Vegetables Blogs

It’s easy to make a few adjustments to your garden to make it more eco friendly for 2012. The easiest way to improve your eco friendliness is to start growing your own herbs and vegetables. A small raised bed kit for herbs won’t take up much space in your garden and you will soon reap the rewards. If you have more space for a larger raised bed you can grow a variety of organic foods, such as potatoes, broccoli and root vegetables, as well as herbs. A major benefit of growing your own food is that you know exactly what’s gone into it. This means no harsh pesticides or other chemicals, just healthy home grown, organic food.

Another easy and inexpensive option is to purchase a compost bin. This gives you a place to dispose of all your biodegradable waste efficiently and will provide essential nutrients for your garden. This kind of waste would otherwise end up in a landfill, where air cannot get to the organic waste. This means that when the waste breaks down it releases methane, which is damaging to the atmosphere. When the same material is broken down in a home compost bin, oxygen causes it to decompose aerobically, greatly reducing the amount of methane that is produced. Here at AVS Fencing we stock timber pressure treated compost bins in small, medium and large sizes, so there is a size suitable for most space allowances. So why not grow your own vegetables or recycle your green waste and do your bit for the environment in 2012?!

As the weather becomes cold and wet and the evenings draw darker it’s easy to neglect your garden. However, preparing some vegetable beds or water features now means everything will be ready for you to enjoy when the spring comes in.

Railway sleepers are excellent for flower and vegetable beds, ponds, water features, decking steps, furniture, edging and borders. When using railway sleepers for raised beds remember the importance of membrane and good drainage, as well as choosing non creosoted sleepers for any area in which you wish to grow vegetation. 2.4M 100 x 200mm softwood railway sleepers are ideal for use with plant borders and raised beds. If you prepare the beds during winter, by spring you will already have plants growing ready for the summer months.

There are some plants excellent for winter months that will keep your garden looking cheerful all year round. Holly, Christmas Rose, Dogwood, Viburnum and Wintersweet are all examples of great winter plants to consider adding to your garden.

The winter is also a good time to make new edging round heavy clay soil, as frost can help to break the soil down, making it easier to dig and manage. AVS Fencing Supplies have a great range of shovels and digging spades to help you with your garden projects.

For the full range of railway sleepers, visit your local branch or shop online.

There is an interesting article in the Eastwood & Kimberley Advertiser regarding the transformation of the outside play area at Underwood Primary School. This school was the proud beneficiary of a £2,000 grant so they decided to transform their outside area and purchased some Railways Sleepers to create vegetables beds to encourage children to grow their own produce.

The transformation in this area had such a huge knock-on effect, there were posters put up across the county which read ‘Dig For Victory’, to tie in with the world war two rationing morale. The head teacher at Underwood Primary School said: “It's all about teaching the pupils about self–sufficiency and it will give them a better understanding of where produce comes from, so they know it doesn’t grow at the supermarket!”

Once again this magnificent story highlights the effect of transforming a garden can do for so many people. So what are you waiting for? Come and join the wave of opportunism, by viewing AVS Fencing Supplies fantastic ‘Grow your own range’, which consist of a variety of raised vegetables beds that will not only save money, but mean you will have the best tasting vegetables in town!

How many times have we said to ourselves, 'if only we had more time I could do this and that'? Well AVS Fencing can help!

The grow your own initiative is rife at the moment as people are getting ready for the summer months and with weather now allowing us to get out in our gardens, now is the time to start planting your vegetables.

But what if you haven't got the time to grow your own vegetables? Well, there is an interesting article in the Telegraph which highlights it is possible to get involved in grow you initiatives, without toiling from dawn to dusk. So there you have it, you don't need much time, just the right guidance, so get involved!

They recommend choosing the right raised bed, sticking with the firm favourites of vegetables and choosing the correct compost for perfect vegetation. They also simply keeping the vegetables watered and then let nature take its natural course.

So, all you need to do is get in touch with AVS fences or come and see us. We can talk you through the best raised beds for your garden and voila, you are ready to create your perfect vegetable patch. Come to AVS Fencing to save you that much needed time!

There was an interesting news article in The Press news which highlights the excellence of community minded gardeners who have worked with local companies to make the perfect garden for children with disabilities to visit.

The pair have constructed raised vegetable beds and they commented on the positives they bring:

"We have been able to transform the plot and it looks absolutely wonderful"

This article highlights the importance of being in the garden and what better way to enjoy your garden than by creating a raised bed to grow your own vegetables.

So if you feel inspired by this example, then why not choose AVS fencing as your ideal supplier, as we now offer a brand new range of raised beds from beginners to premium and raised vegetable beds all of which can be viewed and bought online.

So what are you waiting for? Join the community spirit and get planting!

Its time to give them flowers some of that summer power we have all been enjoying in the recent weeks.

Trellis is excellent for growing climbing plants and flowers – whether you are growing vegetables and fruit, or whether you want decorative foliage. It gets better than that! AVS fencing trellis panels are ready-made for easy installation, so now you can start making instant impacts to your garden.

At AVS, we understand the need for persistent perfection as our range of Trellis is so aesthetically finished, which is just perfect for these summer months.

All this for an affordable price and due to the nature of the trellis, it doesn’t steal all your light from your garden, will adding that outstanding beauty with a modern edge.

If you would like further advice on AVS Trellis, click here and leave your details, so one of our experts can call you back.

AVS Fencing Supplies are a huge supplier of railway sleepers for garden and landscaping projects. This means you can have great confidence in the product with competitive prices and rapid delivery. Railway sleepers supplied included are both new and recycled in hardwood and treated softwood and are creosote-free.

The advantages of raised beds are:

• You can add soil which is suitable for herbs, vegetables or plants you want to grow.
• They save you back strain because you don't have to bend down so far!
• They need less watering than containers.

The disadvantage of raised beds is:

• You have to design and build them.

We can help to take care of that for you. Here are a few important points to bear in mind:

• Remember that raised beds are for the long term, so choose their site carefully. Do your plants want a sunny or shady position?
• Don't make your raised bed wider than you can comfortably reach.
• A height of 30 - 60 cm deep is sufficient for most small and medium sized plants.

How to make a wooden raised bed out of AVS railway sleepers.

What you will need:

Four railway sleepers;
eight tree stakes;
saw and hammer

1. Lay out the railway sleepers on edge in their final positions. Ensure that the best edge uppermost.
2. Hammer the two tree stakes into the ground, about 4cm from each corner, to hold the corners together.
3. Cut off ensuring the top of the stakes are flush with the railway sleepers. If you are making the bed on a paved surface use coach bolts to hold the sleepers together.
4. Fill your brand new sleeper raised bed with a suitable soil or compost. Top tip: If you want to grow herbs, then mix the top soil with grit.