Made from sturdy, long-lasting 6mm round mild steel, we’ve weathered these plant supports and pot stands outside for a few weeks, but the great thing is they’ll only look better the more weathern-worn they become. All items in the range will also be available in a brushed steel finish with a coat of lacquer to protect them against the elements.

The rusted iron supports will provide support for your plants and shrubs throughout the growing season but will also add some elegent structure to your borders during the winter months.

We will be selling the rusted iron pot stands with a special offer on some vintage terracotta pots – filled up with winter pansies, violas or cyclamens, these pot stands are another way to bring some colour and interest to your garden or patio during the winter.

Mick Merchant comes from a family of blacksmiths that have been working a forge in West Oxfordshire for over three generations and his skill and experience have been invaluable in helping us create this range.

Working in partnership with Mick it’s great to be able to help a local blacksmith sustain their business during what is a difficult time for traditional craftsmen.

Take a look at our rusted iron range in our online shop »

Ten months later and we’re still battling the weeds but we’re also busy harvesting lots of fresh fruit, veggies and beautiful blooms.  It has been lots of hard work and if I’m honest, there have been times when it’s felt like just another thing on our seemingly endless ‘to do’ list.

Mostly though it has become a bit of a haven, somewhere to get away from it all and enjoy some peace and quiet. There’s a great sense of community and even the kids, who were sceptical at first, have enjoyed making new friends, building dens and of course filling their little tummies full of fruit.

National Allotments Week runs from 8-14 August and aims to highlight the allotment movement and raise awareness of growing your own.

Another friend, Helen, kindly let us use the orchard on their family farm and fuelled us with tea and biscuits while we dragged bits and pieces between the trees. The orchard at Merryfield Farm is a beautiful place which is crowded with daffodils in spring, overgrown with cow parsley in the early summer only to offer up a fine harvest of apples in the autumn.

National Nest Box Week is organised by the British Trust for Ornithology and encourages us to put up nest boxes in our garden in time for the nesting season.  There has been a huge decline in the number of natural nesting sites available to birds in recent years so putting up nesting boxes provides homes for birds who may otherwise struggle to find a suitable site to rear their young. The NNBW website has lots of interesting information about the different species of bird that use nest boxes as well as detailed instructions if you fancy having a go at building your own.

Another great idea I came across recently on the Living Homegrown Fresh blog was to provide a supply of natural nest making materials out in the garden for wild birds to find – scraps of natural fibres such as wool, silk, fabric and ribbon left over from craft projects make perfect nesting materials entwined with twigs. My kids and I have had fun collecting lots of colourful bits and pieces together and will be looking out for the best dressed nest later in the season.

Hundreds of apples, which may have otherwise gone to waste, were pressed into delicious juice and the apple mania also extended to longest peel competitions, apple art and apple olympics.  And, once the hard work was over, you guessed it  – a slice of delicious apple cake. Yum!   It was great to be part of this brilliant community event which I hope will become an annual fixture.

Apple Day is an annual celebration, held on 21st October each year, of apples and orchards. It was set up in 1990 by Common Ground and now every year events are held up and down the country – click here for more information and ideas for planning your own apple day.

Since our online shop launched in April our vintage apple crates have been one of our best-sellers. Many of our customers are using these old wooden bushel boxes for storage – they’re a stylish and flexible alternative to modern “flat-pack” furniture and can be used on their sides or even screwed into the wall to create great rustic looking shelving units.

James will receive a £10 Mabel & Rose voucher to spend in our online store.

We’re now accepting entries for our November ‘Your Vintage Garden’ competition. Please send us photos of interesting ways you’ve used any vintage garden items purchased from Mabel & Rose for your chance to win a £10 voucher. Email your entries to competitions@mabelandrose.com before 30th November 2010.

These are a great idea for a homemade gift and if you fancy having a go yourself then check out the following link:-

» How to Make Terracotta Pot Candles

If you want to be really green then opt for environmentally friendly soy wax and rather than throwing the pot away once your candle has burned down, you can wash it out with soap and water and reuse it again in the garden.

We’re now accepting entries for our October ‘Your Vintage Garden’ competition. Please send us photos of interesting or creative ways you’ve used any vintage garden items purchased from Mabel & Rose for your chance to win a £10 voucher. Email your entries to competitions@mabelandrose.com before 31st October 2010.