Building my own???

[avinabacca]

Morning all!

After a recent furniture delivery, we were left with a load of clear polythene bags (industrial binbag-sized, they'd been used to cover dining room chairs) which I kept to one side, "just in case".

The plastic seems fairly thick and strong - took me a bit of time (and a new stanley-knife blade) to get them all off the chairs - so I was wondering if I could use it in the garden, maybe to build a few things.

I was thinking of a coldframe-type contraption, and perhaps a phonebox-style tomato house too - I can get hold of odds and sods of timber and nails and staples to knock up a frame, thought I'd cut the polythene and staple to the frame and make it that way.

I'm fully aware that it's not horticultural-grade plastic - I'm only expecting it to last one or two years at most, but thought it could be a useful way to use up the polythene (which would probably just go for binbags otherwise) and give some of our plants a bit of a start.

Does anyone (with more experience on such things) have any advice here to give? Thoughts/comments/(gentle)ridicule all taken on board with thanks.

Jim

[vicky]

Go for it! I don't know how long the plastic would last (probably not UV treated) but there's only one way to find out. I imagine a wooden frame and tack the plastic on? Good luck, I'd be interested to see a photo if you make it

[zazen999]

Staple gun if you've got one. I'm planning on the same sort of thing by building frames for my enviromesh for broccoli and carrots to keep the bugs out.

[Jardiniere]

Anyone interested in building /making own stuff -
recomend
Getting Started in Permaculture - Australian but interesting.Ross & Jenny Mars
Build It! Joe Jacobs (North Yorkshire - must be brilliant)
The Smallholders DIY - Michael Roberts - made our nest box using this book - if we can do it so can anyone else with two hands.....

[ann-the-nan]

Building my own???

I save sheets of bubblewrap on the same basis. Metal coat hangers, when split and re-shaped, are useful as well.

[avinabacca]

Thanks for the advice!

Will be making a start on this in the next couple of weeks, then - will post some pics when it's done, a sort of "how to make a flimsy garden structure out of all wood and old bags" guide for anyone who's interested.

Looks like I'm going to be glad of the £1.24 staple gun I got at the Woolies closing-down sale!