Friday, June 10, 2005

Basket Case


Mrs Trellis from North Wales emails:

Dear Mr Hollyhock,

I greatly enjoy your Naked Blog. The pictures of Foxgloves were lovely.
Could you do a regular embroidery column?


In response, here is the first in our series of Willie Tips for all you gardeners:

From a distance the hanging basket container (above) looks like one of those fibre ones you buy at garden centres.
But if you look closer (below), it's actually an old towel.


Lay the towel in the basket, place a saucer in the base and carefully cut round the top edge of the basket with scissors.
The towelling retains the moisture and holds the soil more effectively than moss. Unlike moss it may last for several years.
You can also use old pullovers or any other wool/cotton material.
This will appeal equally to those who are into recycling and those who just like saving money.
If you are using trailing plants they will obscure the lining by mid-summer.
Even so, when you root around at the back of the airing cupboard for torn towels you might want to avoid bright pink ones. Although they'll brighten up your patio the neighbours might think you're making some kind of personal statement.

7 Comments:

At 9:07 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Oh dear Mr Lupin, please don't turn into Titmarsh. Please.

 
At 2:38 PM, Blogger Willie Lupin said...

Don't worry. I don't have enough gardening knowledge to do many of these. But they're an excuse to play with my digital camera. If I don't use it occasionally I forget how to turn it on.

 
At 2:41 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I can't believe I never thought of this. The hours I've wasted fussing with bits of sphagnum moss over the years make me want to hurl those baskets over the hedge.
Unfortunately all my old towels are white, or more precisely dingy off-white. But still, cracking idea.

 
At 2:42 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

That was me> Over 40 and I still can't fill in fields.

 
At 3:02 PM, Blogger Willie Lupin said...

asta, as I said the towel will only be visible at the beginning if you use trailng plants.
I've never tried this but if you soaked a white towel in water and then rubbed it in garden soil so the soil adheres to it and darkens it, the towel lining might be almost invisible.

 
At 5:30 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm thinking of giving some towels a tea bath to dye them, but next year-- this year's baskets are already hung.

 
At 7:46 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very nice. Keep up the good work.

 

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