New to Me

Giggle giggle...

oh that made me laugh. :o))

That was funny :)

I bet you've all thought of this tip. Save the plastic boxes that have eg grapes in. Put cuttings in one and use another for a lid - already has ventilation holes and doesn't need supporting like a plastic bag does. Or one of them will hold two separate pots if you prefer your cuttings that way.

You can stand it in an unperforated meat one to act as a saucer.

Vacuum cleaner fluff works for me. Pet hair works too. I don't have deer, but raccoon, possums, squirrels, skunks.

There is quite a pile of hair cuttings on the floor at the
hairdressers.

Monty writes in 'Nigel' that animals dont understand yesterday or tomorrow. They live for each day.
In this excellent book he writes that a when a pet is bought it is on the understanding that the owner is managing its life and end of life pain-free vetinary help when it is needed.

This is a discipline that many need to learn. A pet is not a personal emotional comforter for the owner. Therefore its loss should not be a source of great sorrow, just a job well done.
(He still bawled his eyes out when he had buried his dogs.)

Completely different thought came to mind with that one Eirlys...LOL..

HaHa

Really, fellow Gardeners! I was expecting sensible tips and hints and Stera was the only one who actually came up with something. The rest of you : on the Naughty Step!

Its my experience that most gardeners press into service anything that might be useful outdoors in the garden, so we probably know all the tips anyway, but here's a couple I do or have done frequently;

Steragram's seed tray idea, with or without a cover, blueberry or raspberry plastic containers are good to use as small seed trays

I have a stack of round, plastic containers that previously held things like ready made mash or cauliflower cheese - they're pressed into service during summer when the small pots dry out too quickly, so I stand each one in one of those for watering especially when its hot and dry. You do have to remember to remove them when the weather turns wet again though...

And we all know how useful a bread knife is for cutting up root balls, also pieces of turf. Or running it round between the rootball and pot when the plant won't come out of its container...

Old fridge racks - I kept mine when I replaced the fridge and use them outdoors when necessary. Weighted down over pots with bulbs that the squirrel might dig up, to keep them off... suspended between two chairs, they make a good drainage rack for plants you've potted up, watered well and want to leave to drain down.

Used and cleaned jars of honey or jam with holes punched in the lids make a good watering tool for tiny seeds and plants - the droplets are fine and don't wash out the soil or knock the seeds about.

There was someone on here who gave a tip - you know those very large bottles of fabric conditioner, the 3 litre or larger ones - whoever it was cut the top part off and used the bottom, with its handle, as a scoop for potting compost.

And don't some people use the cardboard rolls from inside a toilet roll to grow their sweet pea seeds? I seem to recall that as well...

Yes actually I do recycle as much as possible, I've mended a bird feeder with spare copper piping, do use the toilet roll cardboard for beans and peas, save loads of my plastic meat trays to use in the g'house use for lids over seedlings and as Bamboo says they work as drip trays, one tip I picked up from a fuschia grower, is to save glass jars with screwtop lids, save for mini g'houses for fuschia's and many other cuttings, use upside down, the pot stands in the lid and the jar over said pot..

Oh yes,another one - those big square five litre bottles of mineral water - cut the bottom off, leave the top off and use as a cloche over certain plants. Works well, but you do need to push them down into the soil or they blow away...

I once used an old kitchen wall cupboard as a cold frame, the sort like my grandmother had, wider at the top than the bottom with sliding glass doors - very useful, lasted about 7 years. This sort of repurposing doesn't make the garden look pretty, but can be very useful. I think gardeners have always done it.

Some good ideas there.

Have just comea cross this and wonder if it works?

QUOTE To prevent the line on your string trimmer from jamming or breaking, treat with a spray vegetable oil before installing it in the trimmer. UNQUOTE

I know this has happened on several occasions when my OH has been strimming.