It’s competition time!!! Win a copy of Dave’s new book

[chickenchargrill]

Ange - I do like your potato plants, might steal that idea as I have loads of bags for life I forget to take shopping with me.

[fingersofgreen]

Hi,

I have three ideas that might be of interest. I'll post them in separate posts for ease of posting and to aid keeping them short.

My first idea is a carrot planter made from old 'used' growbags. Really easy and you (or I) get several harvests.

I like to have my lettuces grown at home in growbag. Once spent I sandwich the growbag between planks of wood (initially I used whatever I could get hold of). This then allows you to stand the growbag on its side. You then cut the bag open along the length of the edge and sow your carrot seedson the still moist soil. Because the bag is now on its side the depth of the compost is now sufficient for carrots. What about the holes I hear you say - well because you're sandwiching the bag the holes are cover so the soil doesn't spill out as you may expect.

Perhaps even more money-saving is the possibility that if you don't use growbags you may know someone that does - you just ask if you can have their spent bags of soil.

I will try and draw what I'm describing and post it - I haven't got any photos - yet.

To be continued...
Bird scarers and seed waterers...plus another (Tomatoes - teaser!!)

[Millymollymandy]

So jealous of the olive oil tins - reminds me of Greece all planted up with geraniums decorating the outside of everyone's houses and staircases etc.

[Millymollymandy]

Hi,

I have three ideas that might be of interest. I'll post them in separate posts for ease of posting and to aid keeping them short.

My first idea is a carrot planter made from old 'used' growbags. Really easy and you (or I) get several harvests.

I like to have my lettuces grown at home in growbag. Once spent I sandwich the growbag between planks of wood (initially I used whatever I could get hold of). This then allows you to stand the growbag on its side. You then cut the bag open along the length of the edge and sow your carrot seedson the still moist soil. Because the bag is now on its side the depth of the compost is now sufficient for carrots. What about the holes I hear you say - well because you're sandwiching the bag the holes are cover so the soil doesn't spill out as you may expect.

Perhaps even more money-saving is the possibility that if you don't use growbags you may know someone that does - you just ask if you can have their spent bags of soil.

I will try and draw what I'm describing and post it - I haven't got any photos - yet.

To be continued...
Bird scarers and seed waterers...plus another (Tomatoes - teaser!!)

I understand this one (I know I was a bit thick over Chuck's one but that was a misunderstanding over the type of window). Also as carrots don't like fresh compost this sounds like a great idea.

[AngeB]

Ange - I do like your potato plants, might steal that idea as I have loads of bags for life I forget to take shopping with me.

Thanks chickenchargrill, I had the same problem. Was very good at buying the bags, just never remembered to take them shopping. It solved that problem, plus I was skint and if I didn't find something else I think my potatoes would have planted themselves on my window sill!

I love the carrot idea!

[in2art]

I save the containers from mixed salad greens to start seeds. I make "v" shaped holes in the lid and bend them down for ventilation; it works like a miniature greenhouse. I start a single type of seed in each one. If it needs cold stratification, I put them outside; if not, they stack nicely in my kitchen window. I affix a bit of transparent tape and mark them with a permanent marker. I wash them, and stack the lids/containers separately for use next year.

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[in2art]

I am saving old keys to make a rain chain to replace downspouts that get clogged.

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The objective is to have many key rings (I don't actually have skeleton keys like in the photo) and attach them together with a piece of metal (8-10" long) with a loop at each end. The length of the connectors will be relative to the number of key rings I can collect, and the finished look that I want to achieve. I got the idea from a presentation at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle, WA...but now I can't remember the gentleman's name - he has published a book on the subject of garden design with recycled materials.

[Thomzo]

Thanks Chuck - so you do have sash windows then! We would have understood if you had said so in the first place, but maybe that's all you have in America?

Unfortunately most of us don't, so it's a great idea in theory but impossible to put into practice when you have inward or outward opening windows!

I like the idea. Even if you don't have sash windows, you could still make the contraption and just pop it out of the window when you need to use it. Saves having to lean out of the window over the work surface and splashing water all over the place.

Just a shame that my kitchen windows only open at the top - nearly 8 feet up! I have to climb on the worksurface to open them. Needless to say, I don't bother.

Zoe

[Thomzo]

baskets.jpg

Fifth and final item: Hanging basket liner.
Reusing old curtains to line hanging baskets. Enough said!

Martin.

And use an old wire lampshade frame to make your hanging basket. A whole new concept of interior design - instead of bringing the outside in you are bringing the inside out

Zoe

[hedgewizard]

Wild food = good, so using leftover wild food = better, right?

Sloe Gin Jam

I hate throwing away the fruit when I make fruit liqueurs, so I sometimes make jam out of it. This recipe makes a jelly, simply because you strain it off the pulp. Sloe gin jam is quite possibly the finest fruit jam you can make; tart, tangy and mysteriously dark with added richness and complexity coming from the juniper flavours. It was perfect with roadkill deer a couple of years ago! Adding some cooking apples brings out the flavour of the sloes and mellows their bitterness, helps the jam to set, and plumps the jam out to three times its original volume.

Take one kilo (or two pounds) of the sloes left over from sloe gin making. Add just enough water to cover, and simmer until pulpy (you may need to mash a bit). Once that's done, add two kilos (four pounds) of washed, chopped apples and the juice and peel of a lemon and again simmer until pulpy. Strain off through scalded jelly bags or fine muslin into a suitable container. You shouldn't squeeze the bag to hurry it up or you will have cloudy jelly, so leave the whole deal to dribble through overnight.

Next day, measure the juice and add 450g (1lb) of sugar per pint, and stir it over a medium heat until it comes to the boil, skimming off any scum. Boil until setting point is reached, then ladle into hot jars and seal.

[beckie]

I use ice lolly sticks as labels for seeds - especially ones like the ones from del monte's smoothies - where there are two shaped ends to give room for writing, and a convenient "middle" so you know how deep you've stuck it in.

[tiameg]

Don't spend money on electronic spider repellers.

Have a teen with a pathological fear of spiders and have tried every contraption on the market to try to repel them from house and garden - none worked.
She wouldn't go in the garden because of them and if we got one in the house...oh boy you could hear the screams a mile away!
An elderly friend of mine told me about conkers.
Put a few pots of conkers (you have gathered free) in the house and in the corner of any beds you don't want spiders in. Replace with new every year.
Works- 100% no spiders in the house in over a year! I can't tell you why or how it works- just that it does.

[AngeB]

That's brilliant tiameg! We get overrun with spiders so will definitely be giving that a try


Just discovered this smilie by the way - how strange

[maisietoo]

A really great way to save having to find or buy large stones to put into the base of large pots for drainage, is to use those colourful, children's plastic play balls. You can buy them from major supermarket stores for only a few pounds. They reduce weight, making pots much easier to move around, reduce the amount of soil in the pots as more can be put in without increasing the weight, and are simple to wash in disinfectant as very little earth can stick to them. They are easily stored as all one has to do is clean them and return them to their original pots to wait until planting time once again. And finally they last years.

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(Of course they don't have to be pink!)

[Dave]

Last chance to enter today!