[Moonshine132435]

I've been lucky enough to get a second allotment, parralel to my first. This year I've strimmed it down, cleared lots of brambles, put up a row of raspberries and rotovated in several vegetable plots. However, as I already have a large and good allotment right next door, I intent to turn this one into a less intensive space, balancing out the heavily worked original plot.

The soil is heavy clay and I'm at the very bottom of the allotment, so I get far more water than I really need. I've put in about twelve feet of raspberries, and bought two cherry trees, an apple and two pears, all of which are growing in pots this year. I also have eight large blueberry bushes in pots. My intention is to turn this second plot into more of a fruit orchard, with grass and meadow interspersed amongst the trees. It'll provide plenty of fruit, plenty to interest bees, and plenty of space for my kids to run around in to distract them from running over the existing veg plot. We have masses of couch grass, a healthy supply of brambles and enthusiastic thistles and nettles. My plan was to put the trees in at the end of this year and then be diligent with the mowing, to ensure it looks nice and never gets out of hand. But what I really want is a lovely, non-mow meadow with lots of flowers and the like.

Any advice all you experts have would be most appreciated, even if it's telling me that my dream of a low-maintenance, Sound Of Music type of meadow is never going to happen?

thank you

[Mum2mj]

It sounds beautiful but does it adhere to your t&c's? A lot of them have a maximum % that can be permanent  planting/ trees etc.

[mumofstig]

It wouldn't be allowed here, our plots have to be 75% growing veg or fruit - we're not even allowed to grow trees.
The Council inspection person gets awkward if the paths around raised beds are too wide 

what I really want is a lovely, non-mow meadow with lots of flowers and the like.

If you don't mow it, it will seed and blow onto other plots. Sorry, but even the wild flowers you grow in grass are weeds on a veg plot.

[chillimummy]

In theory it sounds really nice but I have to say that I took over a plot like that 3 years ago.
It has taken those 3 years and a lot of hard work to dig up all the grassy paths and to either dig up,move or tame all the fruit bushes including digging up two trees (it's a half plot so space limited)
Not sure what your council rules are but if you decide to give your plot up in the future, it could mean a lot of hard work for the next person.
Sorry to sound negative but have spent most of the afternoon digging up my last remaining area of grassy weeds 
 

[compostqueen]

I wouldn't go for the meadow option as it's costly to replicate as to be successful poor soil is required which can involve the the removal of  top soil

Easier to mow and keep it mowed, somewhere for you to sit and gave your cuppa.  I have fruit trees planted in mine, compost bins round the edge and shed on it,  which makes it easier to get away with

[Yorkie]

I agree with all the others; this is unlikely to comply with your site's T&Cs, is likely to cause seeding weed nuisance to your neighbours, and will be hard to keep on top of.

[surbie100]

I agree with all the others; this is unlikely to comply with your site's T&Cs, is likely to cause seeding weed nuisance to your neighbours, and will be hard to keep on top of.

Yep. Sorry if this isn't what you wanted to hear, but I agree with Yorkie and others. 75% cultivation here too.

[cadalot]

75% on mine with a restriction on the size of sheds and greenhouses - you are not really allowed both, but they tolerate it of the plots really being worked.

[jaydig]

Definitely wouldn't be allowed on our site either. The allotment has to be used for growing vegetables with a limited amount of bush and tree fruit allowed. A meadow/orchard type of plot would contravene all the t and c's regarding cultivation and weed nuisance.  A lovely idea, but not for an allotment site.

[ARPoet]

Why not leave a corner for wildlife/wildflowers. I grow at home nowadays where space is scarse, but i still have a few none productive areas for bee attacting flowers and an area for wildlife.

[crh75]

Put beds of flowers between the trees.  This should count as being worked.

[gypsy]

Have you checked if you can plant trees? we are not allowed to plant new trees and cannot get rid of any established trees. Whatever you end up doing I hope you enjoy it.

[Moonshine132435]

Thanks for all your responses, all valid questions.

We do have limits on trees and sheds, though they aren't enforced as long as you're not being silly. In any case, I've discovered in the last week that all the fruit trees I've got are in fact dwarf trees and so fall well under the height limit. Where is the Smacking My Forehead smiley when you need it. Groan.

This plot which I'm refering to is at the very bottom of the allotment site, where the ground gets wettest and boggyest in the winter, and it has historically had a bad bramble and couch grass problem which has scared off newcommers. As it borders my existing plot, and access is across my existing plot, I applied to our council liason to take it on. He nearly tore my hand off, if I could assure him I'd get it under control. So though there are also requirements about how much you have to have under cultivation, it's likely I wouldn't be tested too hard on this. In any case, there are several other plots that are not densley planted and the council is fine with that, as long as you don't create a nuisance with weeds etc. I think we're quite lucky in that the allotmenteers are generally a happy go lucky bunch who don't mind what you do, as long as it doesn't interfere with them, and the council are pretty relaxed how you go about your gardening, as long as you can show you've got some idea of what you're doing and don't the let whole place fall down around you.

I do take your point that a beautiful wildflower meadow to me may be a field of pernicious weeds to someone elese. And if I have a spell where I can't tend to it regularly (as I had last summer) it could quickly turn into a very pretty nuisance. I think I'm going to spend some time thinking of what I can do with six dwarf fruit trees (espallier on the back fence perhaps?) and stick with mowing the plot to make sure it's tidy at all times. I do like the idea of putting in more flowers, as my long term plan is to use the far corner of this plot for bee hives. I'm a little annoyed that I'm a year behind on my fruit tree plans, and it's my own fault because I'm keener on getting a good fruit tree deal than I am on reading the fine print.

[Goosegirl]

I don't think your boggy area would be appropriate for a wild flower meadow as that likes a poor thin soil. How
about a pond and/or an area for bog plants?

[Eblana]

We have a plot which is half tended and the other half was sown with one of those wild flower mixes a few years back.  The owner took ill at the end of last year and we are all now finding poppies etc. all over our plots. Unless they are tended well they don't be long about mooching onto other plots.  They also aren't great if the soil is good, to get the best from a wild flower meadow you need to impoverish the soil or else the grasses take over. We also have a plot that we are having diffs getting someone to take on.  The previous owner had it as a garden full of annuals/bi annuals, you can't move on it with all the poached egg plant and foxgloves and they are slowly but surely spreading everywhere - while it looks quite pretty we are going to have to go in with glyphosate before it all sets seed again.  The bog garden idea sounds nice and would attract frogs etc which are beneficial.