I’ve been clearing away the privet cuttings from shortening the hedge. A bold move taking a foot and a bit off the height, but we get more light in the late afternoons as a result which is good!

I’ve potted out my tomatoes – there’ll be a picture of them tomorrow – and a picture of my greenhouse heater. It’s an old one that I’ve got hold of. It takes paraffin and we’ve been outside lighting it so the delicate seedlings stay toasty warm all night. That’s the plan anyway!
The basil is coming through and the rocket is doing well too! The beans are looking good!

After I’d potted up the tomatoes a couple looked really wilted and dead – but this evening they look fine, so fingers crossed they’ll do well. I’ve got four types of tomatoes this year – some normal ones, some plum ones, cherry tomatoes and some giant ones. It’ll be interesting to see the differences.

Apart from a little watering of plants in pots waiting for their space to be dug over, I’ve done virtually nothing else. I did some weed killing, but that was very effortfree – see my post about roundup! I do have some stray raspberries to clear tomorrow – shoots appearing in the front lawn!

I’ve started off my tomato plants and they’re doing well … some are already at second leaf stage. They’re still in the kitchen and being turned round in the windowsill a couple of times a day to ensure they don’t lean over too far. I’ve not got the heater down for the new greenhouse yet – will do soon just in case it turns cold!
My courgette seeds, aubergine and pepper seeds are all in seed trays in plastic bags on the window sill – been in a couple of days and a courguette is coming through already.

The chives are doing well in the tub under the tap! They die right back during the winter and just look like a bunch of dead straw but bounce back quickly!

In the greenhouse the salads, rocket, beans and spring onions are poking through! I’ve put carrot seeds in buckets. It was something everyone did at the allotments and put the tubs up high to stop carrot fly. I figure it’s worth a try!

After the hot weather it’s been nice to get some rain – but that’s enough now! Typical bank holiday weather I expect though. The lawn now needs a second cut of the season!

Figo connectors at Unwins
What are they? They’re really useful connectors for making all sorts of useful things for your garden – fruit frames to protect your fruit from the birds, to pea netting, bean wigwags and anything else you can think of.

Everyone has canes or poles, but fixing them together is always a real bind! Figo makes it easy though. They will fit a massive range of cane sizes too – 8mm to 16mm which means you don’t have to hunt round for different canes – just use the ones you’ve got.

You get ten figo connectors in a pack
* SIX 3-way connectors per box. (for corners)
* FOUR 4-way connectors per box

This has got to be a must for anyone who’s spent the summer watching the cherries on their tree ripen to only find that the birds have scoffed the lot before you’ve picked them! Use figo to make a cage for your cherry tree!
Or use it to put fleece around plants to protect them from the frost or wind. These will be handy for all those protection jobs in the garden! They’re flexible enough to do the angles you need – so if you want to make a funny shape frame these are ideal.

The new Pump N’ Go sprayer from Roundup looks like a great way to spray a larger area with weedkiller.
Its got an adjustable nozzle so you can change the setting from jet to spray.
Normally, you should always use weedkiller on a calm day – if it’s at all windy you risk spraying all of your garden – however this jet spray is more intense and less likely to blow about. On a fine calm day you can use the wider spray setting.
Roundup’s Pump N’ Go Sprayer will treat an area of up to 150m2
This easy to use container does have a child resistant trigger though! That means it’s safe from being accidentally used by your kids! This pump and go action gives you up to 3 minutes’ continuous spraying – after about 20 pumps. You can then aim really well at the weeds you need spraying.
Another advantage of this product is that it ensure you only have weedkiller in a container clearly marked as weedkiller. There’ve been some terrible accidents where people have sprayed their garden using a sprayer only to find someone has used weedkiller in it!

This would be great for using along paths at home or the allotment. It’s easy to carry and use. Roundup works by getting to the root of the weed and kills it from there! Initially you may think it’s not very effective as the weed may appear only slightly damaged – however the magic of roundup is going on – you just can’t see it. It’s effective for plants with roots that break up when you try and dig them out – poison the root and the plant dies!
You can buy this Pump Acion RoundUp at Wilkinson Plus online as well as other online retailers.

