Fruits of Recycling

[David Nicholson]

My interest in Alpine gardening has developed over a period from my interest in Primulas, Auriculas and Lewisias; a desire to move away from using my greenhouse in the Summer months for Fuschia growing (or white fly farming!); and also to grow more low growing stuff in the garden as anything of any size tends to get regularly flattened by wind and rain, and if there is one job I hate in the garden it is staking plants. 

By degrees, and very small degrees I am told!, I am trying to change over appropriate parts of the garden to a form more suitable for growing alpine plants. I argue that my pace is governed by the availability of pieces of stone that, preferably, I don't have to buy, and reasonable weather to work outside.

At the back end of last year one of my neighbours had a significant part of his garden covered by decking, (he watches too many television gardening programmes!) and a large skip appeared with the contractors which gradually filled with all kinds of "goodies", many of which I was able to scrounge.

There were some good sized bits of stone and I was able to start on a raised bed that I was always at a loss as to how best to use. Here's a picture of phase 1 of the operation and I hope to complete in the near future! and get it planted up. That leaves me with more stone available and my next plant is for an area I can use, come September, for planting Iris reticulata, Crocus, Scilla and other small Spring flowering bulbs.

Also in the skip were a number of wooden pallets. These have been converted to a frame I can use for seed pots (picture following), and a second frame I can use for bulb pots. The second one is regrettably marrooned in the garage where it was constructed. The reason for this, and I hate to admit it, is the Nicholson problem of "planning slip". It wont go through the back door of the garage and nor will it go through the back gate, so I shall have to wait until Easter when my son will be home for him to help me raise it above fence height so we can get it into the back garden. After all the sly digs various neighbours have made about the problem I refuse to ask any of them for help. I hope this ramble is not boring anyone but it is raining here and I'm bored!

Also pictured is the greenhouse crammed with all sorts. Auriculas are back in life and growing, evergreen Lewisias are newly potted, and the Primulas, some of which I thought I was going to loose, seem to be picking up. I need to think about converting the greenhouse to plung beds, but I doubt if I shall find a handy skip to help with those?

[Maggi Young]

Hearty congratulations on your recycling efforts, David.  This is such a good idea always, and so much more satisfying to have made something yourself from scratch. And you have the added frisson of having done the whole "hunter-gatherer" bit by raking the neighbour's skip! You will have great fun planting up your new beds, where all manner of plants will find a happy home. I'm looking forward to future instalments of this story.

[annew]

The reason for this, and I hate to admit it, is the Nicholson problem of "planning slip".

I think it's better to have the odd planning slip, as you put it, than to have the planning stage taking weeks/months (naming no names)! 

[David Nicholson]

I'm just lucky that I can get the thing out of the front door ot the garage!

[David Nicholson]

Here's a picture of my raised bed now planted up. Should look nice when it bulks up a bit.

Followed by some pictures of a little rock bed I have just finished again from stone "rescued" from my neighbour's skip. Adjacent to the new bed is a little scree area with a gravel covering scrounged from another neighbour who had decided to replace the gravel on his patio with paving slabs. The cost to me for the whole shebang was the cost of the plants. I really do need some advice please on appropriate plants for the scree bed which is in shadow of the house and only gets full sun from around 1500hours daily.

The eagle eyed amongst you will note my black 'T' shaped plant labels. The present Mrs Nicholson thinks they are the naffest things she has ever seen-but I like them. Women born in the environs of Dewsbury never did have style!!! 

[mark smyth]

proper labels! thats awfully posh ma man!

[David Nicholson]

Yes, I know!

I posted a link on our links pages for the firm I got them from. Massive selection of plant labels of all kinds and they do square black plastic rigid pots as well. Ordered by Internet Monday goods arrived by first class post Wednesday.The Essentials Company see our "Other Links" page.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Looks good David !  Will be nice to see how things develop.
I suppose it's not a coincidence that there are some Primulas around

[David Nicholson]

Looks good David !  Will be nice to see how things develop.
I suppose it's not a coincidence that there are some Primulas around

Luc, there just had to be

[Maggi Young]

That is going to be super, David. more fun than painting and decorating ,too, I'll wager?

I think there are any number of plants that would like to live in these beds...only late sun notwithstanding ... dwarf Phlox... P. subulata, P. adsurgens, P. douglasii.... down with you I'd try some Rhodohypoxis,  the tiny types of Aciphylla ( can't remember the species, meantime, see the NZ threads) placed stategically to deter cats.... nice home for Primula marginata types......Drabas, whatever!!  I like to scatter some seed about a bed like that and see what comes up! OOh,  Little Aquilegias, Campanulas ... heaps of things! Have fun!

[David Nicholson]

Thanks Maggi, plenty to go at there. I like the anti-cat plants! cheaper than an air rifle

[Maggi Young]

Yes, but not as much fun as a giant water pistol!

[David Nicholson]

My next project is to construct a dedicated bed for my small, but growing growing collection of small bulbs, including Crocus and Iris retics. Here's a picture of my pile of materials srounged, at the cost of a bottle of red wine, from a landscape contractor working on a neighbours garden. All of this stone was on his spoil heap to be dumped when he finishes the job. Pieces like these are available at my local garden centre at £2.99 per piece. Opportunities like this make an old Yorkshireman very happy.

All I need now is the time to start and finish the project before parcels start to arrive from Miniature Bulbs, Potterton's and Rare Plants etc.

[Maggi Young]

Nice stone, David, it will make a lovely home for wee bulbs... you'll be happily waiting in for the postman!

[David Nicholson]

Just finished my new little bulb bed today. I wanted to create somewhere to grow bulbs where I could leave them to grow and develop rather than have to constantly move them around to cope with seasonal planting. Having been told (by she who must be obeyed!! ) that the front garden was out of the question, I chose an area adjacent to my greenhouse which had been trampled to death by my fencing contractor whilst he was re-placing my gale damaged fences earlier in the year. So with no plants to take out it was easy to replenish the soil and at the same time add loads of extra grit and sharp sand. In essence it is a raised bed on a level with the top terrace in my garden, but some 1 meter higher than the base of the greenhouse. Rather than trying to create a stone feature I concentrated on providing as many simple planting pockets as the area available would take. I am quite pleased with the result but time will tell wheter the site gets enough direct sun. All I need to do is plant it up and that starts tomorrow.