Allotment plots are pieces of land that you rent from a local council or a private owner in order to grow your own food or flowers on. You pay yearly and there is usually a supply of water, wood chip and even manure for everyone to share.
For years, allotment plots have been utilised by growers to grow produce. For that reason, they have a reputation of being very neat, controlled farm-like spaces providing plenty of fresh produce to harvest throughout the year. Think long rows of perfectly repeating vegetables, weed free pathways and a regimented watering system.
Of course, there is no rulebook that states you HAVE to grow food on your allotment plot. With the introduction of social media, it is now possible for everyone to share pictures of their allotment plots with anyone interested. I’ve noticed on my own social medias that people are starting to use their allotment plots to grow more and more flowers and attract more wildlife.
Wildlife ponds, flowers for pollinators and beautifully painted sheds have started to become more common among allotment plots, throwing out the reputation of regimented rows of veg and introducing a new concept. The concept of beauty and productivity working together, side by side.
CAN ALLOTMENT PLOTS BE BEAUTIFUL?
Of course they can! There is no ‘right’ way to work your allotment plot. In fact, there are so many different ways of gardening, it’s actually hard to find the one for you and you might find yourself trying out different techniques until you land on the one that works for you.
I think people are becoming more aware of their personal impact on the environment and allotment plots are now starting to reflect our desire to make a difference to where we live. Attracting more wildlife to your allotment is certainly a way of adding some beauty!
In fact, some allotment sites now have a clause in their tenancy requiring you to grow a percentage of flowers in order to attract in more pollinators!
HOW TO CREATE A BEAUTIFUL BUT PRODUCTIVE PLOT?
Firstly, flowers are not just for beauty. They are actually really important to attracting pollinators in to your allotment plot who are necessary for pollinating your vegetable plants too. So it’s pretty essential that you attract as many of them as you can, and we can all agree how beautiful flowers can look!
Here are some more ways to create a beautiful but productive plot:
- Plant more flowers. Don’t just dedicate one raised bed to them, instead actively grow them in and around your vegetable plants. That way they not only look beautiful, but draw more pollinators to your produce.
- Make a wildlife pond. Such a simple way of adding some beauty to a plot. Plant it up with iris’ and plenty of bee friendly flowers!
- Make it flow. Veg doesn’t necessarily have to be planted in neat rows. The main reason for that is to make weeding and harvesting easier. But creating smaller raised beds and then planting up the way you would a flower bed works too and looks more natural.
- Create a place to relax. For me, it’s in my pretty pink shed. It’s a space I can sit in when it rains and enjoy the beauty of the birds and plants while I have a cup of tea.
- Keep paths neat. This instantly adds some structure to the plot as well as serving as an essential way of navigating your plot when things become overgrown in the summer months!
- Grow a pumpkin arch. This was hands down the most beautiful thing I created at my allotment last year, and so productive too. Growing vertically is a great space saver!
ENJOY YOUR PLOT
I think this is something too many of us forget to do. You can’t expect to create a beautiful space and not spend time actually enjoying it. Nature is beautiful, wildlife is beautiful and it’s all around us! Take some time away from the endless list of gardening jobs and take a few minutes to just sit and enjoy the sanctuary you have created.
Happy gardening!
