Cheapskate bed edging ideas?

[Mimi]

Wow now that is what you  call a raised bed.

[Mimi]

[North Country Boy]

I have to own up and confess to being part of the throw away society as i used to buy everything brand new but since getting my allotment I have to admit to having a bit of an obsession with recycling. I friend delivered some pallets the other day they are 8' long and have made ideal fencing for one side of my allotment. He then dropped some smaller pallets off that i have been able to make into square compost bins and a different kind of pallet (not the ones you would associate with) which have made ideal chicken coops for the kids pet chickens. Ive also been able to cut these smaller pallets up and make them into sides for my raised beds. With the timber he delivered ive made runs for the chickens, the only cost being the chicken wire and a few screws.

[wardy]

I think pallets must be the most recycled thing after bottles and tins!  You can do an awful lot with them.  We want to make decking round our shed with some we've got.  My OH has them on his roof rack as we speak to take to our plot.  Once he's got the decking down he can then get his deckchair on it and listen to footy in peace (with a can or three of lager too)

The raised bed in the pic was made with Superbox roofing stuff which was given to us.  It's good stuff too - covered in a plasticy finished.  Still looking good and it's been built for about two years now

[North Country Boy]

Wardy, your right about the pallets, can be used for anything. My neighbouring lottie friend has had her eye on my pallet stack for a few weeks now and is amazed at how much ive done using them. Ive also become a dab hand at splitting them. Did hear the other day that if a certain company see's its pallets used for anything else they were designed for they will fine you as they dont sell the pallets to anyone they rent them out, its the blue ones with CHEP stamped on them. Bit more sturdy than normal pallets and a bit harder to split. Must say when i heard this news i got the fence paint out and tried to disguise my blue pallet made fence before anyone saw it.

[supernan]

 :D :D ROFL here North Country Boy. Am only 5'2" and shrinking so its getting harder to get into skips.

Try a country style market, one in Colchester, at the cattle market on a Saturday. They sell everything, wood, mowers, bricks, house clearance, pots, sinks, trailers, cars, mushroom compost, potting compost (£2.00 a bag for organic this week) Got my fence panels for £6.00 4'6" ones. Ok not top quality but they do the job!! Fresh meat, eggs, chickens, rabbits, budgies, and theres also an antique & modern furniture sale. Phew. See you there folks, I am the one with the loaded car and trailer.

[wardy]

I've got my eye on a discarded dustbin and some pallets at a building site near me  :)  I've also spotted tonnes of bricks at a factory that's been demolished and no-one has been near for about a year so I think I'll go and relieve them of a few

[summergirl]

On the subject of one mans rubbish etc... and how to get rid of stuff that you no longer have a use for (or probably more appropriately how to get hold of stuff that noone else wants given lottie holders recycling ability  ;D),  are you aware of freecycle?
The link below gives all the groups.  Basically people advertise things that they no longer have a need for, but it has to be given away NOT sold.

You can also post wanted ads - I'm sure there are plenty of water butts, old wheel barrows etc that could do with new homes.

http://freecycle.org/display.php?region=International

[wardy]

Great ta - I shall be checking that out deffo .   My oh found one of the blue pallets reared up against the bottle bank yesterday and he'd been watching it for a few days so decided to lift it as it had been dumped.  You're not supposed to have the blue ones as the company who makes them persues people who nick em (go on then  ;)  It will be green by tonight  ;D

[TULIP-23]

Wardy :o

Oh you Wicked Woman 8)