Covering up for Winter

16 comments

I have quite a lot of plants in my troughs which the winter wet we have in the South West can do considerable damage to,And while it normal for me to have covers these new ones are more sturdy, thinking a lot will look and say I could not do that I will show others that have been in use for a number of years which require nothing more than a pair of pliers and an old pair of secateurs you no longer use in the garden to cut with.

This shows the wire cut and bent and the PVC sheet from B&Q cut and fixed with Ties the hole are pierced with a hot Knitting needle this prevents the possibility of cracking if you use a drill

This Roughly how it will look when put in position for the winter

End view shows large overlap for extra protection

3 ready to use

This is the lighter wire easy to cut and form as I said at the beginning. Its use here is to keep the hundreds of squirrels I have from digging holes and burying peanuts
Here we have more of the same wire mesh Available from most DIY stores in rolls can be cut with old secateurs and bent by hand over the edge of a table or around a fence post,
The PVC sheet covers are easily removable for the summer if we have one.Then i often lay greenhouse shading over it to reduce the heat on the plants, use a few cloths pegs to keep in position.
Chicken wire could be used but would need a lot more pegging down to prevent the wind blowing it away.
It occured to me there are other item that could be used as frames for the sheet cover, old fire guards or even oven wire trays would all be weighty enough to stay on the ground.
Hope this helps forms some Ideas to take your treasures through the winter.
Brian

8 Oct, 2012
23 likes

Comments

Cinderella

Some useful tips there Brian, have put it in my favourites and will have a go at that. My 'High Point' has two flowers on it too ! You will probably say its wrong time for it, but hey, they look lovely.

8 Oct, 2012

Sanbaz

great idea Brian, well done, im sure alot of members will use this method now :o))

8 Oct, 2012

Motinot

Thanks for that Bjs...:>)

8 Oct, 2012

Pamg

They look a really good idea B....for the summer too after this year.....

8 Oct, 2012

Scottish

A great tip Brian.....necessity is the mother of invention!!
Those troughs are gorgeous - it would be a shame not to provide protection for those that need it.

8 Oct, 2012

Surreylad

that's a great idea Brian, cheers.

8 Oct, 2012

Linda235

Oh! Brian you are always so inventive....great blog.

8 Oct, 2012

Valadel

Brian, where do you get your patience?
Next time you call in bring me a bucketful please.
As Linda says " Soo inventive "
Brilliant !

8 Oct, 2012

Dianebulley

Help us all to start on the 'thinking' trail. Thank you Brian.

9 Oct, 2012

Nariz

Great ideas! Clever you! But .... how small are your squirrels? A determined squig will use that mesh as a ladder to reach the earth inside and bury nuts. ??

9 Oct, 2012

Pamg

We went to Kew recently and what I took in the distance to be a geodesic dome (like the Eden domes) was two sides of an arch containing alpines with the ends open providing the nessesary passage of air......wonder how they stop the squirrels?

9 Oct, 2012

Bjs

Nariz
Squirrel does occasionally venture in but fortunately they do seem to have a fear of cages and its the one way I can protect things even if they do look unsightly.If i have visitors I lift them off.

Pamg Have been to Eden but don't remember seeing that Arch in fact don't remember seeing squirrel at all.
A lot of these places have there ways of keeping Nos down without broadcasting it,they are vermin after all.

9 Oct, 2012