Summerhouse: Final Touches
The summerhouse project started in November 2019 and was mostly finished in spring 2020. The summerhouse was mostly done, and was weatherproof, just lacking the final details. We finally managed to get the timber we needed to put the final touches on the summerhouse (almost).
Keeping safe on allotments
Your allotment, or garden, may be a place to enjoy a peaceful hobby and relax, but like all things it does have some hidden dangers.
Accidents do happen. Our ground alone has seen three heart-attacks (one fatal), someone falling through their greenhouse and an injury caused by a petrol strimmer. On another groud we heard of a gardener who jerry-rigged his rotovator controls and then fell over, with the machine running over his leg. Even a seemingly innocent insect bite can lead to infection.
So now you are suitably alarmed… let’s see what we can do to make you allotment a safer place.
Fitting the solar panel into the new Summerhouse
Today we fitted the solar panel in the new summerhouse to get the power back on. We use the solar to power lights, but also to charge a radio and mobile phones as required.
Getting started on a new allotment plot
So you have got your allotment or are thinking of growing vegetables in your garden, where do you start?
Recycling to make some signs
I recently acquired a trim router as I had been looking at making some signs.
I had two types of wood, both recycled, one was a disassembled pine bread bin recovered from a skip and the other was some oak flooring planks that our neighbours were replacing.
First of all I printed out the text I wanted. 
Then transferred it to the wood using carbon paper. 
Like so. 
This was then routed out. 
The sign was then cut to size. The 24 is on old oak flooring. 
Painted Black. 
Surface sanded… 
and varnished
I realised why I was struggling to see the lines when routing. I now know to keep the “window” of the router facing me so I can see what’s going on at the cutter.
Not bad for a first attempt, maybe a bit rustic, but that gives them a bit of charm. More practice needed.
Securing netting to raised beds
Over the years we have tried many different ways of securing netting to the raised beds. Whether it be simply weighing the edge of the net down with planks, bricks or scaffolding poles or stapling the net to the side of the bed itself.
Making the most of a bit of sun
See what I did there…
There will be some “Maker” posts soon.
First chillies appearing
The first chillies are starting to appear in the green house at the allotment. This variety is ‘Apache’.
Apache chilli