Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Gardening things!!

Anyway I decided to go out and spend my garden vouchers, so off I toddled to my favourite garden centre.

(Vallen Gardening Vouchers are like book tokens/vouchers, someone buys some as a pressie, you take them to a participating garden centre and spend!!!)

Anyway having had a lovely wander round I still haven't spent them, there where no ducks!!!

Once home I fiddled around making newspaper pots....

Take a tabloid newspaper



1. Fold it in half



2. Fold it in half again



3. and in half again



4. You now need to creat a triangle shape by taking one of the corners and getting it to meet the centre top (I hope the picture explains it)




5. Now fold the top right hand corner over to the left





Repeat step 4 & 5 on the other side so it ends up like this



6. Now fold it both edges so it looks like this



7. then fold in the edges again like this



8. Now turn it over and repeat steps 6 & 7



now this is the way to keep them until you need to use them, if you weigh them down it makes the creases better. To make the pot I fold back both the flaps and carefully put my hand inside


They look flimsey but they work well and they are-bio degradable!!!!

I decided that I should get outside for some fresh air, when I'm out there I always have to find something to do so, I popped the Chinese Artichokes into a pot, I know there supposed to go into the ground ,but where I want to put them isn't ready yet!!



I also bought a Blackcurrant bush for £1 from Wilkinsons, that is now in a pot in the Greenhouse which is alot cooler than the house or shop where it has been for the last few days, but should protect it from the frost


Talking about the greenhouse

the onions are coming along 'too' well



the Brugmansia keeps growing, don't know what we will do at the end of the year, I'm not sure if it will fit back in the greenhouse!!!



and this is what it looks like in the summer, I think you will all realise why I like it so much



and why I'm so protective of it!!!! The tree fern is fine but the one banana that is in the greenhouse looks very dead!! It maybe ok, they have a habit of bursting back into life again, the one plus is the trunk bit has not gone soggy!!!

Changes afoot in the garden:- Ably assisted by my ginger friend



this trellis, arch and fir tree are coming out, the trellis I will reuse further down the garden along with the honeysuckle and rose that are growing up it. From the other side you can see this became a 'dumping ground' and it is really annoying me..



I think clearing everything away will allow more sun into this area. I will use it for 'permanent' crops the few fruit bushes I have, raspberry canes and Chinese Artichokes etc. Once the trellis and fir tree are gone it will actually be quite a large area. I may grow some Jerusalem Artichokes, I know they grow about 6ft, but I maybe able to use it as a cunning way to make it appear the trellis is still there but without taking any sun from the other plants!!!!!!
The chickens are still presenting a problem,as to where we should move them. I will take some photos another day and explain, apparently its going to chuck it down tomorrow, so I don't think I will be showing you then!!!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ahhhh! We call them gift certificates here. SOmehow I was hoping that they were government allotted - you know that the government, the National Trust or something, gave you so many vouchers so you could fill up your gardens in typical English fashion. You folks do have the most spectacular gardens. And it makes sense that the Queen would want you to keep them up. Maybe you could suggest such a thing to her highness (the other one).

RUTH said...

What an exciting time you are going to have sorting out the garden. Your Angels Trumpet is looking good for this time of the year...aren't they the most heavenly smell. A fabulous photo you have there of it in bloom last year. Brilliant visuals of the newspaper pots. Will link this post on my Ruth Shoots blog if that's ok as I was going to put these on as a tip and it saves me trying to explain how to make them!Think we are in for a VERY wet day tomorrow too.

Naturegirl said...

What a great idea those newspaperpots!I suppose starting seeds would be a great use for them!I am at my final destination away from the cold and all stresses so I am sure to heal my spirit!~Thank you~ for leaving such a nice comment for me..I shall keep in touch!hugs

Sigrun said...

With much interest I saw your paperpots! Great idea.

Sigrun from Germany

Anonymous said...

I made some of those pots last year - but will probably not do so this year - I don't have much time. They are great though and a nice alternative from making them around the wooden tool.

Your garden looks great, but I know what you mean about 'dumping ground' I had a corner - well several, areas which were 'out of sight out of mind' that gradually got cluttered - so now have got rid of all of those.

But I am lucky that I have side entrances so it is easier for me

Great posts.xxx

Joanna said...

I've just brought some seeds so love the idea of your paper pot

Elsie said...

This is such an interesting post. I found the link on Ruth's Garden tips blog a few weeks ago, today I told a friend who is a member of the local gardening club about it and she thought it a marvelous idea/project to present at the next monthly meeting.
Love your Angel Trumpets, first saw some white ones in this friend's garden,(took a beautiful pic with the sun shining through the leaves and flowers).... sadly with the severe winter we had in South Africa, they all withered and nearly died, but I know she will be able to get them growing again soon.

BTW, your blog background is awesome!!!