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Archive for January, 2010

Take A Look At Our New Competitions

Posted in Competitions, Gardening at Home, Gardening at School, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 29, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Brand new for February we have some more lovely competitions  for you.  One is a Family Competition and the second is a School Competition.  There are some great prizes up for grabs – all perfect for gardening in the spring.  Here is how to enter…

Schools

Plants generally germinate better if they are grown in a propagator but do you know why?  Send in your answers …plus tell us a few of the things that your school would like to grow in your own propagator.

The best school entry will win 2 Potting Trays, 3 Non-Electric Propagators and 2 Paper Potters, but the closing date is 28th February 2010, so enter today! 

Email your entry to charlotte@gardeningwithchildren.co.uk  by 28th February 2010. 

Or if you prefer, complete the entry form available here and send it by post to:

School Competition, Gardening With Children, Unit 1, Bee Mill, Ribchester, Preston. PR3 3XJ

Families

For families we would like you to list 4 things that plants need in order to grow. …Plus in a few sentences tell us about something that you have really enjoyed growing yourself and why.

The winner will win our seedlings starter kit including a Potting Tray a Non-Electric Propagator, a Paper Potter, a Children’s Hand Trowel, and an Antibacterial Hand Cleaner but the closing date is on 28th February 2010 so enter today!

(Note: items on the potting tray are not included in the prize.)

Email your entry to charlotte@gardeningwithchildren by 28th February 2010. 

Or if you prefer, fill out the form available here and send it by post to:

Family Competition, Gardening With Children, Unit 1, Bee Mill, Ribchester, Preston. PR3 3XJ

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A Seasonal Recipe for January – Carrot & Root Vegetable Gratin

Posted in 1, Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on January 25, 2010| Leave a Comment »

We always love to find recipes that are full of seasonal ingredients and this one is perfect.  So if you still have your harvest of carrots, parsnips and garlic give this carrot and root vegetable gratin a go. 

…Fruit and vegetables taste best when they are at their freshest – straight from the plot to the plate.  So if you want to grow your own vegetables visit www.recycleworks.co.uk for all your gardening needs.

Ingredients

  • 500g waxy potatoes sliced very thinly
  • 1 parsnip , sliced thinly
  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 sprig chopped fresh rosemary
  • 284ml carton double cream
  • 150ml full-fat milk
  • 350g carrots , sliced wafer thin
  • 50g parmesan cheese, grated

    • Method

    • Preheat the oven to around 170 C
    • Grease a shallow ovenproof dish.
    • Layer the slices of potatoes and parsnip in the bottom of the dish with two of the sliced garlic cloves and sprinkle over a little salt and half the rosemary.
    • Pour the cream and milk into a large saucepan, add the rest of the rosemary and garlic, the carrots and a little seasoning. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for a few minutes.
    • Pour the carrots and cream over the other vegetables, and spread the carrots out. Sprinkle over the parmesan, cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake a further 20 minutes until golden brown.

    This is totally delicious alongside a meat dish or as a vegetarian meal eaten on its own.

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    Take Advantage of Great Discounts on Gardening Equipment

    Posted in Gardening at Home, Gardening at School, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 22, 2010| Leave a Comment »

    Beat The January Blues – Save 10% Off All Orders From Recycleworks This Weekend Only! 
     

    10% Off ImageThe Recycle Works team have all been really busy this week doing all their New Year tasks and continuing to source lots of fantastic new products for you which we’ll be telling you more about soon.
     
    As the weather seems to have reverted back to being wet and windy, we thought we should do something that should hopefully make all our customers feel happier by offering you 10% off all orders placed this weekend!
     
    With FREE Mainland UK delivery on all orders over £15 too, we’ll get your orders out to you straight away so you can be enjoying them next week.
     
    And once again please don’t forget that this offer is available THIS WEEKEND ONLY, so quote ‘TENPERCENT‘ in the Discount Code Section* on the website and you’ll receive a winter warming 10% off your order!

     
    Solitary Bee Hive
    Solitary Bee Hive

    This Solitary Bee Hive  is perfect for attracting more bees to your garden.  It is fully interactive and has individual cell trays so you can keep an eye on any bees using the hive and clean it out when necessary.
    Price: £22.99 
    Cold Frames
    Cold Frame

    Cold Frames are made at our factory from FSC wood treated with chestnut non-toxic preservative. The lid is made from (unbreakable) polycarbonate which is uv stable (it will not let in harmful rays & will not burn plants).
    Price: £89.00
    Wild Bird Survival Kit 
    Bird Feed Gift Hamper

     
    Made from FSC wood, this Wild Bird Survival Kit will make an ideal present for anyone who is keen on feeding the birds in their garden.
    Price: £24.99

    Compost Bins
    twin composter

     

    The Twin Wooden Compost Bin is easy to assemble, no nails, no screws, no holes to dig. Twin compartments allow for one side to mature whilst filling the other. 

