what to put in this??

[bazzaboy]

Great pix, SS - sorry for delay in responding, bit late this evening, delayed by a footie match (no no, I wasn't playing but it's nice to dream...). In the wacky world of containers and coffins - about which I know nowt but that much is probably obvious - these are TROUGHS.... and G..r..r..r..r..e..a..t Troughs at that, I'm sure everybody wants a couple! But what's the little umbrella logo mean, "waterproof" or "protect from rain"? I fear the latter in which case if left outside damp, surface water + ice etc are going to get into the layers and prize them apart; then insects take up residence and they' re doomed, we're all doomed.... After waterproofing as best you can, could you seal the edges and joints with bitumen or fibreglass or some thick waterproof goo that adheres and sets and doesn't disfigure too much - perhaps a builders'-yard-type-outlet could suggest something? Or could you even get them "dipped" at reasonable cost? I'll be seeing some builders tomorrow (er, today), I'll print your pix off and ask 'em.
bb.
ps - missed the shoes joke but HW showing his age eh, it happens to us all... I'll let you into a secret, actually I DID score the winning penalty tonight -- trouble was in so doing I ricked my back and couldn't get off the sofa....

[bazzaboy]

'Morning SS - even better, asked a joiner who makes front doors and windows.... His advice was if it's not marine ply to see if your local timber merchant has facilities to pressure dip or of that's not pos or you prefer to DIY then i) preservative ("be slap happy with it") and then ii) several coats (4 or 5) of stain. The very exposed edges you could help seal with an annual coat of gloss paint. He thought that with regular maintenance they'd last a reasonable time. You're probably keen to get planting but his advice was to be over-thorough at this stage as it's the only chance you'll have of fully treating the raw wood and joints..... To avoid advertising I'll PM the particular makes he recommended. We look forward to the pix, part 2, could even become a series! bb.

[trebellangeminired]

Packing cases

Hi Squashysu,

We are big fans of packing cases. I took photos but was unable to compress them far enough to post. We have 4 3x1ft "troughs" made from cases and stained; 2 planted with herbs (Mint, chives,thyme, parsley, coriander and sage) and 2 with strawberries (Alice and Sarian), 1 2x2ft planted with strawberry mignonette. We have just aquired a 4x4ft case which husband sawed the legs off last night to use on its side as a log store just outside the patio doors. Hopefully this will keep the wood dryer and tidier next winter. He has also used pallet wood to create a screen, arch and gate, steps into the greenhouses and a raised bed. He rescued some dexion from the scrap bin at work and made 16ft long staging with a pallet wood top in the greenhouse he created from 2 6x8 greenhouses we were given in return for dismantling and removal. They also gave us the slabs they stood on. Old shelves and scaffolding planks hold the soil in the borders. In the 6x8 greenhouse, he made a heatsink out of house bricks and pallet wood, but we haven't solved the problem of the circulation fan yet, watch this space. We have made water butts and planters out of the ubiquitous blue and green drums. Companies very often give them away as they are charged to dispose of them. Always worth asking but be careful about what they have had in them. When we had a combi boiler in the house, I painted the redundant water tanks using white matt emulsion mixed with some green kids powder paint to create the illusion of verdigris with just a smear of copper coloured acrylic paint round the top to complete the effect and planted them up for the front garden. When we had a new bathroom we used the old loo as a planter until it got broken. It was quite a talking point! We also had a chimney pot planter until husband reversed into it! Hey ho. It all went to improve drainage in the next one. We have used old tent poles for plant supports, fruit and veg cages and clothes line props. The latest experiment is the drum out of our defunct tumble dryer. We have turned it on its side and it already has predrilled holes in what now is the bottom. It is raised on bricks and planted with potatoes. We know Bob Flowerdew has been doing this for years but there is often something where if you look at it in a slightly different way you can get a second life out of and with a bit of artistic licence, you don't have to live somewhere that feels like a scrapyard!

[squashysu]

thanks to everyone,

i am excited about using my "toughs" - though i like the thought of calling them "coffins" ha ha !

i will defo get them dipped or really stained and preserved well, as i intend to use them a lot.

I think the umbrella is more for the contents than the box, as this carried so rather precious printing press parts, which are far from cheap.

Well done on the goal BB, shame about the back, and a big shame your opponent slipped over!! oops.......as for the shoes, HW is a saucy sod and was taking the mic out of my fav comfy shoes, so i thought i would get him!! lol.

And Trebell (sorry i cant type your whole name as cant spell it all without looking every two letters lol) well done on your recycling, it sounds great, a few years ago i used to scorn at the word "recycling" and how i have grown up and changed, i would even "recycle" the old man, if someone wanted him ha ha - oops better not say the he will be preserving my troughs lol!

Thanks again for all your help and when they are looking pretty with lots of things growing in them, i will post a pic of part two!

SS

[trebellangeminired]

SS,

Trebell is fine, I found it difficult to come up with something no one else had used!

Good luck with the "coffins". I forgot to say that ours were used for delivering engineering products so are similar to yours in construction and strength. They have been planted up for two years now and could probably do with a cosmetic re-stain but otherwise they are still sound.

Look forward to the photos

[squashysu]

Well here it is, ready and running, my salad "coffin", its working out great and in it i have:

Rocket, Cut & come again and some Mizuna (which tastes lovely already)

When this lot is finished i am gonna try some more strawbs as they are delicious!

[IMG][/IMG]

[lynda66]

mmmmm i like the idea of having coffins in my front garden ..... my neighbours already think i'm weird because i like black flowers ...... i'm currently looking out for a skeleton too, to have him doing the gardening ..... now a skeleton digging in a coffin sounds even more cool ...... maybe i have too much time on my hands lol