So You Think Raised Beds Will Keep Me Out?

I'm getting a little fed up with this whole raised beds gardening thing.  It seems to me you humans don't want to share your lettuce seedlings with me anymore.  Can't think why!  Anyway to this end you have all been very busy building raised garden beds into which to grow your veg and then fortifying them with things like woodchip paths (I absolutely cannot stand trying to walk across those) and copper piping to give me a little electric shock should I ever get as far as the edge of your precious raised beds.  I am now considering ways of abseiling into your raised beds using clematis and honeysuckle!  I am also going to lay eggs in the compost heap, that way I can smuggle my babies into your beds through the back door when you mulch them in the autumn!

Of course, besides keeping gastropods at bay, raised garden beds have many other advantages for human gardeners.  The first is that you need not be restricted in terms of what you grow by the soil conditions in your garden.  Acid lovers can be bedded down in tailor made raised beds full of ericaceous compost and right next to that you can have a bed full of lime loving brassicas!  Stony soil need not impede the growth of root crops such as carrots and parsnips, you can simply fill your raised garden beds with lovely, crumbly finely sifted top soil.  Root crops will romp away in these conditions and you will have much greater success with germination rates.

Perhaps the greatest advantage for humans who are pressed for time and have many other commitments is that you don't have to spend a great deal of time cultivating the soil.  Deep double digging can often be what puts new gardeners off having a go at growing their own.  Raised garden beds however, obviate the need for double digging, firstly because they are not walked upon meaning that no soil compaction occurs and secondly because it is very easy to just top up raised beds with good quality soil and home-made compost. 

Build some raised beds!

Raised beds can also be planted more intensively than you might think, enabling gardeners to reap substantial harvests from really quite small spaces.  In fact, it is probably worth looking at how the square foot gardening movement uses raised beds.  This system allows gardeners to grow small amounts of many varied crops, this is often more satisfactory for the nuclear family of today.  Traditional gardening can lead to gluts that few small families can consume.  So intensively planting up a raised bed can provide just enough of any one crop throughout the growing season.  Plants thrive in these close plantings because they make their own living mulch and conserve water and nutrients and also create a warm micro-climate where they support each other's growth.  Crops are rarely in the beds long enough for soil borne diseases to accumulate.

A Cosy Greenhouse

Now, my dear humans, I've told you all about cold frames and now it is time to clue you in on the whole greenhouse thing. These obviously are a bit more expensive than a cold frame, but then they will repay you with yummy crops for years to come and you can all say 'yah boo sucks!' to the awful British weather.  (Personally, or gastropodly, I'm rather fond of rain.)  The thing with greenhouses is that you can hope to grow a far wider variety of crops and you are more likely to be successful in bringing them to a ripe fruition.  You will also be able to grow hardier crops even in the middle of winter if you get your sowing times right.

When it comes to choice you will be spoilt.  Most practical minded gardeners opt for polycarbonate greenhouses as these tend to be more affordable and in many ways are more practical.  Polycarbonate is tough, and I'm an expert on tough shells!  This is especially good news if you are erecting a greenhouse on an allotment, a glasshouse is just an invitation to passing vandals.  But a polycarbonate greenhouse has other advantages over glass such as improved light diffusion, preventing sun scorch on your plants and also it boasts much better insulating qualities. 

You may choose to heat your greenhouse in winter, but beware this can be costly!  Practical actions could be taken to decrease heating costs. A lean-to greenhouse will lose much less heat than a standalone greenhouse, as the brick within the lean-to will probably be much better insulated. Glass panes tend to lose much more heat than the new twin-wall polycarbonate glazing. Insulate your greenhouse with a bubble polythene wrap. This alone can alone can cut heating bills in half. Heat could be lost through gaps within the framework, before winter comes make certain gaps are sealed and any cracked panes are replaced.

Remember one of the most important issues in greenhouse maintenance is hygiene.  Oh yes, if you don't have regular clear outs you run the risk of building up diseases and pests.  (Not me, of course!)   That means not leaving old pots lying around full of exhausted compost, regularly hosing the greenhouse down and wiping clean the glazing.  You would be surprised also at how much light can be lost from dirty glazing. 

