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[miniaturerockgardens] Access to Troughs

From: KAREN_STEWART@HP-UnitedKingdom-om9.om.hp.com

Item Subject: Text Item
     Hi all,
     
     I'd like to pass on a tip that has worked for me and may have 
     potential to be adapted for people with reduced mobility.
     
     Last Autumn I converted our brick built barbecue into a cold frame to 
     overwinter tender and damp succeptable plants in troughs.  Our 
     barbecue is basically a brick U shape with metal brackets sticking out 
     of the inside which the charcoal pan and grill plates sit on.  My 
     husband made some solid wooden shelves to sit on these brackets which 
     we varnished, and I cut up some clear outdoor perspex sheets to form a 
     front and a lid.  I wrapped a luggage strap round the brick outer and 
     front sheet to hold that in place and attached bungee cords to nails 
     on the outside of the bricks to hold the top on.  After a while, I 
     discovered that I needed to allow air to circulate so I propped the 
     top up with a hand trowel to leave a gap.
     
     On the ground level I stored my rhodohypoxis troughs and in the middle 
     some dormant bulbs in tubs, and in the top cuttings and damp sensitive 
     alpines.  Most things have survived ok, now I have to find space for 
     them to bring them properly outdoors.
     
     It did occur to me that this also provides a work area at sitting 
     height.  Obviously it's a good dual purpose use of the kit from my 
     perspective as if its hot & dry enough to have an outdoor barbecue, I 
     no longer need to protect the plants.  I've taken a very 'Heath 
     Robinson' approach just to see how practical it really is, but I'm 
     sure there are better ways of securing the covers.
     
     Which has also reminded me, I work in IT & found a colleague was using 
     the old printer hoods (from when noisy impact printers were 
     everywhere) as cold frames after cutting out the bases, and as Hamster 
     runs buy replacing the perspex fron with wire.
     
     Happy re-useing
     
     Karen Stewart

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