Weeding the Web

Noteworthy presents for gardeners (and their children)

December just around the corner, and naturally I’m not the only one whose thoughts are turning to Christmas presents.

Over at My Tiny Plot, Gillian has given a rundown on My Favourite Garden Notebooks and includes some rather attractive possibilities for the gardener in your life (or you, of course, if you print out the page and leave it lying around in a pointed fashion).

One that particularly caught my eye, for the kiddies, is Rosie Flo’s Garden colouring book (part of a series where you add limbs, as well as colour in). But Gillian has her own contribution to make to children’s presents with her board book Jackson’s Garden, which you can order via Etsy.  It's a sturdy book, which sees Jackson persuading a snail that leaves are better than lettuces (if only!) and Gillian's drawn pictures which offer opportunities for discussion and counting vegetables, allowing you to educate your little one while they're involved in the story.

A DIY squirrel-proof bird-feeder

The problem with opening a new restaurant is that you can't be sure who's going to want to try it. There you were, thinking you'd get a nice selection of enthusiastic gourmets, and what happens?  You get mobbed by gourmands wanting to stuff themselves silly.

Our neighbours' new bird feeder was full at 9 o'clock this morning. These pictures were taken early afternoon.

By dusk it was almost half empty. Not a tit in sight all day.

I predict a restaurant revamp any day soon.

This is a problem understood by my brother-in-law, who has spent some time searching for the perfect squirrel-proof feeder. He hasn't had any problems since buying one with a metal sheath that slides down when a squirrel arrives at the top. There's one of this design available from Selections for £13.99.

However if you fancy saving some money, Phil from Surrey gives full instructions for his DIY version (pictured).

And if you want a video demonstration of how the best squirrel-proof bird feeders work, check out this video of the Squirrel Be Gone Bird Feeder.

Oh, and if you have a spare Pringles packet, don't forget this DIY bird feeder that I featured last year.

Presents for gardeners from The Great English Outdoors

With the approach of Christmas, I’ll be looking for useful sites for more unusual presents for gardeners, and have just come across one I haven’t seen before, although, according to the website, it’s frequently featured in stylish…ah, that would be why…magazines such as House and Garden.

Last time, I pointed out that Growveg was the only site dedicated to gardening in the shortlist for the Good Web Guide’s Website of the Year awards. True, but in the gift category was not only Cox and Cox, whose recycled “slate” sundial I mentioned as a possible Christmas present last year, but The Great English Outdoors.

Athene English works with leather and showcases other craftsmen’s creations in her shop in Hay-on-Wye. She regards craftsmanship as the “expression of clear thought and intelligence in things made largely by hand” – which I think probably translates as using good design and materials.

Gardening website shortlisted for Good Web Guide Awards

The Good Web Guide is about to announce the winner of its Website of the Year Award. The shortlist contains a fair number of sites to do with property and parenting (possibly reflecting the interests of judge Sarah Beeny, well-known for being pregnant in seemingly most episodes of the long-running TV show Property Ladder). However, there is one gardening site: Growveg.

So congratulations to Jeremy Dore, its founder, for getting this far. If you haven’t visited Growveg before, do go and have a look. One of the GWG awards is the People’s Choice, and Jeremy is hoping for a good turn-out on the voting front. If you’ve visited and liked it, you can add your vote to the growing pile.  Voting closes tomorrow.

Rocoto: a venerable pepper

Speaking of overwintering peppers and chillies, here’s a pepper type that should be better known: the Rocoto.

Joe Carrasco’s, in California, is still thriving after twelve years. It withstands temperatures down to around freezing and hard pruning is recommended (see before and after pictures on site). “This nice old rocoto produces a substantial harvest,” Joe told me in August, “and this year looks like will be one of the largest yet.” Pop over to his website for more information on seed saving, preserving and recipes.

It’s rare in this country, but Real Seeds have limited stock of Rocoto, also known as Tree Chile or Alberto’s Locoto, and describe it as possessing a warm, rather than burning heat, lots of flavour. If you’re wondering if you are up to the challenge of keeping it alive, they reckon that, if you can overwinter fuchsias or geraniums, you’ll have no problems. Early ordering is recommended.