Saturday 25 June 2011

Our prize planter

I want to tell you about another prize - one which was the result of a joint effort between Jane and myself. She entered a photo I had taken (of my Veg Plot, of course) in a competition hosted by Forest Garden. Jane is the competition guru; I do the gardening and the photography. The prize was a lovely timber "Bamburgh" table-style planter, made of sturdy timber and guaranteed to last 15 years.


Now that I have assembled it, I have the duty of filling it with compost (it will need a lot!), and the pleasure of planting it with suitable plants. I have not yet finally decided what to put in it, but I think it will be either herbs or strawberries. I think it has to be something edible, so that Jane (our household's chief cook) can benefit from it as much as possible. What would YOU put in it?


As you can see, we have decided to have the planter outside the kitchen window, in the hope that it will disguise some of the unsightly drainpipes and drain-covers. It looks as if I have fitted the planter with its own white plastic drain-pipe, doesn't it, but that is actually the drain from the kitchen sink.  Notice the bright yellow "marigolds" on the windowsill! [For those not in the know, "Marigold" is a popular brand of rubber gloves.]

16 comments:

  1. I think I's go for strawberries - I can picture them trailing down the sides!

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  2. Very smart - well done you - definitely put herbs in it.

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  3. Being placed near the kitchen, this planter is ideal for herbs. But you can plant some strawberries along the edge to trail down. Well done!

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  4. I vote for strawberries! But can see the value of herbs next to the kitchen too :)

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  5. Ooo herbs Mark, please herbs. Can we see the photo that won the prize?

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  6. Congratulations on a very stylish win!I would go for Strawberries too but also some herbs to keep it interesting and useful.
    We have huge pods on our Broad beans (previous post) but tiny beans inside!

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  7. I'm not voting...just admiring! Clever Jane! She seems to be as successful in her hobby as her hubby is in his.

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  8. Well done Mark and Jane of course, you obviously make a great team!
    You must have been thrilled to win. The planter looks brilliant. Personally I'd plant herbs....I am constantly nipping out to my pathetic pots (by comparison with your planter) but never seem to have enough of all the varieties I'd like. But with that big momma you'd have no problem.
    I suppose to solve the dilemma, you could divide it and have both herbs and strawberries....case closed!
    By the way I love the marigolds too... ;)

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  9. The planters look really deep and nice size, congratulation! Since I know you have problem with carrot fly. I imagine some carrots there and other herbs. The foliage will be nice and tall enough to look from the kitchen.

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  10. Hi Folks; thanks for all your messages about the planter. At present I have three pot-plants standing in it. I may adopt this as the long-term plan, since it means I can easily change the contents of the planter at a moment's notice, to ensure a succession of colour. The thing is so deep that I could probably grow parsnips in it!
    Ali: the photo that won the comp is in my opinion not particularly fine or exciting, but the brief was to show a productive raised-bed made of timber (the sponsors were manufacturers of timber garden goods), so I could hardly fail to win!

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  11. A lovely prize :) I'm liking the pot plant idea. Mo

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  12. What a great prize. Strawberries would look great it in, but to be honest, it's so deep that you'd be wasting a lot of the space. It would be great for carrots, being raised it would keep off the carrot root fly without the need for netting, and it's deep enough too.

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  13. Congratulations Mark! What a beautiful planter you've won.

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  14. I'd either put big pots in it to stop them falling over in the wind or do something very impractical (given its situation in front of a window) and have tomatoes there. It would be fun to reach up to pluck the fruits.

    Esther

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