I agree about German Kleingärten - they are there as escapes from city life. The infamous Dr Schreber started the Schrebergarten movement in the 19th century, mainly because he was appalled at the poor health of city children and thought it would do them good to run about in fresh air and grow up to be healthy soldiers for the German army. He was particularly annoyed when economic pressures led to the parents digging up their grass and growing vegetables, as that was not the point at all.

Surely a compromise between the German and British traditions is ideal? It is as important to have outdoor space and fresh air as it is to grow vegetables, and both are possible.

[Paul Dee]

As long as the whole allotment is being used in some way or another, be it veg, flowers, or a lawn area it's up to the owner as to how they manage the space?

Forcing people to follow set rules of 'this is what you will grow, in this fashion' is probably a major reason why so many people give up. Clearing the plot, then setting say a quarter of it to lawn with some flowers while you work on the rest is not a bad plan at all imo. My household consists of 2 people, with a whole plot it was impossible to get through the amount of veg I was bringing home.

Depends on your site I guess, my site was half empty so anyone who was willing to clear a plot was pretty much free to use it as they pleased.

[star]

As long as the whole allotment is being used in some way or another, be it veg, flowers, or a lawn area it's up to the owner as to how they manage the space?





I totally agree. I have 2 dear friends who had to give up their plot because of the 'rules'! They were told to dig it, they wanted to do a no dig system and were told 'no'.

What has happened to our freedom of choice?

[betula]

As long as the whole allotment is being used in some way or another, be it veg, flowers, or a lawn area it's up to the owner as to how they manage the space?





I totally agree. I have 2 dear friends who had to give up their plot because of the 'rules'! They were told to dig it, they wanted to do a no dig system and were told 'no'.

I agree with you Star.Not every body has a choice of what kind of property they live in and many more people live in flats than ever before.
Yes parks are nice places to go to sometimes,depends on the park.
I would much rather go to the allotment and tend my veggies and flowers and grass.

Times have changed.The old die hards who insist on growing more veg than they and their families could possibly need are a source of irritation to me.They are so tunnel visioned.

Also I can not stand what I call the Lottie mafia.While I accept some committee members are keen to keep the lottie in good order there are certain cmembers who taste power and they think they know everything.They think a plot should be a copy of theirs or god help you.They stride round the plot with their clipboard and their whole body language is saying look at me.I am important.LOL

We have no committee on our site and I can't say I miss them.
What has happened to our freedom of choice?

[albacore1854]

If we didn't have rules, where would we be?

France.

If we had too many rules, where would we be?

Germany.

Rules need to be in place to protect the society or council from ongoing costs.

On our plots, we have new starters mulching with carpet tiles, or using old patio doors as coldframes.

What if people give up, who bears the work and cost of removing metal, rubbish etc.

If you don't have a model plot, be it traditional, or otherwise, how can you guide new starters as to what is acceptable, and what isn't.

The fact that these guidelines aren't in place on many sites, ours included, is what leads to frustration of  those on waiting lists.



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