I'm having my garden landscaped. Previous owner of our new home laid
decking to level off the garden at the rear. I'm having a retaining
wall built to level things off properly so decking is no longer
required. Our kids, and ourselves to be honest, had a few slippery
moments on the decking anyway.

So I've got a few options -

1. our landscape gardener can just do what he wants with the decking
wood
2. we can give the decking to an aquaintance for their garden

But I'm wondering if anyone has any other suggestions where used
decking wood can be put to good use??

Dundonald wrote:

I'm having my garden landscaped. Previous owner of our new home laid
decking to level off the garden at the rear. I'm having a retaining
wall built to level things off properly so decking is no longer
required. Our kids, and ourselves to be honest, had a few slippery
moments on the decking anyway.

So I've got a few options -

1. our landscape gardener can just do what he wants with the decking
wood
2. we can give the decking to an aquaintance for their garden

But I'm wondering if anyone has any other suggestions where used
decking wood can be put to good use??

burn the fecking stuff.

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
Dundonald wrote:

I'm having my garden landscaped. Previous owner of our new home laid
decking to level off the garden at the rear. I'm having a retaining
wall built to level things off properly so decking is no longer
required. Our kids, and ourselves to be honest, had a few slippery
moments on the decking anyway.

So I've got a few options -

1. our landscape gardener can just do what he wants with the decking
wood
2. we can give the decking to an aquaintance for their garden

But I'm wondering if anyone has any other suggestions where used
decking wood can be put to good use??

burn the fecking stuff.

You need to bear in mind that (tanalised) decking timber may contain arsenic
so even burning it outside could be problematic.

Here's someone who campaigns on the issue :-

http://groups.google.co.uk/groups?hl...mpatico.ca+cca

snip
burn the fecking stuff.
I agree, it is the outdoor equivalent of laminate flooring P (which i
have in my kitchen btw!!!)

brugnospamsia wrote:

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...

Dundonald wrote:


I'm having my garden landscaped. Previous owner of our new home laid
decking to level off the garden at the rear. I'm having a retaining
wall built to level things off properly so decking is no longer
required. Our kids, and ourselves to be honest, had a few slippery
moments on the decking anyway.

So I've got a few options -

1. our landscape gardener can just do what he wants with the decking
wood
2. we can give the decking to an aquaintance for their garden

But I'm wondering if anyone has any other suggestions where used
decking wood can be put to good use??


burn the fecking stuff.


You need to bear in mind that (tanalised) decking timber may contain arsenic
so even burning it outside could be problematic.

Onlt for teh neighbours. Feck teh neigbours, DIE DIE DIE!!

Here's someone who campaigns on the issue :-

http://groups.google.co.uk/groups?hl...mpatico.ca+cca


Oh get a life.

Cuprager wrote:

snip

burn the fecking stuff.

I agree, it is the outdoor equivalent of laminate flooring P (which i
have in my kitchen btw!!!)

Burn that too.

"Dundonald" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm having my garden landscaped. Previous owner of our new home laid
decking to level off the garden at the rear. I'm having a retaining
wall built to level things off properly so decking is no longer
required. Our kids, and ourselves to be honest, had a few slippery
moments on the decking anyway.

So I've got a few options -

1. our landscape gardener can just do what he wants with the decking
wood
2. we can give the decking to an aquaintance for their garden

But I'm wondering if anyone has any other suggestions where used
decking wood can be put to good use??


if you're stuck for ideas, don't want to just take it down the tip & you're
anywhere near Richmond-upon-Thames then I'll take a load off your hands!
It makes good raised beds for the allotment.... (& the allotment creed is
"reuse - don't buy new materials!").


--
Richard Sampson

mail me at
richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

"RichardS" wrote in message
...
"Dundonald" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm having my garden landscaped. Previous owner of our new home laid
decking to level off the garden at the rear. I'm having a retaining
wall built to level things off properly so decking is no longer
required. Our kids, and ourselves to be honest, had a few slippery
moments on the decking anyway.

