Selling surplus plants?

[Sweepster]

Hope this is the right bit of the forum to ask this sort of question:
I was wondering if anyone had any experience of selling surplus veg plants from their front garden/driveway? I tend to end up with far too many plants when growing from seed - things like tomatoes, courgettes, and flowering plants too - cos I get carried away, feel too possessive over the little seedlings to thin them out properly, and then run out of family and friends to foist the plants onto.

I haven't got a front garden as such, just two feet of concrete and a low wall, so am envisaging a table to display the plants, a sign and some kind of honesty box...

If anyone does something like this, or has tried it, I'd be grateful to hear of your experience. If this is a stupid idea, I'd be even more grateful if someone could break it to me gently

[selfraising]

If that doesn't work, you could try a car boot sale

[Digger-07]

The llotments I was on did something similar to raise money for a toilet. They got lots of stuff sold and even had people asking what was coming up next. then someone said we shouldn't be selling stuff and reported us to the council.
That same person found that no-one was available to look after his watering when he went on holiday.

[Pompeylottie]

We were thinking of doing the same on our allotments soon, sell some plants/seedlings to rase money for security i.e cctv camera, higher fencing etc. I thought it was within the allotment act to sell surplus stuff, we presumed this was plants as well as veg. Does anyone know if it's okay to sell surplus plants please?

[Digger-07]

Our rules state that we could not sell produce - that's where we slipped up. If we had asked for donations we would probably have been OK.
But that was all because of 1 grumpy old codger who shopped us.

[FionaH]

Our rules state that we could not sell produce - that's where we slipped up. If we had asked for donations we would probably have been OK.
But that was all because of 1 grumpy old codger who shopped us.

miserable old so and so

[greendean]

our rules state that no notices or advertisements and not to use for business or trade. so i can sell what i grow but not away from my allotment.

[Pompeylottie]

It sounds like it's your own allotment's rules, rather than the legal position - the allotment act?, we will have to check with our man from the council - we have several grumpy old codgers ourselves who would be delighted to get us (the allotment association committee) into trouble.

[Digger-07]

As our sale was for a toilet at the lottments it was suggested that he was not provided with a key.
Whenever we had anything on he found a reason to complain.
The BBQ was too close to his plot, bees- he was allergic to them, tool shed lock- he didn't need the communal shed so would not pay to have a better lock fitted. etc.
The only down side was that he had the best kept plot on the site!

[Sweepster]

Well at least I'll have no grumpy old codgers to deal with... apart from OH, who'll no doubt trip over the honesty box on his way out and break his ankle or similar...

[PAULW]

Our lottie does three shows a year in the local area to promote allotments and makes quite a bit of money by as Digger says asking for donations for veg not directly selling the stuff donated by plot holders.

[Two_Sheds]

I sold quite a few bunches of flowers (30p a bunch) with an Honesty Box - until someone started nicking the flowers & money

Vegetables didn't sell at all, not a single one.

I love buying plants from people's front gates, it's lovely.

[zazen999]

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ide_28287.html

The above, in our very own allotment advice section, links to the Allotment Holder's Guide. It's quite clear you have to be creative about selling PRODUCE, but if you have grown crops or seedlings at home, this should not apply, should it?

[faerieprincess]

If you have children at school, or if you or they belong to any groups - have you thought of putting up an ad with a list of the seedlings/plants that you have available for sale. I know it works for some people who have extra eggs and produce.

[Eyren]

I sell surplus plants, but they are all raised at home - the fact that I happen to have an allotment is neither here nor there. In any case my surplus is mostly toms, courgettes and chillies, which I grow in my garden, not on the lottie; I've tried selling cabbage plants, but they are of much less interest to the casual veg-grower.

I don't sell my plants from the driveway, though, since we live at the end of a cul-de-sac! Instead I take them into work, since there are about a thousand people on-site and an active for-sale email list - but as faerieprincess says, schools and other groups are also a good place to spread the word.