For the gardeners amongst us

[annedonnelly]

Grow plants on your bike - and in this weather they'd get watered as you ride along!

 

[Arch]

Nice!

And some lovely other articles too. I love the mini gardens in bottletops!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Fantastic: I might try a wee plant holder on my mudguard
The pot hole gardener, I had seen his site, I've applied this principle on a big slabbed area in the back common green, growing little flowers in between the slabs. Looks pretty if nobody squashes them by walking over the area.

 

[annedonnelly]

Fantastic: I might try a wee plant holder on my mudguard
The pot hole gardener, I had seen his site, I've applied this principle on a big slabbed area in the back common green, growing little flowers in between the slabs. Looks pretty if nobody squashes them by walking over the area.

That sounds nice, Pat. Have you any photos?

 

[Arch]

Chives are good. They'll flourish in tiny cracks, nice purple spherical flowers, and self seed like crazy!

Plus, you can cook with them!

 

[Night Train]

Chives are good. They'll flourish in tiny cracks, nice purple spherical flowers, and self seed like crazy!

Plus, you can cook with them!

Finely chopped and mixed in with soft cheese too, for that 'Philly with chives' effect, when you only have the cheap unbranded stuff!

 

[Arch]

Very easy to chop finely too - just hold a bunch in one hand and use scissors!

 

[Night Train]

Hmmmm, I fancy Philly with chives on some fresh baked bread now.

 

[Arch]

Hmmmm, I fancy Philly with chives on some fresh baked bread now.

If I was there, I could go out and fetch you some...

I'm really liking the bottletop garden idea though. Make a long line of them, and succession sow simple herbs and cress - chives, parsley perhaps, mustard and cress. Each one a sandwich sized portion! Probably wouldn't even need compost, could try sowing on damp kitchen roll/cotton wool to reduce mess. Harvest each one and resow straight away.

Just need a frame to hold the lids. A long length of nice wood, with suitable shallow indents routed (I think) into it, and waxed to be lightly water proofed against the odd drop. Bung it on a sunny windowsill, and bingo! Water with a squirty bottle set to a fine jet for accuracy.

I realise, NT, that more project ideas are not what you need right now , but hey, maybe even I could manage that, with instruction.... I can certainly get hold of enough bottle tops!

 

[Night Train]

I realise, NT, that more project ideas are not what you need right now , but hey, maybe even I could manage that, with instruction.... I can certainly get hold of enough bottle tops!

There's an idea.

I was imagining them outdoors for a moment thinking that the local birds would just nick them and fly off with the 'whole garden' back to the nest. But then realised they go on an indoor window cill.

 

[Arch]

There's an idea.

I was imagining them outdoors for a moment thinking that the local birds would just nick them and fly off with the 'whole garden' back to the nest. But then realised they go on an indoor window cill.

That would be better yes. Also, outside, they might blow away...

But I'm enjoying the mental image of a bird carrying a whole garden back to its nest in one piece, and keeping it. Nice for birds to have a hobby.

I might grab some tops and cress seeds, have a trial run this week.

 

[Night Train]

Mmmm, cress, a superfood!

 

[Arch]

Well, inspired, I dropped into the poundshop, and found some little herb growing sets. Some compressed fibre compost and little pots with clear plastic domes to go over the top, but more important little sachets of cress, chive, and parsley seed - enough for an experiment. I'll grab some bottle caps tomorrow and have a play.If it works, then I'll invest the whooping £1.75 each in some bigger packs of seeds.

And then in Sainsburys there was a basil plant reduced to clear, so I'll repot it to make it more likely to carry on growing.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

That sounds nice, Pat. Have you any photos?

Not yet, will get onto it!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Chives are good. They'll flourish in tiny cracks, nice purple spherical flowers, and self seed like crazy!

Plus, you can cook with them!

All right: never knew that, cool!