The Beauty Of Cold Frames

Obviously I'm very keen for you humans to get on with some early sowings, I dream of lettuce you know, pea shoots and carrot tops are pretty good too!  It might still be cold but the sowing season is a hectic time for gardeners and finding space for pots and trays bursting with new but fragile life can be pretty tricky. 

A cold frame is a fantastic idea.  Use cold frames to overwinter plants, expand the growing season, plant seeds, and acclimatize plants and flowers. Cold frames present a practical stage post in between greenhouse (or sunny sills!) and variable outdoor temperatures. Cold frames provide tender plants, strikings and young plants with shelter from the weather, particularly strong gusts, heavy rain and light frosts. Freezing conditions particularly can blight and damage plant tissues, a coldframe or cloche is really critical serving as buffer that modulates the air temperature inside the frame. So long as it is well-built, effectively located and well-regulated, the coldframe will increase your growing season by a matter of months each side.

Unheated cold frames are perfect for numerous uses all through the year - propagating any cuttings you've striked at almost any point in time, hardening off young plants sown in the green house before they can be planted outdoors in the very early summer months and delivering winter shelter to plants like penstemons together with other half-hardy flowers. You are able to furnish your plants with the correct conditions to survive dormancy, the plants will be ready to continue growing come spring.

In addition, just simply growing seeds in the cold frame boasts some merits - sometimes allowing your plants and flowers almost a month's extra growing time over straight-forward sowing into the ground. Or use them to heat up the garden soil and shelter young seedlings in advance of direct sowings into the earth. A portable cold frame provides the chance to get herbs, salads and vegetables started 2-3 weeks ahead of time, and it helps prevent the transplanting shock that a lot of plants experience because they will be better acclimatized to outdoor conditions from the outset. 

Then there will be plenty of time for other gardening jobs, like getting that hedge in order, perhaps you could make use of a Long Reach Petrol Hedge Trimmer - OUCH! Just don't decapitate any snails sleeping in the hedge please!

Now just one word of advice, you might want to check your frames occasionally for unwelcome visitors!  Us gastropods can think of no where better to hang out than a nice moist cold frame full of lettuce seedlings.  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

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The Wonders Of Rosehip Oil

There's no shortage of roses around here, although they are never on my menu, too tough for us snails and all those thorns!  However, you humans should not miss out on the magic that is rosehip oil.   During the second world war it was very common for rosehips to be harvested to make into rosehip jelly, it was a great source of vitamin C for a population living on rations and where imported fresh fruit was unheard of.  Nowadays rosehips are pretty much ignored except by keen gardeners who appreciate them for their seasonal interest.  But Vitamin C is not all that rosehips contain and in the world of natural beauty (and indeed in the mainstream beauty industry) rosehip oil is causing a stir.

Rosehip oil is packed with goodies and as such makes a wonderful deep penetrating moisturiser for tired and damaged skin.  It restores vitality and brightness, it visibly reduces wrinkles and naturally helps scars to fade, such as stretch marks and acne pitting.  Rosehip oil contains large quantities of essential fatty acids, long know for their skin enhancing properties, but it is also rich in anti-oxidants such as lycopene and carotene.  Studies show that these caratenoids have the ability to protect the skin, indeed that is the very reason that plants are rich in these, to protect them from sun damage!  

The best thing about rosehip oil is that it is natural and organic and doesn't require the addition of unpleasant chemicals in order to rejuvenate skin.  It is safe for both children and adults and can be used on the face or on the body.  You need only just rub a few drops in every day, so a little of this magic really does go a long way.  After three weeks of consistent use, users claim to notice a vast improvement in skin tone and suppleness.  

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Looking After Mature Skin

Obviously I have beautifully moist and dewy skin, I take great pride in it.  Of course I am very careful with it and never go out in the full glare of the sun.  I realise you guys don't have shells, but maybe a parasol?  Ok, the subject of this post is mature skin ladies and how to look after it.

Firstly take my advice on not exposing your face to full sunlight, however vitamin D is important to your overall well being (and therefore your skin) so I would still advise you to get 20 minutes a day of sunlight on your arms and legs, just avoid the hottest part of the day - maybe ten minutes exposure in the early morning and ten minutes in the late afternoon.  That way you should get the best of both worlds

Keeping yourself well-hydrated is important, however this doesn't mean you have to be constantly glugging back gallons of water.  The water found in fruit and other beverages still counts.  Of course if you eat lots of fruit you are not only benefitting from the water content but all those lovely vitamins aswell.  (Why do you think I'm always on your salad crops?)

