yardz

CHRISTMAS BREAK

Yardz will be taking a break from posting until the New Year.

Thank you for your support in viewing posts over the last year. I intend to come back in the New Year with a new look and format but still with a passion on finding interesting things for the yard lifestyle.

Merry Chrismas to all my readers.

HOT HOT CHRISTMAS PRESENT

 

This is a great gift for foodies and yardners, a complete chilli grow kit in an easily wrapped and postable container.

From http://www.pressies4princesses.co.uk at only £3.99 plus £2.99 P&P

Chillies Seed Pod

Self-contained growing kit for chilli plant

Contains, growing medium, seeds, drainage medium and instructions

Grow in the pod

Just add a capful of water to get growing!

Can be reused - just add new compost and seed

Ideal for the kitchen windowsill

Ultra trendy - looks great in stylish kitchens

Ideal gift for food lovers

http://www.pressies4princesses.co.uk/food-gifts/chillies-seed-pod.shtml

CHUCKS ON THE BALCONY

   

Reading the article by Tessa Boase, in this Saturday's Daily Telegraph, 'We're all farmers now' is enough to make your hair curl. The biggest worry coming from the article is concerning what Tessa sees as the big issue for the coming years 'food security'

She writes " We have a food system that keeps nothing in stock and everything constantly on the move in trucks, responding to computerised signals when supplies are running low. It is known as 'just in time'  system. A lorry drivers strike, a volatile situation in the Middle East, an oil blockade - all or any of these could sabotage the process that puts food on our shelves."

One way round the above is helping to produce our own food or at least some of our food. In her article, Tessa explains how Community Supported Agriculture is a possible way forward. This is when like minded local people support the production of local food either practically such as chicken keeping groups where groups share the cost of upkeep and then share the eggs, or financiallyly such as supporting organic veg box schemes.

 

The 'eglu' chicken ark from www.omlet.co.uk

So perhaps its not so crazy to think about keeping chickens on your balcony. In the future it may be the only way urban dwellers will be able to enjoy fresh eggs or even eggs at all!

AUTOMATIC SPROUTING

 

Seed sprouting can be very tedious using the old fashions jar method. Regular water flushing is required and with todays busy lifestyle that is not always possible.

The Freshlife Sprouter from www.ukjuicers.com solves that problem.

'The Freshlife sprouter is easy to use and very economical to run. It features an automatic, timed sprinkling system to produce fresh, nutritious and tender living-foods. This delivers a continuous supply of fresh water, ensuring the sprouts are periodically rinsed even if you are out through the day. '

£79.00

http://www.ukjuicers.com/freshlife-automatic-sprouter

 

MATT JAMES YARDZ HERO

 

MATT JAMES

 

'Matt's gardening career began as a teenager working on a small farm. He then went on to study at various horticultural colleges and work at nurseries. Matt was honoured in 2000 as Londoner of the Year in the field of Environment and Regeneration, in recognition of his work establishing a successful circuit of Farmers' Markets in the capital. Today his enthusiasm has led him to teaching and he lectures at a South London college.'

Matt James has a passion for small gardens, yards, balconies, etc. that stands him apart from the other celebrity garden designers. His book 'The Urban Garden Bible' is more than just a 'how to do it'  tome but a realinsight in to his views and understanding of how to make the most use of small outdoor spaces. He is a great plantsman and this shows in his makeover projects. Matt lives in a flat and just has a balcony so he understands how to be creative in the smallest of spaces.

Matt James is without doubt a Yardz Hero

POP PINK GOES GREEN

It's very punk rock..........

From Adam Sherwin's coloumn in the Tuesday 11th November Times

'Pop artist Pink has green fingers. "I have an organic vegetable garden with four raised beds, I grow cucumbers, tomato, melons, jalapeno peppers, spinich, kale and chillis," she tells Q!."I also grow sunflowers, marigolds, and herbs like basil and marjoram. I like to get out there in my wellies." Sounds more Percy Thrower* than punk? "It's very punk rock to be out in a yard growing your own food."

* Percy Thrower was the first British television gardener!

