A site bustling with plot-holders and bees was the sight that greeted Steve Neal when he visited Bower Ashton Allotments

Anna Lowther Harris clearing her plot.

The first things that hit you when you step inside Bower Ashton Allotments in Bristol are the flowers. Every plot seems to go for something in the floral line, whether it’s towering hollyhocks, golden achilleas, the gladioli for cut flowers in formal rows or the can-be-poisonous corn cockle aka the ‘bastard nigella’.

The veg is still there and there is also a proliferation of fruit trees – pear, plum, greengage, apples – with at least one on every plot, but it’s the flowers that stand out.

The bees like this place and the plot-holders like bees. Several of them mention how they grow the flowers with the bees in mind.The bees are regular visitors as there are hives on nearby allotments. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement.

The second thing you notice is the peace of the place.The allotments have been around for a century and are next to the 850-acre Ashton Court estate, laid out by Humphrey Repton. However, a mile from the centre of the city there are plenty of busy roads nearby, as the traffic churns around Cumberland Basin. But you soon forget the noise of modern life.The plots with their fruit and veg and flowers quickly work their magic on you and all is serene. As you look up from your hoeing you can see the Georgian terraces of Clifton nestling on the rock and that Bristol landmark, the suspension bridge, provides a view into the distance.