 |
Poundland Welcome Frog Ornament
by ryeb
When I first got my allotment, I put in a small pond for the benefit of any passing wildlife. I thought I may have made it too small so as a joke, one of my sisters bought me a frog garden ornament from Poundland that bears the word "Welcome" on the front, just so any frogs would get the message to stay. Well, it must have ... worked because my plot seems to be a magnet for both frogs and toads.. The original ornament suffered an accident but I was delighted to be able to buy a replacement a few weeks ago. I had thought that it may no longer be available as Poundland seem to change their stock often.
The garden ornament is in the form of a long legged frog sitting on a wall that bears the "welcome" message and simple outlines of flowers. There are 3 designs available with the frog in different poses - the one that I have has him sitting casually with one knee bent up and the other hanging down over the edge of the wall. It wouldn't be mistaken by anyone for a real life like animal but that's not really the point! When I first received the ornament it came in simple card box which showed all the designs on the front so you would have had to open every box to see what one you were buying. However, the one I bought recently was just sitting on the shelf without any kind of packaging or wrapping. As the ornament is made from some kind of ceramic, it is relatively fragile so I transferred mine home wrapped in a jumper. It is worth carefully inspecting the frogs before you make your choice because I noticed that some had minor damage such as chipped paint, no doubt caused by being jostled around on to a shelf without any wrapping around them. The frog itself has a glossy green painted finish and the stone he is sitting on has a more matt look. I haven't had any problems with the colours fading or the finish flaking since he has been in the garden. I haven't made any effort to protect him from the elements so the frog can obviously survive frost and snow better than some other garden ornaments I have had!
The ornament is quite small - it would fit into my outstretched hand if I laid him down flat but he is a bit wider at the base. This makes him the sort of decoration that can fit in anywhere, even amongst some containers if you have nowhere else to put him. I would probably go for something larger if I wanted a true garden feature, but I am happy for the frog to amongst the grass where his discovery by visiting children always makes them laugh. He is labelled as "not a toy" which is wise to heed in my opinion because the ornament is hollow and lightweight which means it breaks relatively easily. My first ornament was accidently kicked over by myself, so it fell onto it's face without a lot of force but it still broke into 4 pieces. This was better than shattering into smithereens but the edges were sharp enough to cut if I hadn't been careful.
I would recommend my froggy friend to those looking for a fun little decoration for the garden. He always raises a smile, and I don't normally go for anything like that or gnomes! I can't complain about it's fragile nature considering the low price that it sells for. If you don't knock it over or hit it, the colour and paintwork lasts well even when exposed to the elements so I still think it offers good value for money. It is only available in Poundland, although the 99p store offers a similar decoration with a non glossy finish and the frogs are even posed in the same way more or less. I have succumbed and bought one of those too..
Read the complete review |
 |
Ronseal Perfect Finish Decking Stain
by rji0907
When we were doing the garden last Summer, both myself and my partner agreed that our decking could do with a coat of paint as it was looking quite worn and so we went to our local Homebase in search of a product that would do the job and we went with the Ronseal Perfect Finish decking Stain.
We went for this one as it looked ... the easiest to apply to the wood and rather than using a bog standard paintbrush, you simply had to purchase the relevant applicator to go with the decking stain.
Rather than being in a normal shaped paint tin, this was in a rectangular box like contraption which was specifically designed to fit the applicator in. The applicator was a bit like a mop with a rectangular, flat end and you simply dip the applicator into the decking stain and run it along the decking.
This decking stain is available in a few different shades, but we went for the rich mahogany as it matched some wood we already had in the garden, but you can get lighter colours such as oak too.
I found this way of doing it worked quite well. It did struggle to completely fill some of the grooves in the decking with the stain, but once I had finished, I just simply used a paintbrush to blot over any bits that didn't look completely covered and I was really impressed with the final results.
For a start, it dried really quickly. I would say that within a couple of hours it was near enough dry, though if you wish to add another coat, you are recommended to wait 4 hours before applying the second coat.
Obviously common sense does need to prevail when using this stuff and you are recommended not to try and apply the stain on a rainy day or when the wood is damp. You will achieve the best results by applying this on a completely dry day, where you have no chance of rain and where you haven't had rain for a few days previous to ensure the wood is completely dry.
