LABELLED WITH LOVE
Canal Boat|November 2020
Helen Tidy enjoyed one weekend moored next to The Beer Boat ... simply the perfect solution to collecting bottle tops for her next project
Helen Tidy
LABELLED WITH LOVE

For those of us confined to houses for the period of lockdown, it has been an inescapable observation that the nation has turned to gardening in droves. For Andy and I, this past year has represented the first time we have really been around in order to get to grips with our garden and like so many, we have relished this slice of outdoor living. What we have missed in terms of canals, we have attempted to make up for with bedding plants.

Not quite the same but we are very aware of our good fortune in having our own outdoor space so we are not complaining. Given that so many of us have the zeal of the newly converted, I thought present ideas for the gardeners in our lives might be worth exploring, especially as we approach the festive season of giving.

Recycling or repurposing stuff seems to me to be very much standard practice when it comes to gardening. So making gifts out of rubbish has to be a good thing. Plant markers are an easy way to begin and there is a vast range of possibilities. My first attempt was using lolly sticks and could not be simpler. After a summer of self-indulgence, we had more than a few lolly sticks kicking around. These needed washing and then thorough drying. When ready, I dipped them into blackboard paint and set them to dry in wodge of Blu Tak.

Once dried, these are simply stuck into the ground with the relevant plant information written on using a chalk pen. Variations can be made using oddments of old cutlery which would make a spectacular gift decorously bound together with ribbon.

Denne historien er fra November 2020-utgaven av Canal Boat.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra November 2020-utgaven av Canal Boat.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA CANAL BOATSe alt
HIGH AND MIGHTY
Canal Boat

HIGH AND MIGHTY

Acorns make the perfect store food for jays’ larders

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2020
TAKING THE PLUNGE
Canal Boat

TAKING THE PLUNGE

Why Chris and Sarah Atkin will never forget tying the knot

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2020
LABELLED WITH LOVE
Canal Boat

LABELLED WITH LOVE

Helen Tidy enjoyed one weekend moored next to The Beer Boat ... simply the perfect solution to collecting bottle tops for her next project

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2020
MIDDLE THAMES
Canal Boat

MIDDLE THAMES

In the second part of our guide, we follow the Thames upstream from Reading through the steep sided Goring Gap and quieter countryide to reach Oxford

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5 mins  |
November 2020
THE GOOD OLD DAYS
Canal Boat

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

Robert Davies recalls childhood memories of a popular holiday destination and uncovers a reminder of the golden age of canals

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2020
FIT FOR PURPOSE
Canal Boat

FIT FOR PURPOSE

Terry Hibbard from Harworth Heating offers his expert opinion following our feature on onboard stove safety

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3 mins  |
November 2020
BUCKING UP...
Canal Boat

BUCKING UP...

We join Waterway Recovery Group’s first canal restoration working party in six months - as WRG’s volunteers help the Buckingham Canal Society get the project back on track after lockdown

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10 mins  |
November 2020
ART ON THE WATER
Canal Boat

ART ON THE WATER

Graphic artist Katie Ruby lives and works on 32ft narrowboat Poppy

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2 mins  |
November 2020
Canal Boat

GO WITH THE FLOW

What makes a boat truly stand out from the crowd? Sometimes you just need a little finesse and a taste for adventure

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9 mins  |
November 2020
Canal Boat

A GLASS HALF-FULL AT BUCKBY WHARF

Tim Coghlan raised a glass on the Grand Union Canal as The New Inn reopened to the relief of regulars

time-read
10 mins  |
November 2020