So I've got a few options -

1. our landscape gardener can just do what he wants with the decking
wood
2. we can give the decking to an aquaintance for their garden

But I'm wondering if anyone has any other suggestions where used
decking wood can be put to good use??


if you're stuck for ideas, don't want to just take it down the tip &
you're
anywhere near Richmond-upon-Thames then I'll take a load off your hands!
It makes good raised beds for the allotment.... (& the allotment creed is
"reuse - don't buy new materials!").


--
arsenic falavoured spuds - yum ;-)

"Cuprager" wrote in message
...
snip
burn the fecking stuff.
I agree, it is the outdoor equivalent of laminate flooring P (which i
have in my kitchen btw!!!)

so what's the alternative when your new extension has a 4 foot drop onto a
sloping garden ?

I agree it can be a bit "suburban" when overdone, but it CAN be quite handy.

Some people reserve this level of prejudice for IKEA - which I find
similarly bizarre

confused of Bristol

brugnospamsia wrote:
--

arsenic falavoured spuds - yum ;-)


They already contain a fair bit in their skins.

brugnospamsia wrote:

"Cuprager" wrote in message
...

snip

burn the fecking stuff.

I agree, it is the outdoor equivalent of laminate flooring P (which i
have in my kitchen btw!!!)


so what's the alternative when your new extension has a 4 foot drop onto a
sloping garden ?

Brick wall and backfill with hardcore and topsoil, and use as croquet lawn.


As here..

http://www.larksrise.com/May%202004%...0 pond%20.jpg


I agree it can be a bit "suburban" when overdone, but it CAN be quite handy.

Some people reserve this level of prejudice for IKEA - which I find
similarly bizarre


Crap by any other name is still crap.

confused of Bristol

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
brugnospamsia wrote:

"Cuprager" wrote in message
...

snip

burn the fecking stuff.

I agree, it is the outdoor equivalent of laminate flooring P (which i
have in my kitchen btw!!!)


so what's the alternative when your new extension has a 4 foot drop onto
a
sloping garden ?

Brick wall and backfill with hardcore and topsoil, and use as croquet
lawn.


As here..


http://www.larksrise.com/May%202004%...0 pond%20.jpg


Very "naice" I'm sure - I suppose one could simply use the soil excavated
from the "haha" ;-)

that your house then ?

here's mine ;-)

http://uk.geocities.com/gentlegreengiant/ruin.jpg

(before I put in my lovely uPVC windows :-)




I agree it can be a bit "suburban" when overdone, but it CAN be quite
handy.

Some people reserve this level of prejudice for IKEA - which I find
similarly bizarre


Crap by any other name is still crap.

confused of Bristol

brugnospamsia wrote:
so what's the alternative when your new extension has a 4 foot drop onto a
sloping garden ?

Sounds an ideal location for an adult-sized slide with a small treehouse
underneath. If you put a swimming pool in the garden you could add flumes.

Owain

On 3 Mar 2005 16:09:35 -0800, "Dundonald"
wrote:

I'm having my garden landscaped. Previous owner of our new home laid
decking to level off the garden at the rear. I'm having a retaining
wall built to level things off properly so decking is no longer
required. Our kids, and ourselves to be honest, had a few slippery
moments on the decking anyway.

Hi,

Sounds like there is a bit of algae on it, a gentle pressure wash or
some decking cleaner will make a big difference. Also some decking
stain would help it lose the green colour and make it a nice deep
colour.

cheers,
Pete.

brugnospamsia wrote;
Some people reserve this level of prejudice for IKEA - which I find

similarly bizarre

Well I love decking and laminate flooring so there! Ikea isn't all bad
either!!

Luddites!

Dave

"Magician" wrote in message
ups.com...

Ikea isn't all bad either!!


Only good thing Two Jags ever did for Stockport - banned them building an
Ikea there !

"Mike" wrote in message
...

"Magician" wrote in message
ups.com...

Ikea isn't all bad either!!


Only good thing Two Jags ever did for Stockport - banned them building an
Ikea there !