Mantis UK is a well known name in the garden!
Mantis Garden Tiller
Free Postage. 1 year
in-home trial Includes
Border Edger, Kickstand.www.mantis-uk.co.uk

This is one of those garden must haves for anyone with a decent size garden. If you want to turn over the soil then one of these is just what you need. It’ll make your life so much easier and you’ll wonder why you ever spent all those hours digging over the soil when one of these does the entire garden in less than an hour!

FREE Border Edger Attachment and Kickstand when you purchase the Mantis 4-Stroke Honda-Powered Tiller/Cultivator. Plus FREE Owners Video.
One year in-home trial; money back guarantee plus -The Mantis Tiller is backed by a FIVE-YEAR warranty, plus a lifetime warranty on the tines against breakage
Perfect for raised beds, and gardens of all sizes.
Digs down 10 inches.
Easy to start, easy to operate. Weighs only 24 pounds (11 kg) making is easy to carry about
No fuel mixing required!!
So small and compact you can use it anywhere.
Cuts through hard sod, compact soil or tangly weeds.
Fun to use! This is a real boys toy for the garden!
Weed a 30′ x 40′ garden in just 20 minutes!
Fold-down handles for convenient storage.
Great optional attachments and accessories available.
Fold-down handles for convenient storage.
So versatile, you’ll use it throughout the entire gardening season. You can use it between rows as the digging width is only 22cm – idea if you want to squeeze another row of something in the veg plot. Just dig it over and it’s ready for a quick rake and plants.
The edger looks perfect if you like neat edges around your lawn too. No more half moon edging and all that effort!

one of these tools makes gardening so much less effort – if you’ve just started on a new garden, or have been given an overgrown allotment plot one of these will make the whole thing effort free. You could spend hours and hours digging over the soil but one of these soil tilllers from Mantis is so much easier to do.
You will be the envy of your neighbours too!

This lovely weather has got people thinking about bar-b-ques and B&Q have kindly offered a discount on BBQs right now!
30% off Selected BBQ’s

Buy online – Available for next day delivery when you order before 6pm. or order for reserve and collect if you need it today!

B&Q Laguna 2 Burner Gas Barbecue with Side Burner
Was: £94.98
Now: £66.39
Save: £28.59
A gas burner barbeque isn’t cheating! It’s so much less effort than getting charcoal lit. I’ve used one and cooked a hundred burgers on it at a special open day at the allotments last year. It was fantasticly easy to use – lighting was easy, and it took a few minutes to warm up and then we were away! Cooking on gas as you might say!
I’d definitely recommend one if you want controlability and you cook for lots of people. There’s no messing about with charcoal and you get an even hear. You even get a side burner to do a pan of onions or beans on!

B&Q Vegas Folding Charcoal Barbecue
– Materials: Painted steel body, chrome plated cooking grill
– Chrome Plated Grill for a great look
– Portable, folds for storage
– Easy assembly

Was £29.98
Now £20.96
Save £9.02

B&Q Miami Trolley Charcoal Barbecue
– Materials: Painted steel body, chrome plated cooking grill and warming rack, wheels
– Chrome Plated Grill for a great look
– Integrated Temperature Gauge to help ensure that your BBQ is operating at optimum heat.
– Adjustable cooking height
– Folding side shelves
– Trolley Included

Was £39.98
Now £27.95
Save £12.03

Now this is a really useful looking bit of kit – the Windowsill Plant Propagator

Windowsill Propagator

from £12.95

It allows you to sow 49 plants in one easy to use container.
It’s guaranteed for 12 years
The propogator is completely reusable and dish washer-safe for sterilisation
Ideal for both greenhouses and windowsills – it’s a pretty neat looking item too!
The lid can be turned 90′ which allows air vents to be open or shut.
Easy to get plants out of.
Use for veg or flowers.

