Why do we love flowers at Roots Allotments? Join Ed on his patch to find out which floral beauties are beginning to pop up this spring!

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During the Dig for Victory, there was pressure for allotments to be used for food production only. Today we understand that flowers are just as important for diversifying the land and attracting pollinators. Biodiversity improves the quality of your food & most importantly helps care for our planet.

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We can find a healthy balance of crops and flowers, by intersowing & companion planting. Flowers don't just make your patch look & smell gorgeous, they bring friendly pollinating insects; ladybirds, butterflies & all kinds of creatures to the allotments. 

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Think about the chain of difference you could make, more flowers means more insects, then more bats who drop seeds and grow trees!

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Some flowers can also be used for pest management, such as Marigolds for black fly and Nasturtiums for caterpillars.

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We can sow our favorite wildflowers, borage, calendulas & sunflowers & even let our crops grow until they produce their own flowers!

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Flowers are delicious & medicinal too!

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TOP TIP:  next time you visit your patch, take a closer look to see which of your flowers are the bees most attracted to?

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