A 2.5 litre tub of this decking stain costs around £16.99 from Homebase which isn't cheap, but then it does last. We have used this range before and the last time we used it, we didn't feel the need to give it another coat to freshen it up for around 2 years which I think is pretty good and so I hope the same works for this one. Even after the winter we have had, our decking still looks pretty good at the moment and the colour doesn't seem to have faded much at all which I think is pretty good going.
We don't have a large decking area and so one tub did the job for us and so did one coat, though we probably did apply the first coat a little thicker than recommended. If you have a good sized decking area though, you may need a couple of tubs but even at £32.00, it isn't bad to completely revamp a good sized decking area.
Overall, this is a really decent product from a good brand and to quote Ronseal 'it does exactly what it says on the tin', and so therefore it comes with a recommendation from me.
Read the complete review |
 |
Wilko Seed Tray
by ryeb
I love browsing in Wilkinson's for gardening accessories and something comes home with me far too often. I find them a great source of gardening basics such as the seed trays that I am reviewing today. A pack of 3 cost just £1.25 which is half what they cost at my admittedly expensive local garden centre. I used to hesitate before buying ... cheap garden supplies but no longer. That's not to say that these are perfect though, as I will explain below..
I am reviewing Wilko's standard seed tray pack - they also do a premium version that is supposed to be "heavy duty". The more basic ones are 37cm long by 24cm wide and 6cm deep - standard sized in other words. This is handy as I have a variety of seed tray and propagator lids from different brands and it is useful to know that I can use them interchangeably. The Wilko value propagator lids fits snugly on these which considering the latter cost £1 each, makes a very cheap basic propagator when used with the seed tray either on it's own or with a gravel tray base. I use the seperate lids as an alternative to plastic bag coverings on freshly sown seed, helping to keep the compost moist and slugs out.
The trays have drainage holes in the base, as you would expect and I am perfectly satisfied with how many there are. The main difference between these and the so called premium trays I use in the garden I work in is the latter have a more deeply ridged bottom allowing for a double layer of drainage holes. I don't notice much benefit to these myself, if you are using a free draining seed compost anyway. I also think a slightly smoother base actually has the advantage of providing less hiding places for slugs. Those little devils may still lurk under the lip of the trays but I do think the lip makes handling the trays easier - especially when they need to be unstacked. As you can tell from that, they will nest together which is a handy space saver in a too full greenhouse.
The slight downside to these is the fact they feel thinner and less robust than some of their more expensive counterparts. I have been using some of the trays for 2 growing seasons now and there have been some losses due to splitting. I am used to picking up sturdy trays with one hand at work but if I attempt that with a Wilko tray full of compost, it bends precariously and I am likely to suffer some plant casualties. If you remember to pick them up carefully with two hands they are fine but if I am going to carry them more than a little way I sit them in a gravel tray or propagator base for added security. I move my trays around a lot as I have to take plants with me to and from work, to my allotment and my parent's garden and greenhouse at different stages of their lives. If you use the seed trays just in a greenhouse I suspect they will last you longer.
Being made of plastic they are easily kept clean. This is important for me as I tend to use each tray again as soon as the seeds have been potted on and I do try to do the right thing and clean the trays between uses to prevent the potential spread of disease or pests. I have some wooden traditional trays which look lovely but they are far less convenient in this respect. If black plastic is however too boring to you, you can also buy these in a pale green colour for the same price.
Wilkinson also do a heavy duty see tray set which cost £2.50 for 3 and I have a few sets of those as well. I do think they are more robust but whether they are worth twice as much I am not sure as they could still be stronger in my opinion. I would still be inclined to opt for the cheaper ones on balance. I would definitely recommend those trays to any seed sowers, especially if you are going to need a lot as it is a good way of keeping costs down. They could be stronger but the price reflects that. I have after all managed to use the majority for a second growing season and I would be surprised if most don't make it to a third if I am not too rough with them! They are obviously only available from Wilkinson's whether on store or online but I do think they compare favourably with other own brand seed trays such as the Sainsbury's and Homebase ones which usually cost a bit more.
Read the complete review |