    Price: £145.46
    Solar Insect Theatre
    Solar Insect Theatre   

    The Solar Insect Theatre features unique solar lighting  that automatically lights up at dusk attracting Moths, Lacewings, Butterflies and other interesting flying insects into the Theatre.

    Price: £29.50

     
    Raised Beds
    wooden raised bed 

     Wooden Raised Beds will allow your roots to grow long, straight and strong.
    The crop will be easy to harvest to perfection.
    Ideal if your plot has poor drainage.

    Price: £52.16
    There are lots more great products available on the Recycle Works website and please do keep looking at our very Special Offers that change on a regular basis.

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    Gardening Jobs for January & February

    Posted in Gardening at Home, Gardening at School, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 17, 2010| Leave a Comment »

    Well the days are still short and can feel pretty chilly at times, but there is still lots to be doing in the garden.  So do what we did this weekend… get on a thick jumper and a pair of wellies and get out there…. You’ll soon find lots of jobs to be getting on with. 

    For our ideas on what to be doing at this time of year take a look at our Guide to Gardening Jobs in January and February. 

    From tidying up and cutting back to preparing the soil for the growing season, painting and repairing fences to setting up a compost bin or raised bed, planting onion and garlic under cloches …the list is endless.

    And if the weather is really very unpleasant why not get started on sowing some of the early crops in a heated propagator.  This will give the plants the perfect head start in time for spring.

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    Feed the Birds with Children & Develop their Passion for Wildlife

    Posted in Gardening at Home, Gardening at School, Wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 13, 2010| 1 Comment »

    Here at Gardening With Children, we care deeply about our environment as well as our wildlife, and during the winter months I have had such fun with my own children watching the birds in our garden.  

    Try Gourmet Robin Food in your garden and give this favourite bird a real treat

    The children’s sheer delight as the drama of the bird world unfolds…  The blue tits and great tits swapping and changing on the nut feeders, the blackbirds exploring the ground, the cautious wren hopping amongst the flower pots and the swooping in of the starlings – a boisterous mob of tear aways coming in and causing chaos… and that’s all in a few minutes!  

    The Niyger Bird Feeder is great for all sorts of seed feeding birds

     …And yesterday I shared a joke with Jemima as we watched a pied wagtail perched on the wall.  As it teetered and bobbed, wagging its tail to keep balance we soon saw where it got it’s name!! 

    Birds need our help more than ever at this time of year and we have also been feeding the birds at school.  This provides a fantastic learning experience for the children, and handy feeders such as the Discovery Seed Feeder and the Window Bird Feeder can be placed where the children can see so much of the action from inside the classroom. 

     

    We also love the Handing Bird Table  and the Ground Bird Table.  Both are priced at just £13.95 and are made from FSC wood.  Bird tables are important in any garden.  They reduce the risk of hygiene problems, can be easily cleaned and they keep pets out of reach.  They are also perfect for gardens where space is limited. 

     

    The full range of wildlife products, from for Hedgehog Food to Peanut Cakes and beautiful Birch Nesting Boxes, are all available at www.recycleworks.co.uk. 

     

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    New Competitions For January 2010 With Great Gardening Prizes!

    Posted in Competitions, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 10, 2010| Leave a Comment »

    Brand new for 2010 we have some exciting Competition News.  To give schools and families a helping hand with gardening projects throughout the year, each month we will have an exciting new competition for each to enter.  
     
     
    All the information can be found in the Family Zone Competition and the School Zone Competition.  There is something for everyone, but the first competition closes on 31st January 2010, so get your skates on and enter today!!
     
    As always we are offering some excellent prizes from the Recycleworks Ltd.  This month  it’s the turn of potato growing kits, the childrens allotment plot and the fabulous Solar Insect Theatre.

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    A Rainy Day Poem to Make You Smile

    Posted in Gardening at Home, Gardening at School, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 4, 2010| 1 Comment »

    We always love to hear from you, and it’s great to see what a creative bunch you are.  A customer on the Isle of Mull sent us this brilliant fun verse.  We hope you enjoy it as much as we did, and if you want to collect those all important raindrops for watering the garden at a later date, take a look at this clever super slim Water Butt .

    Perfectly designed to fit neatly into a corner, this water butt is only £33.99 including delivery to your door

    It rained and rained and rained and rained
    The average was well maintained
    And when our fields were simply bogs
    It started raining cats and dogs
    After a drought of half an hour
    There came a most refreshing shower
    And then the queerest thing of all
    A gentle rain began to fall
     
    Next day ’twas pretty fairly dry
    Save for a deluge from the sky
    This wetted people to the skin
    But after that the rain set in
    We wondered, what’s the next we’d get
    As sure as fate we got more wet
    But soon we’ll have a change again
    And we shall have
    A drop of rain.

     

    Love Your Environment!

     

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