Wealden Times | WT188 | October 2017 | Kitchen & Bathroom supplement inside

Garden
watertight, in fact some drainage through the bottom of
the container is needed so that plants don’t get waterlogged.
An exception might be something like a shallow, temporary
planter – I use lengths of guttering pipe in the veg
patch sometimes, as they are useful for growing a row
of seedlings in prior to planting them out. You can just
slide the contents of the pipe into a prepared groove once
there’s a space on your plot – useful if you are sowing
crops in succession or are gardening in a small space.
Vegetable beds – can be constructed from many materials;
wood is particularly effective; railway sleepers have always
been popular, but can be expensive and bulky. Scaffolding
boards make excellent edges for vegetable beds and are
easier to cut and handle than sleepers. Just be careful when
using treated wood near edible crops, as some preservatives,
especially those used on older timber are toxic.
Protection and supports – old windows make great
tops for cold frames and several can even be used
together to make a mini greenhouse. Without glass they
can become plant supports, as can metal bedsteads,
gates, ladders, old springs and fretwork panels.
Garden ornaments – architectural finds, pieces of masonry
and stone can make very effective garden sculpture and
focal points in borders – there is huge satisfaction in
finding something that looks wonderful in your garden
setting, especially when you are saving huge amounts
153 wealdentimes.co.uk
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