Brighton Bargains!

rekindled — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:37:25 +0000

Yesterday I had a very pleasurable morning wandering around Brighton while my hubby Chris was doing a charity bike ride for the MS Trust. I don’t know Brighton very well, but using the AroundMe iPhone app I discovered there is a market every Saturday morning in the North Laine area, which was only 20 minutes walk from our hotel opposite Preston Park. It was a gorgeous sunny morning so I strolled down to Upper Gardner Street, where the market was just getting going. It was small but there was a range of interesting stalls selling antiques, vintage and second hand clothes as well as handmade bags and jewellery. I made a beeline for the second hand bookstall where I picked up 3 books I wanted for £7.50: Fast Food Nation, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, and Eats, Shoots & Leaves.

Next I headed through North Laine towards the seafront, where I found an Oxfam Boutique. It was lovely with wooden hangers and everything, but strangely none of the clothes seemed to be labelled with their sizes so I got a bit fed up. I headed to the back of the shop where I found this fab handbag!

Then I turned towards the main shopping area, where all the usual high street shops are, and to my great excitement discovered a People Tree shop. I looked longingly at the Terra Plana shoes but decided that they were a bit out of my price range. I saw some gorgeous Soul of Africa loafers but they only had them in brown and red – if they had had black I would have snapped them up. Finally, I popped across the road to the Banardo’s shop and picked up this long-sleeved t-shirt, which Chris says is “very me”, whatever that means!

By this time Chris had finished his 50-mile bike ride so I had to conclude my tour of Brighton. I was very happy to get so many bargains in one shopping trip, and Brighton is now my new favourite place to go shopping. Unfortunately it is a 2-and-a-half hour drive from where I live so I won’t be visiting too often!

I would also like to say sorry for the looooooong gap between blog posts. My excuse is that it has been summer and when it is sunny I like to be outside enjoying myself rather than tapping away at the keyboard. However, as the evenings get darker I will probably do more writing, so watch this space!

Sustainable Gardening Tips

rekindled — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:51:52 +0000

Growing your own veg is undoubtedly better, for you and the planet, than buying them from the supermarket. However, the way you grow your vegetables also has its own effect on the environment. The obvious issue is whether to use chemicals (including fertilizers, weedkillers and pesticides) or whether to go organic. But beyond that, there are still ways you can reduce any negative impact from your vegetable plot. These sustainable and thrifty tips will help you save money and reduce waste.

Plant Pots

We all know that we should try to avoid using plastic bags – but what about plastic pots? Plastic plant pots are actually very difficult to recycle because of the variety of different types of plastic that they are made from, not to mention the number of different colours that are available. This is where the three R’s come into play. Firstly, instead of trying to recycle pots, simply reuse them, as many times as you can. Plastic is quite tough and long-lasting, which is one of the reasons why it is such a problem when it ends up in landfill, but when it comes to reusing, this makes it ideal.

You can also reduce the number of plastic pots you use by buying biodegradable pots like these fibre pots, or even making your own. For example, this year I am using loo roll tubes as seedling pots. They are an ideal size, you can write what you have planted straight onto the pot (instead of using plastic labels) and you can just plant them straight into the ground, as the cardboard will rot away, which will minimise root disturbance for the plant. Plus, you will already have a free supply of them, and if you need lots you can always ask your friends to save theirs for you. It’s a win-win situation for you and your plants! Just make sure you press the compost in well so that it doesn’t all fall out the bottom when you pick it up! Alternatively, you can use a loo roll tube and some newspaper to make your own Newspaper Plant Pots, which do have a bottom.

In addition you can also reuse any type of tray packaging as seed trays. In the picture shows I have used a tray from a ready meal and the lid from a punnet of fruit.

Composting

If you are growing anything in your garden, you will need compost at some point, either to fill containers and raised beds, or to use as a soil improver. Making your own compost is a great way of turning your garden and food waste into a valuable resource. It also requires minimal effort and it all happens a bit like magic! I chuck all my fruit, veg and garden waste into my compost bin, along with crushed eggshells, teabags and a bit of shredded paper (take that identity thieves!). I have a two bin system (pictured) which I have just set up. I have one bin to fill up and one bin to use up. Once the second bin is empty, I will empty the contents of the first bin into it, as a way of turning the compost. The only downside is that it does take a long time to get anything useable, but if you can be patient it is well worth it.

Water

Get a waterbutt and you will have a free supply of water all year round. You can also use greywater from washing up or baths and showers. There is absolutely no need to use tap water! Try to water plants in the evening instead of the middle of the day, as less water will evaporate when it is cooler, and so the plants will get more of a drink.

You can also increase the amount of moisture held naturally in the soil by using a mulch. This basically means putting some kind of physical barrier over the soil to stop the water from evaporating. It also has the added bonus of reducing weeds. There are loads of different mulches you can use. For example you can spread a thick layer of compost, woodchip or gravel over the soil. You can use sheets of cardboard or newspaper (remember to weigh it down with something). You can make holes in these and plant your veggies through the holes. You can also buy plastic sheets for the same purpose, but we won’t mention those here.

In addition, if you have managed to restrain yourself/been forbidden from digging up your entire garden, you might have a tiny patch of lawn left to look after. If you leave the grass to grow just a bit longer than usual before you mow it, and then leave the grass clippings on the lawn (to act as a mulch), then this will reduce the amount of water your lawn needs.

Cloches

A cloche is basically some kind of transparent cover used to protect young plants from cold weather, and help to extend the growing season. You could, of course, buy them, but they are generally made of plastic, and they also cost money. You can instead make your own free cloches by cutting the bottom off a 2-litre fizzy drinks bottle.

I did an experiment recently with some young tomato plants, and I’m not sure if it made any hugh difference to the plants in terms of having a higher temperature, but I did find that it offered some protection from the dreaded slugs, as well as my cats. Just be careful when you are taking them off; give them a bit of a wiggle before you pull them up, otherwise you risk pulling up the whole plant and killing it, like I did with one of these tomato plants.

What other tips do you have for sustainable/thrifty gardening?

Rekindled » frugal

Brighton Bargains!

Sustainable Gardening Tips