In the run up to The Big Day (aka the day I will push a baby out and my life will change forever and ever amen), I think I’ve been nesting. I’m constantly tidying up, turning out, washing, organising… always on the move and always with a list as long as my arm to complete.
One job that isn’t necessarily fundamental to getting ready for Baby Bear’s arrival, but has been on my mind for a long, long time is my greenhouse. I haven’t bothered to clean it out properly for at least two or three growing seasons, and you could really tell. Bindweed had crept under the greenhouse base, pots had been left to stack up, fall over, become full of dead leaves and spiders and it just looked like an eyesore in the corner of our little patch of Smallest Smallholding.
When Buy Fencing Direct contacted me to ask if I’d like to review one of their products, it was a great excuse to justify spending a few hours getting the greenhouse sorted out. I opted to review a potting bench – more shelf space and a working area for sowing and potting on is exactly what I need.
But first, I had to tackle THIS monstrosity to make room:
My first task was to set about removing all the old plastic pots, studiously and carefully rehoming the dozens of spiders nestled between each pot. Luckily our local tidy tip has a hard plastic collection point so those pots won’t be going to landfill.
Next, I pulled up about six tonnes (hyperbole alert) of bindweed root, and levelled one side of the soil next to the wonky path that I built a few years ago. Using some basic weed suppressant liner, I lined and fixed the ground, and laid a layer of shingle over the top. Instantly it looked much neater and should hopefully keep the dreaded bindweed at bay:
Then the big job; putting together the potting bench. It had arrived sans box, fastened together with instructions which were actually more informative than Ikea’s point and mime flatpack offerings. There were actual words, which helped immensely. After leaving the bench outside for a good couple of weeks, we couldn’t find the screws that came with the flatpack so not sure if they got lost in transit or not. Either way, we had to get our own from Wickes.
Putting the bench together was definitely a two-person job, especially since the last time I handled a screwdriver about two weeks ago I properly skewered my finger, thanks to pregnancy hormone-induced clumsiness. The instructions were easy and very clear, but one thing I would have preferred was if the pilot holes had been drilled for us… but that’s just a minor consideration since it went together well and everything fitted as it should. We just had to do some careful measuring (read: I measured and Rich re-measured and readjusted) and I had to hold bits of wood in place whilst Rich fixed the screws.
It’s definitely a sturdy bench and looks very smart… I’m very pleased with the build quality. And together with the newly laid shingle flooring, freshly washed greenhouse glass and some tidying up it’s made a world of difference in my little greenhouse. Really looking forward to using it now! Just got to finish the tidying, shingle and glass cleaning on the other side, and my greenhouse will be looking tip-top… Some replacement glazing would be lovely too (I call the missing panes “great ventilation”…)!
You can also read my interview with Buy Fencing Direct right here: http://greengardens.buyfencingdirect.co.uk/our-interview-with-smallest-smallholding/