Fork Handles - Page 1222

Am off to the poundshop-anybody want any pounds?

I agree Flo Gary takes lovely clear photos.

Geoff like lots of pounds please

I have just ordered a raised bed same size as the other 3 - 4ft x 8ft

I'm now ondering how the hell I'm going to fill it. The others were filled with a mix of mushroom compost, multi purpose compost and the top soil that was saved from our extension being built. It's the top soil that's the problem. I have about a week to think about it 

My camera is quite an old one, so doesn't take as many gazzilion pixels as the latest cameras. It actually takes 4288x2848.

But for all the photos I upload onto here, I reduce the size down to 900x600. Uploading huge photos onto here just slows down the pages for people who don't have fast connections.

How much do the pounds in your pound shop cost, Geoff?

Gary, I so agree on the photo sizing! Some threads I give up on because someone posts half a dozen photos, the first one is revealing like a very slow roller blind and my broadband is squeaking in protest!!

Bjay, did you order your raised beds online? I've been thinking about constructing some from scratch but these days jobs like that are just too much hassle!

I ordered mne as akit from Harrod. Even this idiot could put them up. Painte them up. At moment they have 10% off and reduced delivery.

They have 3 different qualities and several heights as well as lots of diffrent sizes

Rosa carriola wrote (see)

 

 Before picture - veg garden

These are alotment quality and 30cm high.

New one is going where the wheelbarrow is

harrodhorticultural.com

 

Am back-went to Lidl a well or instead-got 8 packets of seed for £2-nipped to B& Q as it is beige Wednesday for some violas for hanging baskets -priced at 20 for £2.80-get to the till -comes up as £1.40-less 10% got them for £1.26

Will now go and plant them up

Happy bunny

Is that Harrod as in posh shop Harrods-did they come in a green van?

Phew  Back in for sausage sarnie. Water feature now has electrics  Not up and running yet though - needs a something or other to work extension. He's out there doing blokey stuff . Found some self seeding plants but no sign of the poppies yet . Taking me ages to cultivate soil around all the babies  but only a bit more to do and then sowing canary creepers and some bits and bobs.

Bargain, Geoff.  Good idea on the thread as well.

Bunny, I can't begin to imagine what Olive smells like.

Done me baskets-all hung up

Sausage sarnie as well now

Thanks Bjay, I'll have a peruse.

I'm announcing this here so I have to get my a**e in gear and provide evidence later that I did it
Right, it's this. I have decided that there is so much to do in the garden that I cannot spend time this year tending veggies and things that need a lot of care and attention. I need to sort out the chicken-roaming / people sitting / washing hanging area and get on with re-planning the veg beds which I started doing last year. I shall be sad at harvest time but glad next year when it's all lovely and ready to go ( ahem). I will have 6 plants in the GH using the Autopot system and I will be kind to my soft fruit and herb pots but that is it.

Question - probably a daft one - about raised beds. 
Am I right presuming they need to be sunk in the soil a bit to stop soil escaping out the bottom onto the paths? If so, how far down? Also, would roots from nearby shrubs and next-door's conifers migrate upwards into the raised bed soil? 

I have to go out now. I see the garden gallery is slipping downwards. Could someone bung a photey across  before too long so it doesn't fall off the page?

Right Flo-your plans have been duly noted-and will come back at regular intervals to haunt you

Cant find any suitable photos at present- it is very quiet in forumland-should be ok later

Flo, they can just rest on top of the soil, don't have to be buried, once the soil is inside, they won't be wandering off anywhere. Regards to roots, you may find over time roots will invade, the hazards of setting it too close to trees.

My raised beds were just put on grass and levelled a bit to make them even. I then lined them with thick cardboard, I have some already, but I saw somewhere else on threads that bike shops are good for boxes. This year I am going to line sides with polythene so have been saving all my compost bags for this (thought need to get a staple gun) I did not do this with the others. I do understand about soil creeping out but it doesn't matter to me and in fact doesn't seem to happen so if you were worried you could spend money on their raised bed liners, or use landscape fabric to go across the bottom and up the sides. to stop leakage. 

Saw that on thread on here as well

Just sowed loads of flower seeds, I have a feeling that my electric propagator is not working properly It is quite old

Rosa carriola wrote (see)

I have a feeling that my electric propagator is not working properly It is quite old

I know how it feels

Thanks for handy tips on raised bed lining - bike shop here I come! Bed and furniture shops can be a useful source of large pieces of polythene sheeting.
 No choice about closeness to trees but I'd rather be surrounded by them than not

Just read a post from Dove who reckons not polythene So I suppose youcould use landscape fabric - however bags are free and it's recycling.

My beds are raised because underneath is a warren of roots from trees and shrubs, some we cut down, some are not so the only way to get enough decent soil was to build upwards

Which thread is that, Bjay? I'll have a look to save you having to relay all the info. over here

http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/fruit-and-veg/lining-a-raised-bed/3234.html

there are a lot of threads on them. Some need the doh smiley

Crikey Flo-they dont give this away-you will need to buy a bike-a tandem would be nice- or a trandem like the Goodies-a new bed and a 3 piece suite-this veg growing needs to be productive to make this pay