I've just taken possession of an allotment and if anyone is interested you
can see photos he
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/melanie...key/allotment/

It's a mess, as you can see, plus I have the challenge of there being a
damp, dark woodland ravine adjoining the plot.

I want the allotment to be pretty as well as productive, so I'm thinking
about growing a few appropriate plants in the woodland area. I'm thinking
English bluebells, foxgloves, cyclamen and ferns.

I've found a website that sells a woodland seeds mixture including ragged
robin, pignut, ramsons, foxgloves, primroses, bluebells, bellflower,
selfheal, meadowsweet and various wild grasses (I could post the URL but I
don't want to be accused of spamming!)

Would these seeds be okay, or are they "weeds" that don't belong anywhere
near a cultivated allotment?

Advice appreciated.
Thanks.

"Mel" wrote in message
...
I've just taken possession of an allotment and if anyone is interested you
can see photos he
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/melanie...key/allotment/

It's a mess, as you can see, plus I have the challenge of there being a
damp, dark woodland ravine adjoining the plot.

I want the allotment to be pretty as well as productive, so I'm thinking
about growing a few appropriate plants in the woodland area. I'm thinking
English bluebells, foxgloves, cyclamen and ferns.

I've found a website that sells a woodland seeds mixture including ragged
robin, pignut, ramsons, foxgloves, primroses, bluebells, bellflower,
selfheal, meadowsweet and various wild grasses (I could post the URL but I
don't want to be accused of spamming!)

Would these seeds be okay, or are they "weeds" that don't belong anywhere
near a cultivated allotment?


Hi Mel, and welcome to the wonderful wacky world of allotmenteering.

Nice pics, and you certainly have got some woodland adjacent haven't you? Is
that horse chestnut tree actually on your allotment? It looks like maybe
someone cut it down to a stump previously and it's sprouted up again. It
will certainly shade your allotment, and will be good at sucking up any
water available in times of shortage.

Whereabouts in the country are you, a wet bit or a dry bit?

That's a lot of sheds and greenhouses in one place, no? And incidentally, if
you don't want those paving slabs I'll have them ;-))

As for the seeds you mention, a lot depends on what you're planning for your
plot. Being native, they will thrive, and you may well in time come to want
rid of them again. An allotment can be visually appealing as well as
productive, but introducing species which will take over may not be your
best plan. Personally I would leave the adjoining woodland to do the native
bit, you can enjoy the plants over there. Grow flowers you can either enjoy
where they are or cut for the home would be my advice. We have a hawthorn
hedge/small plantation between us and the golf course, I just keep it
trimmed back to the fence.

Steve

You can admire the weeds on our allotment here-
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/steveandmaggiesplot

The message
from "Mel" contains these words:

/prune/

I've found a website that sells a woodland seeds mixture including ragged
robin, pignut, ramsons, foxgloves, primroses, bluebells, bellflower,
selfheal, meadowsweet and various wild grasses (I could post the URL but I
don't want to be accused of spamming!)

However much some people decry posts they consider to be advertising,
it's not *THAT* much of a minefield!

Would these seeds be okay, or are they "weeds" that don't belong anywhere
near a cultivated allotment?

What do *YOU* think?

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

I've just taken possession of an allotment ...
Would these seeds be okay, or are they "weeds" that don't belong ...

Hi, Steve, thanks for your advice. Yes, the horse chestnut is actually on
the allotment consequently a portion of the allotment is not useable, but
I've been on the waiting list for many, many years so it's that or nothing!
I'm in Bolton and the allotment is on the edge of the moors and it's usually
damp up here.

The greenhouses and sheds (and the paving slabs!) belong to the allotment
next to me (I only have a half plot). The full extent of my humble plot is
shown best in photos 1 and 6 (the borders are the fence to north and west,
woods to the east, path to the south). I've no idea where I'll put the shed,
and there's no room for a greenhouse (fortunately I have one at home).

It's interesting that you say the horse chestnut might've been cut down
previously because if so I might be able to persuade the council to cut it
down again if it's not an "original" tree. The council have said they'll
trim off the lower branches but won't cut it down.

The woodland area is doing its native bit, which nowadays means Himalayan
Balsam! I've pulled most of it up (it comes up easily) and I'll try to keep
on top of it next year.

It looks like you've put in lots of hard work to get your allotment into
shape. Right now, I don't know where to begin, but if it ever stops raining
I'll make a start ............

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote

I've found a website that sells a woodland seeds mixture ...I could post
the URL ...
However much some people decry posts they consider to be advertising, it's
not *THAT* much of a minefield!

