Communal garden not communal

[SummertimeZadness]

I live in a block of flats with a communal garden.

The communal garden is beautiful (truly) because one family in the building in particular has been looking after it (they were here before I moved in).

But it does not feel communal. While getting access is no problem, in terms of gardening and tending after, it is their space. They do everything their way. Every corner has been planted by them. Every year, without telling anyone, they add new stuff, water feature, irrigation, protective tents, etc. They moved my own garden furniture to the side to make place for their much more elegant designer one...

But I am also a gardener at heart, and that's my problem. I can see how much love and care they have put into it, I can appreciate they are doing a great work, that no one else was doing it before they arrived, that if I had been in their shoes, I would have done the same, that this garden makes a lot of people happy, that I could not match their level of investment, time, money, skills, that it would be mortifying for all to speak up, but every Spring, or every time they add something without asking, it gets me mad/sad.

Anyone has a word of wisdom for me?
I stupidly bought some seeds today.
Maybe I should go plant them in the local park in stealth.

It's all rental flats, same landlord, I pay no charges for the garden or common areas, everything is included in the rent.

Honestly, a communal garden sounds like absolute hell to me. I’d just be grateful someone else was doing all the dirty work tbh.

Most people are sensible like you, but I am one of them mucking about types, I love to potter in a shed, dig dirt, weed out stuff😆 I only realised that later in life and could only do it for a few years, but I miss gardening terribly. Every Spring I cannot plant something, my heart really aches tbh.

That's why it's so tantalising, but I should get my own allotment.

I've no idea how that's supposed to work. What if disputes or issues about something being damaged came up? Presumably no one would know where they stand legally.

If you go and talk to them in a friendly way and say what you've said here – that you love gardening and it makes your heart ache when you can't do it – surely they'll respond positively? Unless they're absolute monsters, couldn't you discuss and agree something whereby you take over or help with some of it?

Could you get a window box? Or perhaps find a spot to add some planters that are yours?

There was a weird thread a few years back where the OP had a garden but her NND removed their kitchen window to make a door ...into her garden ! And it contravened regulations so they were trying to find the NDN builder . OPS grandmother visited and was put on High Alert Builder Watch

If it’s a rental that’s a whole different kettle of fish so you have really no rights. If you owned you could in theory refig all over any area and plant your own stuff as all flats one the common ground equally (but also pay a management company to do basic gardening usually)

we turn a blind eye to people planting stuff outside their flats but anything like uprooting a hedge would need communal decision making.

raising it with your landlord is your only option here. They have the rights not you here in terms of the common areas.

@70isaLimitNotaTarget I remember that thread! I wonder how things turned out in the end.

Offer to ‘help’.

This is a long term problem. Be brave and say to them that you would like to help them, and also you’d like an area to plant things, maybe work out where in the autumn. Then you can help them, then work out where your ‘plot’ would be. Just be very reasonable and friendly and hopefully they won’t be able to resist.

it’s not an all or nothing Situ, it’s being friendly to get what you want this time next year.

It could be one of those situations where they actually think it’s theirs. That they don’t realise it’s communal. It does happen.

The couple of places I lived that had a communal garden all had a contract for garden maintenance and used communal garden furniture. There were even communal bbqs. It wasn’t a free for all to put our own belongings in the space. I just can’t imagine that working with more than a couple of households sharing the space.

its the same for the larger communal recreation area for my current home, though we all have a private garden. We control it by committee meeting and have communal items in the space. Anything you want that is personal you bring with you and take with you when you leave.

In your situation I think you have two options. Either talk to whoever manages the building as a whole and get rule clarification or talk to this family. Maybe you could do some container gardening?

Communal gardens are absolutely commonplace in Scotland, pretty much every tenement has one and has for yonks.

I would just speak to them and say you’re delighted that someone is looking after the garden as you’re a keen gardener too, and could they suggest a corner you could have to do your own planting.

I grew up in a tenement flat with a communal garden and my mum and I had our own little patch for planting flowers. The retired couple on the ground floor did most of the maintenance.

If I spoke, they would probably be very mortified

Why on earth would they?

"I love what you've done to the garden but I love gardening and want to help keep it beautiful. How can I help?"

Whats the feature? I'd be worried it would be damaging the building

Yes but no everyone can afford a place with their own garden. Property in the UK is insanely expensive.