The word ‘tripod’ means three (tri) legs (pod). A tripod is a very strong shape even though it is only joined at one point right at the top. Can you think of some things that are built using a tripod shape? What about a tripod to hold a camera or perhaps a three legged stool?…
TRELLISES AND CLIMBING FRAMES Some plants just love to climb high so that their leaves and stems can soak up the sun from all directions. It also helps to keep their vegetables off the ground so that they stay clean and out of the reach of crawling insects. Vegetables that love to climb include beans,…
Some vegetables such as tomatoes, chillies and capsicum don’t climb on their own but they do grow very tall. The problem is that they produce so much fruit that their stems aren’t strong enough to hold themselves up and they fall over or break in the wind. Gardeners give these plants a helping hand by…
A mini hothouse is a great way to get your vegetable or flower seedlings off to a good start. They will stay nice and warm to help them germinate. When the seeds have sprouted and two healthy leaves have formed, remove the drink bottle to allow the seedling to grow larger and stronger. When the seedling is around 8cm…
A raised garden bed is one that has had the sides built up out of timber, straw or even metal and it can be between 30cm and 90cm high. It’s a terrific way to grow a vegetable garden in a difficult spot such as on clay soil that is hard to dig or on concrete….
A straw-bale garden made from pea straw is just about the easiest and cheapest raised garden bed to build and the best thing about it is that, over time, the straw on the outside starts to rot down and eventually the whole thing can be composted and used on the rest of the garden. Absolutely nothing is wasted! Although…
A cloche is a cover that protects your seedlings from very cold weather in in winter or early spring. Find out more in our Garden Glossary. There are lots of ways that you can make a cloche at home or at school to protect your plants from the cold weather at night. Here are just…