Is an allotment for flowers a good idea?

[TheRobbingBastards]

Just that ^^ basically.
DH and I have the opportunity to take on a third plot. My brainwave was to simply grow cut flowers for the house. Every week I spend between £3-8 on fresh flowers, the plot would be £50 a year so already I see a saving on the way.

Is it doable and if so, are we mad to consider it?!

I like the idea as allotments are for growing whatever you want in them.

You're already into growing re the other two plots, so you know the pitfalls re weather/insect/disease damage that can occur to plants, so if you've set aside a certain % for loss, and still come out in front, then go for it.

Depends on your allotment rules - we can grow anything on ours but some places insist on a % of veg at least. Otherwise yes definitely go for it, why not? Sarah Raven obviously the guru for this.

Our allotments association require is to use them mainly for veg and are quite strict with the rules! So check the rules carefully.

christelle, ours is a private allotment, basically a small agricultural field converted into allotments to fill the postcode lottery void.
I'm sure there's nothing about % of veg etc as things are very laid back there (we are allowed chickens, there is a bee hive on site, we have fruit trees and several plots have small areas laid to lawn)
Will definitely do some more research now it seems to be a goer :o

Do it.

There's one on my site which is mainly flowers, a few token edibles such as lettuce and chives and a couple of fruit bushes, it's lovely and attracts so many bees.

As a PP said, most council-run allotments have strict rules (in ours, only a tiny proportion can be flowers). But if it's a private site and there are no rules, why not? I guess one thing would be to have a word with local florists doing more creative things and see whether they'd be interested in buying blooms from you.

I think you'll have loads and loads more than you need if you devote a whole site to the floral alone. I cut flowers from my back garden each week for the house and I don't even make a dent on what I have growing out there! You need surprisingly few for a pretty big bunch.

Might be worth doing your research and checking varieties very carefully to make sure that you get really long season, repeat-flowering plants where possible - and ones that have really good life when brought indoors, because this can vary radically from rose to rose (or whatever) in my experience.