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

[AngeB]

sorry I may have missed something but water from our kitchen sink drains through a pipe out to the drain outside the kitchen window - could you not just pop a container underneath that?

[Dave]

Hello Ange, the trouble with doing that is whatever goes does your sink goes onto your plants. This isn't such a problem with non-food plants. However food particles from the washing up can harbor bacteria and other nasties. There is a bit about this in a new book that's coming out (can you guess which one due out 12th May). If you filter the water first its fine or use it for something else.

[AngeB]

Ew, bits of roast chicken stuck to your pepper plants, I can see why that wouldn't be nice

[chuck_n_grace]

Hi,
I put together a quick 'concept' design using PVC. Hopefully these pics will make our idea easier to understand. I used PVC in lieu of a funnel.

I had to work in the garden and on the fish tanks...so I'll rework the design this week.

Idea improvements.
1) Use smaller diameter PVC than 1 1/2". It will fit better.
2) To lock the window, it actually needs to lower a bit so you can use your finger to activate it. I need to make a soft top bit that can be squished down to do this.
3)Of course the wood should be painted.







Regards,
Chuck

[Millymollymandy]

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!

[chuck_n_grace]

Millymollymandy,
Well I definitely learned something today. I assumed all windows raised up and down....not in and out. Never heard the term 'sash' window. So much for my 'great' idea.

I guess as one poster commented earlier in this thread, just open you window and toss out the water.

Regards,
Chuck

[Millymollymandy]

that's the fun of Ish being international - I have just had to google 'cootie' because someone earlier in this thread was talking about cootie water. Not a phrase I've ever heard of! Also I didn't understand the water cisterns which are apparently cold water tanks in lofts, which don't exist in France and probably other countries too as our cold water comes straight from the mains.

In fact it is all rather confusing - shows how different countries do different Ish type of things - just we don't necessarily understand each other.

However don't you find your windows a nuisance when it rains? I can't have mine open when it rains either as they open inwards, total opposite of UK where they open outwards (probably cos it rains a lot there) and they can have open windows without rain coming inside and drenching the place.

[sleepyowl]

If an elderly neighbour who has problems maintaining her garden & has plant that is running out of control but you absolutely adore (in my case columbine) off to do some weeding in return for the plants that have seeded themselves somewhere where they shouldn't have, therefore they have a well tended garden & you have free plants.

[chickenchargrill]

I'm not sure how this would work if you have a 'proper' washing machine, but we have a mini-washer we can put on the counter. It uses less water, less electric and is much kinder to the clothes and nappies we wash, particularly as we use soapnuts. It drains directly into the sink, so during the warm, dry weather, I simply drain the machine into a bucket and go water my garden. My fruit bushes love it. Other times, the waste water can be stored in butts.

[glitterpuss]

Have a seed /plant swap with friends. I don't know about you, but when I buy a packet of tomato seeds I don't want to use all 100 of them. By sharing out with fellow gardeners you could all purchase a packet of different varieties and share out your seeds. If there were enough of you it might be possible to swap and share enough to fill your complete plot.

[Dave]

Some good ideas coming through. Only two weeks to go now before the closing date!!

[martindsearle]

So here goes my first ever ‘proper’ post and it is about doing something cheaply to see if I can win something and again be cheap!I hope that being a gardener doesn’t equate to mean that I am ‘cheap’! Ignoring my personality crisis and back to the point. I have a few things in the garden which I have acquired, created or that have just appeared that enable me to reduce costs, keep my grey matter moving and most importantly, feed me!

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First item: Reusing olive oil cans.
The concept of re-use from the 3r’s I think is the best one. The old tins make great pots especially as I often get grief that my plastic plant pots look naff in the house but these tick my wife’s interior design ideas. The tins also show a little bit of that ‘shabby chic’ which costs a fortune in shops!

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Second item: Self built cold frame.
I have no real carpentry skills but I do have a passion! I had a cheapo plastic cold frame which sadly had got tired far too quickly and rather than replace it I thought I could do better on my own. Going with the re-use mantra again I used the staging from the cold frame and built around it. I used the corrugated plastic sheeting from a skip for sides and I have used some old double glazing from a neighbour for the roof. In warmer weather I have an old shower curtain to diffuse the light. My personal highlight of building this was cycling home with the 3m sheet of plastic on my bike!

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Third item: Re-using a cheapo plastic cold frame.
I seem to be re-using a lot and the top part of the cheapo plastic cold frame was no exception. It was too good to throw out and made a movable poly-tunnel. It has been incredibly useful for hardening off this year and I am not sure how I coped without it before in the Spring sowing season.

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Fourth item: Water bottle attachment.
This is my personal favourite! I have had it for years and I am unsure how I acquired it as I don’t ever recall buying it. I am sure it doesn’t need much explanation but it is great for my heavy handed nature when it comes to watering seedlings!

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

I look forward to the outcome of the competition and if not I look forward to adding the book to my birthday list!

Thanks for reading,

Martin.

[AngeB]

Hi, I wanted to update my photo as I thought it looked better if something had actually grown! I tried to build a greenhouse from bamboo sticks and cling film but failed miserably

[Henwoman]

I collected very large fertiliser sacks from the local farmer - free - about 10' x 14', hard to remember exactly but very large. Cut down side seams so you have a flat woven polypropylene piece 10' x 28'. Because it's woven it lets through water. Use it as a membrane under gravel to stop the weeds growing through. Attach to ground with old camping pegs, overlapping edges. Six years later, still working brilliantly.

[robyn297]

Wow, everyones got such brilliant ideas. I'm a newbie and feeling a little intimated by all the ideas.

One thing I have done is source some old roof tiles on freecycle which i plan to use to make some raised beds from. If its successful I'll post photos.