This is a must have for gardeners who are fed up with the slugs winning all the time!
It’s a safe and easy way to ensure that you get the best from your garden and that the slugs are got rid of without you having to use nasty slug pellets.

Nemaslug

To treat up to 40 m2 is £9.95
Treat up to 100 metres square you need the bigger pack which is £19.95

You can use this on your harden at home or your allotment plot. Work out which pack size you need. If you only have a tiny garden then offer the rest of the nemotodes mix to a neighbour (Offer to put it on too – that way you get rid of the neighbouring slugs too!)

The advantages of using a nemotode slug killer
* Easy to use – just mix with water and water on! Avoiding leaves – (wash them off) – use on damp soil (Shouldn’t be difficult for that!) Probably in the evening is best as they won’t dry up before they get underground. Don’t use too early in the year – read the instructions on the right time to use in your area.

* Extremely Effective. You get 300,000 nematodes for every square metre of soil, giving at least six weeks control of slugs.

* Harmless to children, pets, birds and wildlife.
Which is always good to hear!

* Perfectly safe to use on food crops. Probably essential too if you want a crop! The battle between gardener and slug just got easier!

* Apply once every 6 weeks

* Not washed away by rain (unlike water soluble pellets)

Polanter
A unique way of growing plants – the modern replacement for the hanging basket with integral watering!

What can you grow in them?Strawberries and Tomatoes, herbs and of course flowers!

Polanter kit 1 – 53cm tall with a diameter of 13cm.
Price: £21.99

Polanter Kit 2 – 98cm tall with a diameter of 13cm.
Price: £29.99

Polanter Kit 3 – 142 cm tall with a diameter of 13cm
Price: £37.99

Polanter Kit 4 – 4 lengths of tube and end cap and comes complete with integral watering system, brackets and instruction manual. Standing approximately 186 cm (just over 6 foot) tall with a diameter of 13cm.

Polanter Kit 5 – Kit 5 is based on the Polanter Kit 2 and consist of 3 Polanters. Each Polanter stands approximately 98 cm tall with a diameter of 13cm.Each of the 3 complete Polanter kits consists of 2 lengths of tube and end cap and comes complete with integral watering system, brackets and instruction manual.
Price: £89.97
£75.99
You Save: £13.98
Price: £45.99

25% off shredders starts on the 5th March. It’s feeling very spring like so I’m sure you too are dying to get out there and start tidying up after the winter. If you’ve got some shrubs that need cutting back or some fruit bushes that need pruning or tidying up then you’ll need a shredder.
A shredder makes like work of chopping up plant material and when you shred and compost you get quicker results in your compost bin. Once you get in the habit of shredding all prunings you’ll be impressed how much quicker it all rots down.
If you’ve got a privet hedge that will soon need it’s first trim of the season then a shredder is an absolute must!

A garden shredder is part of the gardener’s essential kit!

25% off shredders starts on the 5th March.

Bosch AXT23TC 215kg/hr 230V Shredder
Save 25% on this Turbine cutter system for faster feeding of soft material and
branches up to 42mm. Innovative feed paddle to assist input of softer material.
Unique lift-off hopper enables low height compact storage. Integral 50Ltr collection
box with interlock protection. Push-button controls with pulse reverse for un-blocking.
Easy to adjust ‘on-cut’ mechanism via handwheel. Overload cut-out
to protect motor and gears.

Was £369.98
Now £277.49
Save £92.49

Offer starts on: 05.03.10
Offer ends on: 09.04.10

120kg/hr Ryobi Electric Shredder
Save 25% on this Superior crushing and cutting action, ideal for composting.
Auto-reverse unblocking system and automatic self-feeding operation. Large-sized
hopper for easy branch-feeding. Large-capacity collection bag simply clips to
the shredder body for easy disposal. Livetool indicator, robust tubular frame,
overload protection and safety cut-off switch.

Was £229.98
Now £172.49
Save £57.49

Offer starts on: 05.03.10
Offer ends on: 09.04.10

Check out their new garden
power range!