[aqua]

i like the idea of giving the spare runner beans to the nursing home - i bet that gives a lot of pleasure. they are so pretty too.

[lordthanatos]

i was stunned this weekend when someone in the plot popped by with a Huge set of rhubarb crowns for me to put down.

she had heard that somebody heard that somebody heard that I wanted some but had no idea which ones to get, so she bought me down some of hers which have served her well.

well chuffed

and she bought a load of strawberries as a snack for my little boy who usually comes with me. called marshmello strawberries they were so nice im defo going to put some down soon

[Robster]

That reminds me.  I saw fresh rhubarb in a supermarket this weekend.  It was two largeish stalks for £2.99.  They weighed about 300g I think!  Whatever the weight, it was £1.50 a stalk.  Can you believe it?  It would have cost about £12 to make a crumble.

[Debz]

I grow a lot of extra tomato plants because I am starting them off for 5 other members of the family.  Any spares left after the initial allocation are given to neighbours and colleagues.  I know a couple of people who are growing their own for the first time and I give them any extras I have to get them going.  Most extra produce goes to my Mum's because she feeds me a couple of times a week so that seems only fair.

[stentman]

Any spares go to my neighbours, the couple one side get me loads of coffee grounds as she works at starb**ks coffee house. The couple the other side are retired she's not good on her pins these days but takes my parcels from the postman, he always puts my bins back after the binman has been etc etc proper old fashioned helpful neighbours. Any they don't get friends and family have. I have however got to grow plenty of sweetcorn I don't like teh stuff but my 9 year old daughter does so that particular crop has a very special exclusive recipient.

[stompy]

We eat most the stuff of our plot but i always get far more toms than i can cope with.
I make sauces from the toms for winter but even then there are still too many (i grow too many on purpose).

I then bag the toms up and take them to work, i leave them in the canteen and sell them for 30p a bag (mixed bags, cherry and salad toms) with a money box next to them (more an honesty box) for people to put their money in, i go back before it's time to go home and collect the money.

Im not doing it to try and gain an income as such, i do it to fund the allotment and the purchase of next years seeds and other bits and bobs that i need to buy anually, i never get enough but i feel it makes it i little more like the Good Life   :happy:

I also give any excess veg to our next door but one neibours too (not next door we don't get on, bit of a rough family)  as they take parcells in for us and water the hanging baskets when we go away.

Any extra plant that i can't find a place for get given to who ever wants them on the site, i also grow a few extra for OH friend at work.

[JaK]

My neighbours get most of what I don't need. Then they can't moan at me for hav'ing an allotment for a front garden. 

[Grubbypaws]

My neighbours get most of what I don't need. Then they can't moan at me for hav'ing an allotment for a front garden. 

I often look at my front garden, once full of flowers now crammed with raised beds, and worry that I have become a little eccentric 

Nice to know that I am not the only one 

[aqua]

My neighbours get most of what I don't need. Then they can't moan at me for hav'ing an allotment for a front garden. 

I often look at my front garden, once full of flowers now crammed with raised beds, and worry that I have become a little eccentric 

Nice to know that I am not the only one 

I have raised beds in my front garden - my husband built them for me. I think they are lovely

[peapod]

Give things away to friends in the hope they'll start growing.

We also have a surplus table at our allotment. If you have a surplus of something, you just leave it there for the other allotment holders... and they in turn, when they next have a surplus, will leave it there too- so its not a strict "trade".. more of a 'pay it forward' kinda thing.
It's particularly great for newbies on the site, when they get their plot late in the year and don't get to enjoy a harvest- they can still get to sample home grown veg and it encourages them to stick at it so they can do the same the following year. And it encourages people to try grow new veg and varieties that they haven't tasted before

I love this idea...am going to hunt out a table ....though there is a couple on the site that wont give and just take 

Thanks Sparta

[Zippy]

I always put in a few barter plants so I have some to repay everyone for their kindness in offering freely their lawn mowings, hutch scrapings and the lady across the way who has 100 guinea pigs and gives me a dustbin load of cage droppings every week.

Usually put in extra courgettes, runner beans, dwarf french beans and a few "exotics" like fennel ferns and the like. All good barter items which look good and keep well.