Product review: potato planters
Consumer editor Julia Heaton finds out which reuseable potato planters are the most user-friendly
Best buy 18/20
Three potato patio planters £12.99 (p&p £4.50)
Haxnicks from garden centres
Tel. 0845 241 1555
www.haxnicks.co.uk
BUILD 4
Round polyethylene bags with side handles and reinforced metal edged drainage holes, offset from each other around the base and sides. Double stitching up the sides for strength. Size…
Leaf blower
There’s a lot to be said for having the extra freedom to move around that battery machinery so obviously provides. And where leaf fall is concerned that freedom to roam is what the Bosch cordless leaf blower is all about. As well as having a powerful 18v Lithium-ion battery it’s got lots of complimentary features to help get the…
Consumer editor Julia Heaton hand picks gloves to see which is the most thornproof
Best Buy 18/20
Tough Touch £26.95 (£2 p&p) Harrod Horticultural,
Tel. 0845 218 5301 www.harrodhorticultural.com
Build: 4
Hand is gold grain leather and the hide cuff has a suede feel. Available in both ladies and gents sizes.
Features: 5
The leather has been treated for more water resistance and the cuff is a…
Folding trucks
Consumer editor Julia Heaton tests out four folding trucks and picks out her favurite for those heavy duty tasks
£24.99
MAKE: YEOMAN
Available at garden centres. www.yeomangarden.com
BUILD ****
Preassembled, mild steel, frame. The toe plate is the second largest and is made from aluminium.
FEATURES ****
Doesn’t convert to a flat bed but the extendable handle could be locked at any height over a range…
Pro Swingball
Can a garden ball game, designed for use on a range of surfaces, deliver the goods? Consumer editor, Julia Heaton, finds out
I’m always loath to fix nets and the like into the lawn so was interested to see an adult version of kid’s swingball that could be removed at a moments notice. Made by games company Mookie, Pro…
With a spot of lateral thinking I’ve been able to solve two problems at the same time. Problem one involved the number of plants in pots I’ve got and the fact that the patio isn’t bit enough to take them all. Problem two was what to do with an empty border towards the top of the garden. I’d been considering…
As with so many things, you get what you pay for. This is certainly true of wellington boots, says consumer editor Julia Heaton. Pricewise, the difference is huge, from the cheapest PVC pair you’d wear for pottering about, to those with reinforcements for shovelling muck. The more you pay, the better the features of the boot designed to give…
As the watering season gets underway consumer editor Julia Heaton looks at six hosepipes that come with a trolley or carrier
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Best Buy- 18/20
KIT PRONTO 30M HOSE TROLLEY- £56.47
Telephone- (01282) 873370
www.lbsgardeningwarehouse.co.uk
BUILD ****
All plastic apart from the anodized aluminium frame.
FEATURES ****
Comes with 97ft6in (30m) of in hose reel, 5ft (1.5m) of lead hose, water-stop adapter, spray nozzle and couplings. The handle…
Consumer editor, Julia Heaton, launches a four-prong attack to find which of six border forks is the business in the borders
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Best Buy- 18/20
SELECT BRAND- £28.06
Spear & Jackson
Telephone- (0114) 2814242
Spear-and-jackson.com
BUILD *****
Lower shaft and tines are mirror polished stainless steel. Upper portion and handle is polypropylene with a soft grip
FEATURES *****
Although the handle is ‘D’ shaped it is larger and more rounded…
