HELP needed tracking down a product

[vegpatchmum]

Hi guys,

I am currently in the process of putting together a grant applicaiton to try and secure more funding for the school garden. The aim of the project is to demonstrate how anybody can grow their own vegetables no matter how restricted they are for space.

As part of this project we also want to place planters and hanging baskets in community areas around the village and I've been scouring the internet looking for ideas and I've found what seems to be the perfect product on the T&M website BUT the product details are only for the baskets and it's the stand I'm interested in, as it appears sturdy and looks as if it goes directly into the ground.

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/garden-s ... t/p95895TM

I have asked them if they could tell me where I can get this stand but the poor lad on the phone wasn't able to help but did tell me I wasn't the first person to ask about the stand as well.

So has anyone seent his stand, know who makes it and where I might be able to get it? Please?

Thank you
VPM
x

[John]

Hello VPM
I can only suggest that you try looking at sites that sell what is called 'street furniture'. These usually supply local authorities, schools and so on.

Although hanging baskets look pretty they will require an awful lot of watering in hot weather - in a public place this is difficult as there is not likely to be a nearby water supply. In this village a public-spirited group maintains some large half-barrel planters and mows verges where the owners can't manage them any longer. They raise their money at the local flower/veg. show and also from pub events.

John

[Geoff]

I was working on the same idea while John posted.

I used "street furniture hanging basket supports" as a search and found a few suppliers (basket trees is another possible search). They may be a bit too serious but if you know anybody in a local authority they may have some contacts.

Don't like lists of links but here are a few anyway.

Appear to do basket trees but no detail : http://www.civicprideuk.com/catalogue/bisonrange.aspx

These look expensive : http://www.cis-streetfurniture.co.uk/pr ... g-baskets/

Very elegant : http://www.esi.info/detail.cfm/Plantsca ... 755_DE63EQ

Marshalls the paving people do some so they might be in garden centres.

[Tony Hague]

A lot depends on your budget. A metalworker who had a set of rolls and a welder could easily make something more attractive than the very municipal looking galvanised one in the links above. Look up people who make steel (or "wrought iron") gates and fencing.

If you need really cheap, cut down and repaint a rotary clothes drier. Comes with plenty of line to hang the baskets

Mind you, this seems quite cheap:

http://www.interhort.com/products/tr_11 ... askets.php

(found by googling "wrought iron basket tree")