Never wanted to win an allotment competition

[Mikey]

I just wanted to know if anyone else is like me.

This year our allotment committee took over from the gardening club to judge the plots, personally I thought this was a bad idea as previously it was completely impartial and now the judging is done by allotment holders. One man - one vote, this brought about the conclusion I expected, the well kept plot by the gate won.

In order to be entered you had to have a number on your plot, so in order not to be included I took mine down. Now I don't mind competitions in general, but I garden for the pleasure of it not for others recognition.

Am I alone in this train of thought?

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

You are not alone Mikey. I grow for a bit of me time, space, exercise, food, satisfaction etc... I am not really bothered by how it looks to everyone else - and it's a bl**dy good job too cos my little plot is a tip ;P

[rustylady]

The only competition I've ever entered is the Vine Virtual Show. At least that's friendly.

[veggiechicken]

I entered my front garden once in a Cardiff in Bloom competition - because every entrant was given free seeds Within days I had a mention in the Echo as a newby entrant .........then I forgot all about it
Nope, not competitive at all - just give me the seeds

[Mikey]

The funny thing is, in anything sports orientated I'm very competitive. Gardening is a bit like art to me, its an expression of you and I couldn't allow others to judge what is not something for judgement.

[Thelma Sanders]

I never thought about it, and made no special effort towards it, but funnily enough - I was thrilled to bits when I actually won 'best half plot' one year

[Bren In Pots]

I grown in my back garden and so long as it looks fairly tidy from the kitchen window I'm fine with that.

[alldigging]

I'd love to go round with the bloke who judges all the allotments in Oldham. Just cos I'm nosey.

[WendyC]

We have a best kept plot competition. Everyone is included and the judge is an impartial third party. One reason for introducing it was to raise the general tidiness of the plots and paths. This has worked and thesite generally looks tidier. This I think is important as if ever the site was threatened with development, we need to show the site is well used. There is a well used footpath around the perimeter fence, used by dog walkers generally. It is these villagers we would be looking for support if it ever came.
It is a very friendly site and no-one takes it too seriously but ibwas chuffed with a second, especially as the other winners were all retired.

[Veggielot]

They have a best plot competition on my site, you have to enter and I have never bothered, always been to busy sorting out my plot. Whilst there is still lots of things I want to do it is basically sorted, it at least looks like an alotment now. This year I have quite a few people come upto me this year and say how well I had done since taking on the plot and that I should win the best plot. I hadn't entered but it was nice to have the work I had done recognised.

It might be as Mikey says that I am near the gates to the site but as a beginner its nice to be told I have done a good job. So long as no one takes it to seriously then I wouldn't have a problem. Would alter what I am doing to try and win.

[zazen999]

They used to enter us automatically and it used to annoy me. So I joined the committee, got that competition taken out [explained that it's actually quite rude to pass judgement on people without their permission, and to keep notes without telling them what they think makes a good or bad allotment - lines it would seem are good] and then once it was gone, left the committee.

[Martin H]

I'm basically pretty competitive, but I like to choose my battleground. I wouldn't want to enter a competition like this one, because then I'd have to try and win it. That would involve things like, getting rid of all weeds even if they aren't seeding yet; using line to measure completely straight rows; choosing varieties for size and uniformity instead of for flavour and long harvest period; not putting newspaper down over the paths; and so on.

No, I'd rather carry on as I am, thanks.

[Florence Fennel]

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em beat 'em and leave 'em, well done Zaz I get plenty of admiring stares from passers by and comments of "lovely garden luv" even on days when it's a right old mess, so I'm happy.

[Bill HH]

I did come second once in a competion for the best care home garden in Torquay. I applied for an allotment in Torquay, online and was told it is a two year waiting list, after 2 and a half years I asked them how close I was to getting one and they said they have no record of my application. Perhaps it was meant to be because the Torquay allotments featured in the program "allotment wars" and there is no way I could work with that over competetive bunch. There are people there who want to win so badly they creep round at night spoiling other peoples plots. What satisfaction can there be in winning anything if you have cheated,

[Bill HH]

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em beat 'em and leave 'em, well done Zaz I get plenty of admiring stares from passers by and comments of "lovely garden luv" even on days when it's a right old mess, so I'm happy.

There is a road and footpath that runs behind my garden I sometimes look up to find a row of people just watching me, when they say lovely garden I really do feel ten feet tall, however when I say "Would you like some courgettes" they tend to run. I looked up one day and the Krankies were viewing my patch, the little one could only just see over the wall. She said "If you ever need a job come and do our wee patch"