Hi, thanks for your reply.
If anyone is interested, the site that sells wildflower mixes is
http://wildseed.co.uk/

Would these seeds be okay...
What do *YOU* think?

My gut feeling is that they're "weeds" or at least that they might
eventually become a problem if they self-seed prolifically over the
cultivated part of the plot. OTOH, I thought that they might be an easy
(lazy!) way of covering the unsightly mess that's there now from people
using the area as a dumping ground for old plants and whatnot. I'll have to
think about it some more!

Regards.

The message
from "Mel" contains these words:

OTOH, I thought that they might be an easy
(lazy!) way of covering the unsightly mess that's there now from people
using the area as a dumping ground for old plants and whatnot. I'll have to
think about it some more!

My neighbour throws his old plants and the peat from hanging baskets and
planters beneathe the hedge down the loke, and surreptitiously, I
retrieve them.

I overwintered several fuschias and pelargonium cuttings, and had a fine
show this year.

Where people have been dumping vegetable matter should be nicely friable
and conditioned.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Mel" wrote
I've just taken possession of an allotment and if anyone is interested you
can see photos he
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/melanie...key/allotment/

It's a mess, as you can see, plus I have the challenge of there being a
damp, dark woodland ravine adjoining the plot.

I want the allotment to be pretty as well as productive, so I'm thinking
about growing a few appropriate plants in the woodland area. I'm thinking
English bluebells, foxgloves, cyclamen and ferns.

I've found a website that sells a woodland seeds mixture including ragged
robin, pignut, ramsons, foxgloves, primroses, bluebells, bellflower,
selfheal, meadowsweet and various wild grasses (I could post the URL but I
don't want to be accused of spamming!)

Would these seeds be okay, or are they "weeds" that don't belong anywhere
near a cultivated allotment?

Welcome to the allotments Mel, great fun if you have the time (that should
be, are prepared to make the time). :-)

Did all that old plastic and carpet come off your plot? If so the ground
will be in need of a good dig to let some air in (and check the pH it might
have gone acidic). I sympathise as we have had the same problem recently,
half buried old rotten carpet is a filthy pain and half rotten plastic,
worse.
We found a 20 metre by 1 metre brick path 6 inches under our new one as
well!

You can usually grow what you like on a allotment but check the bylaws and
more importantly check with other allotment holders nearby, they may object
to "weeds" on your plot infesting theirs and you could find yourself thrown
off if enough complain!
Be wary of the advice given by others until you see their plots and
therefore know if they are truly knowledgeable. Find out who your Allotment
Rep is as they will have the ear of the Council for work that needs doing
and they also probably attend meetings with your Council so they know what
is going on. Your Council will probably provide a Skip if one is needed for
all the rubbish, ask your rep.

That tree would not be difficult to fell, and I would certainly try, it will
rob your plot of a lot of water and nutrients and the roots will make it
difficult to cultivate. Unless it has a preservation order on it, bit small
for that, just remove it yourself, if you can't get rid of the wood them
make a wood pile at the side for the insects etc.

Most importantly, have fun.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

Well, there's no point at all wasting money buying seeds, if other
people are going to dump stuff on top and smother them.

If you mean it's a horse chestnut, afaik they are one of those trees
which chemically repel any competition, so you won't grow much beneath
it..wet or dry. Keep your fingers crossed that one of those newly
re-introduced beavers will ring- bark it.

Janet

Well done Barrowcloth, that really was a posting of encouragement ..... not

:-((

In article , Mel
writes

I've found a website that sells a woodland seeds mixture including ragged
robin, pignut, ramsons, foxgloves, primroses, bluebells, bellflower,
selfheal, meadowsweet and various wild grasses (I could post the URL but I
don't want to be accused of spamming!)

Would these seeds be okay, or are they "weeds" that don't belong anywhere
near a cultivated allotment?

Ragged robin, pignut won't be a problem. Ramsons will spread in time,
but won't get established if you're digging annually. Foxgloves will
give lots of seedlings, but they're easily dealt with. Selfheal can
creep a bit, but shouldn't be hard to control. I wouldn't have thought
the primroses, bellflower and meadowsweet would be a problem. Depends
what they have in the grasses as to whether they're a problem, but if
it's a woodland mixture not a meadow mixture, they'll be wood sedges and
not a problem in a regularly dug allotment.

You haven't got anything in there which spreads by roots and underground
runners, which is what many of the thugs (ground elder, bindweed) do.
The worst offender for self seeding will be the foxglove.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"