Two tunes to have on while checking out the seed catalogues on the cold nights to come.
Mustang – Nebula
Hollie Cook – Shadow Kissing
Platters from the potting shed
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Category Archives: Music to pot plants to
Do it properly!
I spent a couple of hours in the back garden today dodging the old boy next door (he wants me to cut back my apples trees) and started my third attempt at a compost heap. With two behind me, one woody and as dry as a bone, the other formerly a smelly slush but since adding more “brown” material, it’s now on its way, I’m making sure I go by the book with this one.
In the new year I’ll be attending the composting course at walworth garden farm for pointers in the right direction but in the meantime, no twigs or woody material, getting the right mix of “greens” and “browns” and adding the material in two inch layers into the free plastic bin I got off the council.
It was filled to about three quarters of the way full with layers of shredded newspapers, kitchen peelings, leaves, nettles, a few handfuls of rotting material with writhing worms from the other heap and a unmentionable liquid to start it all off. Fingers crossed!
There will be irregular updates of how it’s getting on.
Get up and use me
One thing I’ve learnt over the last few years being broke, is to make the most of what you’ve got and to reuse as much as possible. Bob Flowerdew, gardener’s question time panelist and recycler to the max, always comes out with brilliant ideas, reusing something ordinary in an unusual way that’ll benefit his garden, from old fridges as cold frames, knackered radiators as garden paths and thin strips from old venetian blinds as plant labels. Inventive eh?
Being broke shouldn’t stop you gardening, if anything it should inspire you to be more creative with whatever material comes to hand. I compost my garden/kitchen waste, collect autumn leaves and make leaf mould, reuse all plant pots after giving them a good clean and save all my bamboo canes for next years runner beans like everybody else does but here’s a few more ideas:
- Jam jars: Brilliant as mini-greenhouses for starting off seeds outdoors or giving those just planted seedlings some protection.
- Plug plant containers: Take out the plants, refill with compost, sow some seeds, water and hey presto more plug plants!
- Gardening twine/wire: Wrap onto a small bamboo cane rather than throwing away and use again.
- Long twigs and non thorny prunings: Use as “peas sticks” to support your prize peas!
- Scratched CD’s, jam jar lids and free DVD’s from the sunday papers: Thread twine through them and hang between bamboo canes to keep birds off your seed beds.
- Comfrey and nettle leaves: Make your own plant feed which will save you a fortune!
- Ice lolly sticks: Great as seed and plant labels.
- Margarine tubs, yoghurt pots, persil capsules (or similar) plastic tubs: Stick in a few drainage holes for great seed containers.
- Cardboard egg boxes and cardboard toilet roll holders: Double up the egg boxes for a good seed tray and use the toilet roll holder as a pot for seeds like corn that don’t like their roots being disturbed.
- Car tyres: A local nursery school has a few on top of each other as planters. They look a lot better than you think.
- Small metal dustbin: Drill a few large holes around the bottom of the bin for a great mini brazier for your garden or to take camping (thanks Marc for that top tip!).
- Old biscuit tins: Great for saving your seed packets in, you know I like a box!
The list is endless and the above is only a start. If you have any good recycling ideas post them up here as I love a good gardening tip like anyone else!
Gardening is my occupation
I was having a look at Scarlett Cannon’s excellent blog http://heavenlyhealer.blogspot.com/ and came across in her links, a great site of record sleeve art called record envelope http://crossedcombs.typepad.com/recordenvelope/ which led me to pull out one of my favourite reggae 7″ sleeves made out of a Jamaican Gold Seal margarine box, a great example of reggae recycling!
And if you love Reggae you’ll love http://www.iancauser.plus.com/jamaicanlabelart/
Save “On The Wire”!
A couple of weeks ago on the show, Steve Barker mentioned that the BBC will be soon be making cuts in their “drive for quality” initiative. It looks like they are thinking of replacing all local radio programmes in the evening sometime between now and April 2013. This will effectively cut all specialist shows over the whole of the BBC local radio network including On The Wire on Radio Lanchashire which has been running for over 25 years playing the best in reggae and left of centre gear. This is a cracking show which will sorely be missed if the blinking BBC have their way!
The proposals are subject to public consultation by the BBC trust. So fire off a letter now to Lord Patten, Chairman, BBC Trust, 180 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5QZ and tell him you disagree with the BBC’s initiative or go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust and look for the “consultation” button
Respect due to Steve Barker, Fenny and Jim.
Keep up the good work and don’t let the beeb trust grind your down!
Have a listen http://otwradio.blogspot.com/ and you won’t be disappointed!!
What do you listen to in the garden?
The other day I got an email from the TurnTableTerrorist (aka Terry C.) from the excellent show “Echo Beach” on WLUW-FM Chicago. He told me both him and his wife enjoy doing a bit of gardening and crank up some heavy dub while out there. What do you listen to while chilling in the garden or forking over the beds?
Also what’s the earliest you or your neighbours have been outside working the soil. The old gentleman next door to us was pruning Roses one Saturday morning last summer at the ungodly hour of 5.45am. That must be a record!
Give Echo Beach a listen!
http://wluw.org/station/show/echo-beach/
A trowel, a fork, a bottle and a cork…
So you’ve found your plot, windowsill, balcony or an old lady’s back garden and you’re ready to start, so you’ll be requiring some tools.
What you’ll need can range from anything as simple as an old spoon for the plants on the windowsill and a hand trowel and fork for the balcony.
For the full blown garden or plot (depending on how much preparation of the ground you have to do beforehand) you’ll ideally need most of the following but use what you can get your hands on first and work up from there.
- Fork
- Spade
- Hand fork
- Hand trowel
- Secateurs
- Hoe
- Rake
- Hosepipe, bucket or watering can
- Old clothes
- A kneeling pad (You’ll need one of them if you’ve got clicky knees like mine!)
If you really want to go the whole hog, get yourself some steel-capped boots and a donkey jacket with plastic patches on the arm and the name of a building firm in big letters on the back. Nice!
You can buy tools as cheap or expensively as you like, depending on your budget. DIY or gardening stores do quite decent ones at good prices. If you are doing it on the cheap, check places like the local flea market (like Brick Lane or Deptford), Amazon, eBay, Loot, Freecycle, skips, yard/garage sales or you could always put a card in your local supermarket/post office requesting old tools or even ask at a local allotment who might be able to point you in the direction of someone who’s getting rid of some gear.
My original set of tools came from the council when they were getting rid of some old stock. I transported a spade, fork, rake and an edging iron from the Harrow Road to Camberwell on a 36 Routemaster bus stuck in the hidey hole under the stairs where the conductor used to stand. The week before, using the same method, it was two 70’s council deckchairs which were pulled out of the skip at the yard.
Most of my present tools were a gift from our local “Portugese man with a van” in exchange for a couple of months of free rental of our garage. I recently got a fine pair of secateurs as a birthday present, and they are one of the things which are worth shelling out for, as a good pair will last you ages.
To get the best of your tools whatever they cost you, give them a good clean after use with a wet cloth or put under a tap and dried off with an old towel and also before putting in the shed/garage for winter, wipe the metallic parts over with some WD40 or oil for protection.
Now you’ve got the garden, you’ve obtained some tools, now what the hell do you put in it?
Weeds up to me knees 