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All tidy ready for the New Year!

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Before a tidy and a clean!

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Gardening Youtube channel based in Aberystwyth

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Helping you grow your own food (and more)!

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A totally different scale but inspiring none the less!

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Bodnant Garden - information and ideas for your garden

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Some nice ideas: simple and accessible

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image from dobies.co.uk
Although we may not spend as much time in the garden or allotment in the winter as we do during the summer, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't be accommodating to you animal guests. It's important to take steps to look after the wildlife that may come across your garden to help them survive the harsher weathers. Fortunately, garden plant retailer Dobies have provided some suggestions as to how we can help:
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If you're considering applying for an allotment plot, now's a good time to get your name down.

As allotment holders begin the annual ritual of putting the plot to bed in time for winter, many allotment committees choose Autumn to start renewing tenant leases and requesting rent for the forthcoming year.

Unfortunately, previous research has suggested that over 100,000 wannabe plotholders are currently on waiting lists, but this number is thought to be reducing as committees put more effort into passing on abandoned allotments and offering more half size plots.

This week, I harvested the best carrot I have ever grown in my allotmenteerist life. I was dead chuffed.

My carrots have never really been much to write home about. They've been reasonable and plenty, but certainly not anything to trouble the local village shows. However, this 222g, 21cm long corker is streets ahead of any carrot I've ever grown before.

I'm not sure if the shift from tough Essex clay to crumbly Somerset loam has made the difference, but I've had a few impressive specimens amongst the short row of maincrop I sowed this year.

So anyway, now I've temporarily turned Real Men Sow from the cheery allotment blog to the smug allotment blog, I'll get on with the real post matter in hand: harvesting those carrotting maincroppers.

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image from dobies.co.uk Although we may not spend as much time in the garden or allotment in the winter as we do during the summer, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't be accommodating to you animal guests. It's important to take steps to look after the wildlife that may come across your garden to help them survive the harsher weathers.

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The little microclimate in my sheltered corner of the world finally caught up today, and we got snow. Normally, I love snow, but with my usual sledging partner 8 months pregnant I chose to mope around the house doing manjobs, like drilling holes, putting shelves up and fixing bikes.

In between this, I did some web surfing, and stumbled across a forum post in which a gentleman says that as much as he loves his allotment hobby, he has pledged not to let him cost more than a fiver a month.

Resourceful and thrifty, two of my favourite things. Inspired and desperate to do something loosely veg growing based as my garden disappeared under 4 inches of the white stuff, I put the drill down. It was time to start saving some everyday household items for use on the veg patch this coming season.

Toilet Rolls
I use these for growing in modules. Cut in half or thirds, they're particularly useful for seeds that are tricky to germinate, like parsnips. Fill them with multipurpose compost, pop a couple of seeds on top and then sprinkle over some more compost, and once the seedlings get a few centimetres high you can plant the whole thing out. The cardboard will simply rot down into the soil.

You can use biodegradable pots from the garden centre, but of course they'll cost you.

Cuttings
Although not strictly a household item, I remembered the wife had been hacking away at the garden this week, so I collected up all the twigs and cuttings. Snipped down to 2-3 feet high, they're perfect for dwarf pea plants to grow up.

Margarine Tubs
I once paid two quid for a bag of white plant labels, and then I saw my mum cutting up margarine tubs and using them instead. I bowed to her frugal ways and spent the next two quid on seeds.

Yoghurt Pots
Before the sad closure of my local nursery last summer, I never paid for plastic plant pots as they always had a big box of free second had ones for customers to help themselves to. Since then, my supplies have run dry, so I've used yoghurt pots to fill the void with no problems at all. Just remember to put a few holes in the bottom.

Plastic Milk Bottles and Drink Cans
These make great safety covers for the tops of pointy sticks and canes, and double up as effective bird scarers when they rattle in the wind.

Wooden Boxes
Even before I took on my allotment I was a sucker for an old wooden box but now I've got a use for them. They're perfect for salad and other leafy veg and being mobile, you can start them off early in doors before moving them outside when things warm up.

My favourite boxes are old wine ones, but even a stray piece of wood can be cut up and banged into a presentable planter.

Plastic Bottles
Big squash bottles are great for turning into cloches for frost protection and early sowings. Simply cut one in half and slot it over the young plant. They might not be as stylish and attractive as a purpose made cloche, but they're not £30 either...

Cardboard
The other day I went to the dump, and was rather surprised at how much cardboard was in the recycling there. Large pieces of cardboard are really handy for laying over parts of a plot that is work in progress, as they keep the weeds down whilst you work out a plan of attack, and then just compost down into the soil.

Tagged money saving, thrifty gardening

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Eight Household Items to Reuse and Save a Few Quid

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The little microclimate in my sheltered corner of the world finally caught up today, and we got snow. Normally, I love snow, but with my usual sledging partner 8 months pregnant I chose to mope around the house doing manjobs, like drilling holes, putting shelves up and fixing bikes.

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Something to look into for the future

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Do you like the sound of this bean? Want to grow it too? I could sell you some seed for a quid. Bargain? Sadly, though, the law does not permit it. It is illegal to sell my bean seed. Why? Do the seeds yield an illegal drug?

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Reading and planning: trial and error for what works in the valley.

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Signs and growing info on reclaimed slate pieces.

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Signs and growing info on reclaimed slate pieces.

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Welsh Slate Products form Snowdonia Natural Slate Products

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Snowdonia Natural Slate Products: Manufacture Welsh Slate products to the highest quality by utilising the local craftsmanship and knowledge.

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The 'Flower Bed' - Ways to reuse old mattress springs. 

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The 'Flower Bed' - Ways to reuse old mattress springs. 

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Recycling, reusing and local resources..

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Prospective visit and learn from a local biodiverstiy garden...

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Wildlife garden and woodland

The wildlife garden and woodland at Tŷ Hyll features plants that are carefully chosen to attract birds and pollinating insects such as butterflies, moths, bumblebees and honeybees.

Lovely views, birdsong, frogs & bees

A network of paths and benches allow you to enjoy the garden flowers and woodland nature, and the views down to the River Llugwy with Moel Siabod glimpsed through the trees. Tune in to the birdsong and the rustling of small mammals and insects in the undergrowth. Keep an eye out for nesting pied flycatchers in spring, bats at dusk, and frogs, newts and dragonflies around the wildlife pond.

Download our map

Find your way around the Tŷ Hyll garden and woodland with our beautiful map. Our bee-hives are located in the woodland away from paths; you can watch the busy bees at work, but please be careful not to disturb them.

You can help!

The garden and woodland are lovingly and organically managed by a team of dedicated volunteers and we would love you to help.

Check out our Tŷ Hyll volunteering opportunities

Or donate in the boxes provided at Tŷ Hyll.

Local walks

You can explore the area nearby on foot by following our Tŷ Hyll walks.

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Wildlife garden and woodland The wildlife garden and woodland at Tŷ Hyll features plants that are carefully chosen to attract birds and pollinating insects such as butterflies, moths, bumblebees and honeybees. Lovely views, birdsong, frogs & bees A network of paths and benches allow you t

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Hope to visit the gardenin New Year.

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To look at the thriving gardens at CAT's Visitor Centre, it is hard to imagine that over 40 years ago the site was covered almost entirely with slate waste. With hard work and a lot of compost, we have been able to develop a variety of display gardens as well as our vegetable field, which supplies our restaurant with delicious organic salad and veg.

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Ideas and future thinking

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See what fits with your timetable

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Oct/Nov/Dec/Jan

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Including moving fallow bed

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Current plants for biodiverstiy garden, polytunnel and outdoor beds.