YOUR OWN BAR FOR BONFIRE NIGHT

 

Fed up with buying lots of expensive cans for yard parties then why not try this idea.

'The 'Keg in a Box' system provides customers with a temporary draft beer solution that can be set up almost anywhere, in a minimal amount of time. The “Keg in a box” system is usually supplied as a complete package, however it is also possible to hire it without a product (i.e. you can use your own keg). You can choose from one of our product packages, they include everything you will need for your favourite beer or lager on tap, icy cold, pint after pint. They also include plastic glasses that are dispensed from within the “Keg In a box “ system.'

http://www.keginabox.co.uk/Producrs_&_Servicres.html

OUTERSPACE

   

Whilst spending the weekend in Leicester I visited the Wistow Rural Centre which is just outside the city in the beautiful Leicestershire countryside. It is composed of small retail units grouped around a small plant centre in an old walled garden.

The surprise of my visit was finding in one of the retail units 'Outerspace' a company that retails cutting edge products for outdoor living.

Their product range includes oil torches, gel burners, bird boxes, climate instruments and clocks, lighting for inside and out, utility items, metal signs, water features, sculpture, outdoor art, mirrors and gardening accessories.

Outerspacealso stock a contemporary collection of stainless steel water features that are easy to install.

 

One of the main finds was their range of outdoor art that is produced exclusively for them.  All of their outdoor art is laminated for extra protection against the elements. They have successfully been laboratory tested for water resistance and light fastness & can stay outside all year round. They would look fantastic attached to a fence or wall adding another dimension to your garden. They are also, I understand, perfect for areas of high humidity such as bathrooms & conservatories.

Outserspace have a great website where everything can be ordered online but I would recommend a drive out to this little jewel in the countryside.

www.outerspace-wistow.co.uk

NEW TIMES CHANGING WORLD

A NEW LOOK AT HOW WE USE OUR PERSONAL OUTDOOR SPACE

Recession, credit crunch, unemployment, inflation - all these things are making the outdoor space we own or use far more important. In this blog I have always been amazed at how many urban yards are a wilderness of unused valuable living space. It is now costing us more to go out and pay for entertainment, eating out,etc. and in the coming months that money is going to be in short supply.

The small outdoor space should now be used to the full as not only a twelve month entertainment zone but also as a micro-market garden. There are so many options for yardeners on how they divide their space and technology is at last catching up with the reality that these outdoor spaces are becoming smaller and smaller. One of my main passions, and part of my job as a retail buyer, is searching out exciting and practical new garden merchandise that is suitable for yards and not only traditional large gardens.

The upsurge in vegetable growing has brought many young people into gardening for the first time and this expansion can now move from gardens and allotments into yards.

Linear space is at a premium in our yards so to make cropping of any edible plants a viable alternative several things must be taken into account:

• the cost of growing - seeds, compost, etc.
• the amount of produce in relation to these costs
• the health benefits from producing your own food
• the loss of valuable space that could be used for other activities

To help us to make a choice as to whether we use our space for micro-cropping is being helped by the international increase in non traditional growing techniques. These include vertical planting, hydroponics, production of micro-veg and 'salad machines'.

Also on a less technical level we now have available plant specific and organic growing bags, vegetable plants bred to mature quicker and at a smaller size and also pre-grown vegetable plants ready for planting and growing on.

It is now time over the coming months to prepare for spring and be ready to use the technology now available to create an exciting and productive yard. 

LIMEHOUSE BLUES

I understand that the unique Docklands Garden Centre has closed. This amazing centre was built alongside Limehouse Station in the east of London, and was a well loved and used feature of the area.

Its unusual design made the most of the small space it fitted on to. Built around a central atrium the wooden structure went up layer upon layer with the plant sales area being at the top almost level with the raised station buildings. On this level you found a multitude of plants for sale of all types and sizes including large specimens, how they got them up there I can't imagine!

They bottom levels contained rooms of all the normal garden centre sundries as well as a superb range of containers and even a selection of houseplants. At Christmas it was filled with Christmas trees of all sizes.

I know it will be sadly missed.