the ecohut blog

Celebrating the humble hazel beanpole!

National Beanpole week encourages gardeners to use hazel beanpoles rather than imported bamboo canes.  By buying coppice products such as hazel beanpoles you are helping to support local woodand craft workeds, woodland management and wildlife.

Local suppliers of a wide variety of products for use in your home and garden can be found at the following websites:

www.coppice-products.co.uk

www.beanpoles.org.uk

www.allotmentforestry.com

National Beanpole week! events and activities are being held across the UK.    If you are local to the Dutch Nursery, Hatfield AL9 6ND ours is on Staurday 25th and Sunday 26th April 10.00 am - 4.00pm.  Come along to see woodland craftsmen make beanpoles, pea sticks, garden obelisks and more from locally coppiced Hazel Ash and Willow.  Tree wright Robin Fawcett will also be there with his pole lathe.  Toys and tools also for sale.

The expression “a cobblers child is never shod” was never truer than when you look at our garden -it is not a good advert for the owner of a garden centre.  We all know its good for us to get out in the garden and enjoy the fresh air but its also nice to appreciate beautiful planting.    If you are not a gardener its difficult to know where to start and you can end up spending a lot of money on plants which disappear into a garden and then go and die on you!   If this sounds familiar then check out the “kit form” planted borders from www.gardensonaroll.com, choose the kind of end result you want and tell them the area you want covered simple! A box containing everything you need including estabished plants, planting medium, the marked up biodegradable “roll” and full instructions will then be delivered to your doorstep.  Watch QVC (channel 16 on freeview) at 7.00pm this bank holiday monday 13th April for your chance to buy and get planting ready for the summer.

Had a great although somewhat bewildering day last Sunday at the Natural and Organic Show at Olympia in London.  Full of inspirational people and inspiring products from pampering treats to petfood.  Great to catch up with “Inlight”  whose daily face oil won a coveted 2009 Natural Health award - although thoroughly annoyed to miss Dr Mariano Spiezia who developed their fantastic products - talk about optimal skin health.  See my website www.ecohut.biz for fantastic offers on their products.  Also found some other gems to add to my range - watch this space!!   Was also introduced to the “juicemaster” the lovely and very energetic Jason Vale  by Janey Lee Grace.  I had bought his first book with a first generation moulinex juicer years ago - have used it very sporadically since- his bouncy demo was enough to make me go straight home find all the bits, dust it off and use it daily - the kids love the juice and fight over making it.   One type of fighting I am not going to interfere with!