What the heck Amazon?

[self-contained]

I waited in for an Amazon parcel today, while doing some halfhearted tidying. If anyone orders from Amazon, you'll know that their delivery drivers usually shove the parcel into your arms and then make a very hasty exit to get to their next delivery. Well, this chap kept coming back with more and more boxes while I became more and more incredulous. I was only expecting one, maybe two medium sized boxes, but this is what I got (excuse any visible mess in the background):



Anyway, I got stuck in and found lots of paper to keep my worms happy. They really like this Amazon packaging paper, and this is just the stuff from one of the two big boxes:



But at last, behold my prizes!





They are Elho grow tables, with the optional plastic lids. I've fancied trying some for a while, but they were a bit pricey until they were an Amazon deal of the day recently (I paid £36 less than today's price for two XXL tables with matching lids). I haven't quite decided what to grow in them, but they look a good choice for overwintering some greens, and maybe starting some early sowings next year). What would you grow in them?

[chillithyme]

Amazons packaging is a bit excessive, atleast the delivery guy didn't chuck the boxes and do a runner!
How about lambs lettuce, kale or chinese cabbage

[4Shoes]

That'll explain the 2 wee boxes. Did they come from same distribution point?

Seen my orders split for that reason.

Do they stack and can you put lids into them?

[Jay-ell]

You should try ordering bubble wrap to see how they pack that.

[Snoop Puss]

I'd grow salad items. Absolutely love fresh lettuce leaves in January.

[self-contained]

The tables came from the UK, but the tops came from Germany (which wasn't mentioned when I ordered them). However, they absolutely do stack. In fact, they seem to be designed to stack! I was expecting the two tables to come stacked in a single box (which didn't need to be anything like as big as the ones they used). There are lots of negative reviews on Amazon about the tops being pretty fragile, so I was glad they came separately, but the bottoms are pretty sturdy!

[self-contained]

I wish I had a proper compost heap to put all the cardboard onto. The big boxes are too large to be any use when I move. I have a dumping spot behind the shed for glass clippings/big branches that won't go in the green waste bin/can't be used for mulching (e.g. privet - no way that's being used for mulch, only to start hedges growing in my containers!) and it does seem to be composting down okay. Chucking this much cardboard on it probably won't be good though, and it'll look scruffy to future tenants if I move out before it composts down.

Looks like I'll be cutting it up and putting it in the paper bin. With fortnightly collections, it's going to take me about six weeks to get rid of all of this!

[self-contained]

So, I managed to tear/take apart and fold one of the big boxes. I tucked it (in two separate pieces) up against my indoor recycling bin about three hours ago. Since then, it has been slowly slooooooowly unfolding itself, making very creepy sounds as it does so. Pretty sure it's either going to tumble over with a loud noise in the early hours and scare the bejeezus out of me, or else I am going to come down in the morning and find that it has reconstituted itself into its original box form. And then it's going to eat me. Seriously, if I never post here again, please send help and tell them to look for me at the bottom of the box in my dining room. If they drop a stone in and count until it hits the bottom, they'll have an idea of how long the ladder needs to be...

[Nicos]

Pity I only just noticed this ...I bet a local nursery school would have loved to of had the boxes for the children to play in....or did they have those wickedly sharp huuuge staples ?

I spent many a happy hour playing in large boxes like those when I was a nipper.
Probably accounts for a lot!

[Snoop Puss]

Might be other people on your plot who'd be glad of the cardboard to put down as a mulch to deter weeds.

And to Eric, I understand it's a good idea to stick to just one variety of sweetcorn as cross-pollination can affect the quality of the kernels. Mind you, if the Early Bird pollen appeared a long time before the Swift silks were ready, that may not have been a problem. Me, I grow Lark. One of the quick varieties good for UK growing but does very well here too.

[Squingy]

Too late now but one can offer seemingly "useless" things for free on Freecycle, Freegle or Gumtree. You'd be surprised what some people need. We're on the move a lot and always grateful for free boxes and packaging paper, even those huge ones would've been great for our plushies, pillows and duvets.

I would've also jumped at the paper - great for crafts, like paper bead making and papier mache.

Of course, it's a garden forum so I guess I should promote the free mulch for allotments.