The first thing any aspiring grower needs (that any one who grows things or any website you visit will tell you) is a trusty fork. With this in mind where do you go, how much do you spend – what constitutes a good fork? With these questions in mind I set out to purchase a new one specially for the new plot and thankfully too, as before I’d even got started growing (still at the plot clearance stage) my existing cheap and cheerful fork that I’d been using around the garden gave up in spectacular fashion loosing 3 out of 4 prongs to a blackberry bush’s root system. Thankfully the following Monday my shiny new “Spear and Jackson Neverbend Fibreglass Contractor Fork” purchased on ebay for £16.99 (http://stores.ebay.co.uk/ttucker2010)
Well finally got round to expanding the tool shed with another must have for any aspiring gardener or allotmenteer and that is a watering can. Let’s face it. all plants need water to grow and if you can provide this basic necessity you can’t really call yourself a gardener. With this in mind i took a walk up the local hardware store on Wincheap to have a look. A few different shapes and sizes – brightly coloured plastic ones of the traditional galvanized metal ones. My heart pulled me immediately towards the shiny traditional types but my wallet forced me to choose the brightly coloured plastic at under £7.00 were nearly 4 times cheaper than their metal counterparts. Maybe I’ll treat myself next Christmas. With a 10L capacity it should do the job. Just got to make sure that I don’t leave it outside as the sun’s uv rays will cause the plastic to go brittle.
Next up for the increasing tool kit is another item that no budding (pun intended) gardener or allotmenteer should be with out and that is the humble wheel barrow. After keeping an eye on a few local second hands one it became apparent that it was just not gonna happen so after scouring the internet for a bargain i came up with this on the old ebay http://stores.ebay.co.uk/kdandjay. Galvanized steel at just £21.99 + £4.99 for Delivery worked out as much as what I’d have ended up paying for a second hand one without the need to pick it up.