Mr Fothergills New Years Prize

 

As regular visitors would have seen I won the New Year flower collection on a Facebook Competition run by Mr Fothergill's. 

It transpired that the guy that wanted the vegetables got the flowers and that I got the Vegetables. But human error can be a blessing because on letting Mr Fothergill's know that I had received the package, but it was the wrong one they sent the flowers to me and I'm guessing the Vegetables to the other winner of the competition.

 
So one might say a definite Win Win situation, as one can never have too many vegetables seeds.  

Spot the Error!

If you are a regular visit to the blog you would have seen on the 27th of January that I won the Mr Fothergill's Flower Seed giveaway. My prize arrived yesterday in the post........  

I think someone is trying to tell me something ;0)

Mr Fothergill's New Years Competition

Yesterday I won the Mr Fothergill's New Years competition on Facebook. I can't wait for the flowers to come, and I now need to get an additional flower bed installed at the entrance to my plot to go with all the spring bulbs I've planted along the paths.

The bees that live opposite my plot are going to love me this year!

Waltons Garden Storage Chest Assembled

Cold frame removed and area ready for the  4 x 3 ft wooden garden storage chest arriving Monday 

Laid out the panels to allow them to breath as we have had rain over the last week and some of the panels were very wet.

Over the next two days the panels once dry were painted inside and out and the floor given two coats of paint apart from the front folding panel and with the weather changing and forecast for rain the store was screwed together and assembled. 

The pack of screws supplied is a generic pack and there are sizes that are supplied and not actually required for this model. I will never complain about too many fitting being supplied, and I've ended up increasing my screw stock so that's an additional win.   

The roofing felt roll had been compressed and was oval with a seam formed each side of the roll. it's always advisable to lay felt out ideally in the sun to flatten before fixing so I took the decision to lay the felt on the roof to keep the rain off the timber and from getting into the store and used the window frames from the cold frame to hold it in place and apply a little flattening force, there isn't a lot of sun about at the moment.    

Friday the felt was fixed to the roof and trimmed. Saturday the store had another coat of paint with the corners getting double attention and the trims have been painted all round and will need another couple of coats before I fix them and the Hasp to the front completing the build.

The store is however already full to the brim and has made a significant difference in the amount of available space for access else where. It's been nice being able to actually get into my shed to find the tools and materials I need without having to decant stuff for access. 

Winning the Waltons competition has been a little God send, and I'm very grateful that it happened.

Making Room For The Garden Store

If you are a regular reader you will know that I won the prize of a 4 x 3 ft wooden garden storage chest worth £169.99 from Waltons in their Messy Shed competition to help me organise my garden clutter, by submitting a photo of my Messy Shed.

Well she (all sheds are she, well for men anyway!) arrives on Monday so over this weekend after agenising if I should use it down the allotment or to sort out my messy shed problem at home I decided sorting out the messy shed at home would be best. 

I have been considering where to put the store and the best place is to the left of the space saver greenhouse where the cold framed currently stands.

The cold frame is the same depth as the store so it will fit on the paving slabs beside the path. 

The photo above shows the cold frame being used to bring on the huge amount of tomatoes that I usually grow at home. Now the thing is with the extra greenhouse on the allotment will I actually need to grow as many at home? 

I'm thinking possibly not, so then I agenising over do I find a better spot for the cold frame in better light possibly on the other side of the greenhouse, but If I do that there will be a huge reduction in the amount of tomatoes that will be able to be grown in the back garden.  Or perhaps the cold frame should go to the allotment? Decisions, decisions.....  

The ladder will have to be moved up so that the cold frame can slide under it. and I would loose 10 flower buckets of tomatoes, but I will have the Quadgrows in the new Greenhouse on plot 1 which is four plants and I can fit in 3 plants in the narrow beds or perhaps even put one tomato plant into each of the three square foot garden beds, which would replace the 10 plants normally grown in the back garden!  I think I have made my decision (for the moment) and if push comes to shove I can always take the cold frame to the allotment but I think it will serve me better at home.

The property next door has been let and the tenants have done absolutely no garden maintenance at all over the last two years and currently the hedge behind the fencing over is two foot of shaggy growth as I could not trim it last year and this year because of my cellulitis and the problems I have had with my legs climbing ladders.

Taking things carefully I have manged to emptied the cold frame and for the moment have relocated it on the lawn. then using the three step platform, cut back the top and the overhanging portion of the hedge behind where the cold frame was.

Sunday more composting materials in the form of all leaves that were removed from the footpath and from around the cold frame were taken is a couple of sacks and 10 buckets with lids to the allotment and fed to the Dalek's, and more clearing of the greenhouse on plot 1A and sorting of the shed took place in the morning.

Garden Store to be delivered Monday between 7am and 7pm, I'm hoping for a dry day so that in between the work I have to do, I can clear the hedge cuttings and dependent what time it arrives I may even get it erected and ready to help me start digging my way into my shed. 

Messy Shed Competition Winner!

I posted about Waltons Messy Shed Competition on here a couple of weeks ago, and on a few gardening Facebook groups and submitted my photo of my primary shed in the back garden and noted "I take my life in my hands every time I open the door that I don’t get crushed by an avalanche. 

If you read my post about the competition, you might just recognise the person that Waltons thinks submitted the messiest shed photo..... It's ME!  

Here is a link to their announcement with some honourable mentions and photos of those that just didn't quite manage to get as much into a shed as I have.  

Quote from Waltons Messy Shed Competition Winner Post 

"What a state! It must be hard to even close the door on all of that clutter. Alan wins a garden storage chest to store some of his overflow - but we fear that it'll quickly become just as messy... Congrats, Alan!"

Waltons Blog all I can say is Thank You very much, and If you are good a Jenga you can stack the last lot just behind the door, you just take your life in your hands opening the shed door on your next visit. I told my wife that I had won and It appears my wife fears are the same as Waltons for some unknown reason.

I can't wait for my prize to arrive and I'm going to use it to reduce the amount stored in the shed so that I can at least get into the shed to find the tools I need to do some redecorating of the house.      

Another Competition Win

It appears the more of these you enter the more success you have 

Compost Caddy Arrives

The Lakeland Compost Caddy that I won on the David Domoney Facebook Compost Week UK Prize Draw back on the 23rd March arrived today. I have to say it a lot more pleasing to the eye than the bucket I was using in the kitchen and it has a filter to stop the pongs of rotting vegetables to boot.  

The spec off the Lakeland web site, is copied below.

Worktop Compost Bin Slate Grey 3.5L

Smart enough to sit on any worktop, this classy grey kitchen compost caddy makes a great countertop companion for anyone who likes to make their own compost.

It’s the ideal place for all those food scraps, potato peelings, and banana skins that need a place to hide until you’re ready to carry them out to your outdoor compost heap. And there’s a carbon filter concealed in the lid to help prevent nasty niffs.

About Lakeland’s Worktop Compost Bins

They do exactly what it says on the bin! Strongly made from a single piece of carbon steel and powder-coated with a robust paint finish in a range of colours to suit every kind of kitchen, our mini compost bins each have a snug-fitting lid and a sturdy carry handle.

The ventilated lid holds a circular carbon filter that absorbs odours for up to 3 months.

Packs of Spare Filters are available in store and online and there are compostable liners available too.

20cm Dia. x 20cm H. (excluding handle). 3.5 litre.