DIY in the garden

I've said it before and I will say it again - N is mighty handy with DIY.  Give him a challenge/problem and he will more than likely come up with a solution.  Now that he has a shed that doubles as DIY storeroom and workshop, his talents for building things out of discarded useful bits seems to have taken off!

We were in need of a cold-frame type of construction for young seedlings that still needed a little protection before braving the open conditions in the garden, and N has produced just the thing:

He has used the wooden framework of the single bed (the slats were used for shelving in the new airing cupboard) and a large sheet of plastic that the new guestroom mattress was wrapped in.  Nothing gets wasted; we can generally find a use for most things.  The peppers and tomatoes are coming along nicely in their little nursery.

N has also set about sorting out the assortment of water butts, ensuring the connecting hoses are watertight, and replacing broken taps.  He's also rigged up some guttering for the shed, as we need to harvest whatever rainwater we can to keep the crops watered during the summer.  Again, he's used up odd bits of guttering that were in the shed, and it's all balanced nicely on hanging basket brackets.  

Finally, we bought four lengths of decking boards (on offer, of course) and N has made two really smart planters for the front garden.  We'll plant these up with an assortment of geranium cuttings and annual bedding grown from seed, and that will hopefully add a splash of colour to the front of the house during the summer.  

There is a huge amount of satisfaction to be had with this sort of DIY, making use of what is lying around and finding solutions to problems.  And it's saving us a few pennies along the way, always a bonus ;-)