Gardeners' World Live, herb tasting towers and Glee

This weekend I have been drilling plastic pipes, writing on terracotta pots and talking to myself - a lot.  Although to the untrained eye this may have looked like a Vanessa Feltz style meltdown bought on by bunting-related stress, I have in fact been preparing for a demonstration. Yes, this Sunday I will be at Gardener's World Live showing a poor, unsuspecting public how to plant child-friendly containers in the Grow Your Own demonstration garden.

No really, I will.

Honestly.

Look.

There - now can you see why I've been drilling/writing/talking like an idiot all weekend?

You see, it's one thing to plant up stuff in your back garden, iPod on, singing along to the Glee soundtrack - it's quite another to do so in front of a load of strangers who are likely to be less appreciative of your rendition of Gold Digger or Van Halen's Jump and might not feel jazz hands are entirely appropriate when loosening rootballs.

So I thought it wise to have a dry run in the garden - sans headphones.

In case you will not be there to witness my pot-based fumblings on Sunday, I will be planting up an edible flower hanging basket as well as a herb tasting tower.

This latter one is basically a strawberry pot populated by herbs. The only trouble is strawberry pots are about as useful as a chocolate frying pan because it's almost impossible to water them evenly - hence the drilled pipe. 

Putting in a piece of plastic pipe with 2-3mm holes drilled every 5cms gives the pot a low tech irrigation system which solves all these problems. You also need to have a stop for the base of the pipe - or failing that just press the end into some modelling clay (preferably not a lump which has been lovingly turned into an undefined artistic creation by one of your children).

Then it's just a case of selecting herbs to fill the side holes. I try to choose ones which the kids use the most - either for cooking or ones they love to smell. In general, it's best to plant compact or trailing herbs in the side pockets whereas the top can be used for upright growers such as lavender or chives.

Finally, as it's aimed at children, I wrote the names of the herbs next to each pocket so they'll find it easy knowing what to pick if they're looking for something specific.

So the dry run was sort of OK.  Well, the cat seemed to enjoy it anyway.

Now I just need to practise the hanging baskets and remember how to make these garden lights for the workshops I'll be running at the show this Sunday too.

A few dozen children, hundreds of loose beads and a pair of wire cutters - what can possibly go wrong?

Comments

[Helen]

I have a smaller strawberry planter with different thyme in each of the sections - looks OK so far.

Strawberries do very well in hanging baskets especially as the birds dont realise they are there!

Good luck for Sunday

[VP]

Awp. Sending powerful, positive vibes your way.

And the power of improvisation when the unexpected happens.

Unless you'd prefer invisibility or something else more useful of course.

I'm sure you'll be fine. Having done similar things with kids myself (making a model coral reef for 2 days in Morecambe at their Festival of the Sea is one disaster which springs instantly to mind, even though I thought I'd wiped it out of my brain forever) you'll be thinking it's all going pear shaped, only to be told later on by the parent of the devil in disguise just how much their little darling enjoyed themselves.

[Dawn/LittleGreenFingers]

Helen - I think you're right - once they're established, herbs do really well in strawberry pots - far better than strawberries anyway (I put a couple of mine in hanging colanders last year too). The plastic pipe watering system is quite useful though in getting them established at the start - especially in bigger pots.

Michelle - thanks for the vibes - I'll take anything you're sending my way! And I shall keep thinking 'Morecambe' is things are going awry.

[JamesA-S]

Big mistake, Dawn. Big, big mistake.

You have now told us all exactly how to plant said herby tower so there is no need to come and watch you do it at the NEC.
Your audience has just been drastically reduced.

I am going to try really hard to get to see you. I will make a lot of noise to drown out the people walking past saying"Oh, I know all about how to do that from reading her blog. No need to stop and watch, let's go and see that nice James man in the other theatre".

Are you staying there or just dropping in for the day?

[Michelle Wheeler]

Wish I could come,would learn loads,sod the children.To close to the exam.

[Dawn/LittleGreenFingers]

James - I am coming up for the weekend - it's the only way I can get a good couple of hours in to heckle you. In fact, I think I will devote Saturday afternoon to that...

Michelle - damn - thought we could reprise our champagne-swilling critique-ing of gardens. Good luck with the exams though - how much longer till they're over?

[Lila Das Gupta]

Don't listen to that JAS.This looks really interesting.
When are you demonstrating it at Gardeners World Live?
I'm going on Wednesday, hope to catch it.

[Dawn/LittleGreenFingers]

Lila - oh no, I'm only there on Sunday - would have loved to have met you but thanks for the encouragement anyway.

Sage advice on Mr JAS - I shall follow it to the letter.

[Damo]

Great idea good look on Sunday.

[Scented Sweetpeas]

Wow, good luck for the weekend, also the stuff you have prepared looks fab.

[Joanne Roach]

I've just been given two strawberry towers which I had no intention of putting strawberries in because, as you say, they are crap for strawberries. But hadn't got as far as thinking what to do instead, so now you have saved me the effort of having to think at all, which is a big relief.

Good luck on Sunday and try to enjoy it in between the nerves. x

[Troutie]

Ahah! I always had that problem with strawberry planters (when I had a garden)

And now I can also recommend a buntingmonger....

www.theblossomparlour.co.uk

[Esther Montgomery]

Hope the talk goes well.

Questions - do you turn the pot so the herbs can take it in turns to catch the sun?

And - if you have a blocked pipe down the middle of the pot, do you run the risk of having a problem with drainage?

Good luck with the talk.

Esther

[Dawn/LittleGreenFingers]

Damo and Scented Sweetpeas - thanks so much

Joanne - always good, not having to think. It's my default.

Troutie - Oh - I'm loving that bunting, but I'm not sure I can afford to keep funding my bunting addiction this way.

Esther - ah yes, good point! Yes, I would keep moving the pot around - once or twice a week would be OK I reckon. Also, the pipe shouldn't get blocked. The end at the bottom is sealed but the holes allow all the water to escape and I have made a cap for the end so it won't fill up with overflowing compost or old leaves in between watering. Also, there are crocks in the bottom of the pot beneath the pipe so the overall drainage should be OK.

Well that's the theory anyway...

[elizabethm]

What a great idea and what a nerve wracking propect. Wish I could get there to watch you (reading the blog just wasn't enough JAS) but good luck with it. I hope you are intending to include the jazz hands btw.

[Dawn/LittleGreenFingers]

Elizabeth - wish you there too. I may not use jazz hands after all - I found it caused a bit of unintentional 'compost sprinkling'.

[small garden ideas]

This is another example of container gardening which I like very much because it consumes minimal space at home and when planted right will give you a great sight to behold.