It is also possible to exercise the face.  Sit comfortably in front of a mirror and relax, move your head from side to side and up and down gently to dispel any tension.  Now face the mirror directly, keep all your facial muscles relaxed.  Tip your chin up slightly, open your mouth as wide as you can, keeping your mouth wide open attempt to smile.  Do this until you can feel your facial muscles working, hold for a count of ten - don't forget to breath- and then relax.  Repeat three times every day. 

Finally you need a good skincare routine to manage mature skin and keep it looking good. Ensure that on a daily basis you cleanse, tone and moisturise. (moisturize if you're an American snail!)  Try to avoid soap based cleansers they are alkaline and will be too harsh and drying.  Similarly harsh toners should be avoided, it is now possible to buy facial mists containing pore tightening agents as well as moisturising the skin, some times referred to as two phase toners.  Finally find a good moisturise containing AHAs, peptides, and phyto-collagen.  Please choose organic products these are better for your skin and for the environment and us snails.

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The World Of Small: A wooden dolls house

I walk (or slide if you prefer) among giants.  Being small I like to think small, to shrink my universe into something of a size that I am able to comprehend.  I have discovered that small humans need to do this as well, it helps them understand their place in the world and make sense of their experiences.  Big stuff can sometimes be overwhelming for newbie humans.  Child development experts refer to this behaviour as small world play.  Where little humans manipulate even littler figures, such as dolls, animals and dinosaurs and create a make believe world where they can try out ideas and express a range of emotions withing the safe confines of the small world they have created for them.  There are lots of toys that support this type of play for example a train set, a model farm or a wooden dolls house.

Providing toys like this for little humans gives them plenty of opportunity to explore the world without taking real risks.  But grown up humans can do an awful lot to help them.  They can provide a variety of materials to encourage children to solve problems and get creative.  If you have bought a wooden dolls house you can encourage the child to furnish it with things they have made out of fabric, such as curtains and little cushions, give them paper to make pictures for the walls, carpet samples can be used to carpet the new home.  They can even make furniture out of other toys such as Lego or Ello. 

A wooden dolls house will supply many happy hours of playing.  There is a huge range available on the market from traditional wooden dolls houses to a thoroughly modern eco-house kitted out with recycling bins, wind turbines and a rainwater tank. 

This kind of play promotes social confidence, language skills, creativity and imagination and even fine motor skills.  You are unlikely to regret the purchase of a wooden dolls house for your children and because they are well made you may even be lucky enough one day to watch your grandchildren playing with the house.  Generations of fun and development are in your hands. 

Now I have to go and shine my shell, I'm incredibly house proud you know!

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Better Soil With A Soil Sieve

So you think your worst enemy in the garden is me do you?  Well lets see what your bifurcated carrots have to say to that.  Besides carrot fly they might tell you what they really don't like about your garden is the incredibly stony soil.  How are they supposed to put down long, straight roots if they keep hitting stones?  By the way the parsnips are feeling pretty sore about this as well.

In medieval times of course children were kept out of trouble and usefully employed picking stones out of the fields.  In this day and age of molly-codddling that isn't an option, you will have to seriously up their pocket money first!  So what is the gardener to do when faced with angry root vegetables and stony soil? 

What you need is a soil sieve.  For sifting large quantities of soil you need a free standing soil sieve, such as a rotary soil seive, or one that will sit in  or across a wheel barrow.  You can make your own bespoke wooden frame for this purpose that sits across your barrow, supporting a wire mesh through which you sieve the soil.  The seived soil in the barrow is then easy to tip back into the beds where you will plant your very happy root veg.

For smaller quantities of soil or for sieving compost in preparation for seed sowing then a small hand sieve will do the trick.  You can buy fairly cheap plastic ones  or something like the traditionally handcrafted soil sieves above.  These are beautiful and pleasant to use.  Use them not just for sifting soil but also to separate bean seeds from pods and for dusting a light covering of soil over small seeds to optimize germination.  These will hang very neatly and beautifully from a peg on the shed wall. 

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