I joined in with the young folks on the M32 roundabout in Bristol about five
years ago protesting about IKEA - even though I couldn't wait for it to open
myself - but left quietly when I heard the rave wagon had been stopped by
the police ... I have to say as a 40 year old fogey I was slightly
intimidated by the police dogs especially when it dawned on me that they
might also be the sort of dog that could smell the "hand-rolled cigarette"
in my pocket ;-)

As it was, I discreetly disposed of the afore-mentioned item and left,
tipping my hat to the Kevlar armoured policemen little more than half my age
and they were similarly respectful in return :-)

They probably assumed I was a journalist or a social scientist or something
so I wasn't in any danger of arrest in any case and hence wasn't very cool
at all ;-)

I acknowledge Ikea /is/ annoyingly laid-out and is frequented by a lot of
"Sunday Supplement" types, but I'm way too lazy to spend hours fashioning
slatted wooden shelves when I can buy a couple of "hat racks" for less than
the price of the materials.

As it happens the long-term plans for my house feature no laminate flooring
or decking and very little from Ikea, but I still find much of their stuff
to be functional rational good design .....

just my 4.8 old pence' worth

BTW I've decided 45 is the new 40 :-)

brugnospamsia wrote:

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...

brugnospamsia wrote:


"Cuprager" wrote in message
...


snip

burn the fecking stuff.

I agree, it is the outdoor equivalent of laminate flooring P (which i
have in my kitchen btw!!!)


so what's the alternative when your new extension has a 4 foot drop onto

a

sloping garden ?

Brick wall and backfill with hardcore and topsoil, and use as croquet

lawn.


As here..



http://www.larksrise.com/May%202004%...0 pond%20.jpg


Very "naice" I'm sure - I suppose one could simply use the soil excavated
from the "haha" ;-)


Actualy a ****load of builders rubble went in there, and crap cement,
building sand, hardcore , most of teh original gravel drive and the mud
it was mixed with, and, indeed, anything else left over.

that your house then ?

Yes.


here's mine ;-)

http://uk.geocities.com/gentlegreengiant/ruin.jpg

(before I put in my lovely uPVC windows :-)


I'm working up to one of those.

arsenic falavoured spuds - yum ;-)

They already contain a fair bit in their skins.

If you are referring to the fact that you shouldn't eat green potatoes
then the poison is not arsenic. The poison is actually and alkaloid
called solanine. The green is actually chlorophyll but it is a good
indication that the potato has produced solanine as well. Solanine is
very poisonous but fortunately present in small quantities even in very
green potatoes (you could eat a green potato and not die). The, I
suppose, positive aspect of solanine is that it is very bitter, as most
alkaloids are, so you wouldn't want to eat it anyway. Deep peeling a
green potato will remove all the solanine as it is only present in the
skin and just below.

As for arsenic, plants will take it up into their leaves and fruit to
some extent if there is any in the ground and some plants are better at
it than others. However, if there isn't arsenic in the ground then there
wont, in fact can't, be any in the plant.

Graham

doozer wrote:

arsenic falavoured spuds - yum ;-)

They already contain a fair bit in their skins.

If you are referring to the fact that you shouldn't eat green potatoes
then the poison is not arsenic. The poison is actually and alkaloid
called solanine. The green is actually chlorophyll but it is a good
indication that the potato has produced solanine as well. Solanine is
very poisonous but fortunately present in small quantities even in very
green potatoes (you could eat a green potato and not die). The, I
suppose, positive aspect of solanine is that it is very bitter, as most
alkaloids are, so you wouldn't want to eat it anyway. Deep peeling a
green potato will remove all the solanine as it is only present in the
skin and just below.

As for arsenic, plants will take it up into their leaves and fruit to
some extent if there is any in the ground and some plants are better at
it than others. However, if there isn't arsenic in the ground then there
wont, in fact can't, be any in the plant.

Graham

Potatoes are curious vegetables.

They are ftom te same family as datura, belladonna, and several other
members oa a family most of which are deadly poisonous, and used in the
manufacture of witches ointment.

I think tomatoes are in the same family.

It is reckoned that potatoes would not pass FDA regulatuions if they
ever had to take the test...

I must say - maybe its urban legend that arsenic was what the skins
suposedly had.

http://soils.tfrec.wsu.edu/mg/lead.htm

suggests it is not urban legend, and that potatoes are just great at
incorporating any heavy metals into their skins.

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
doozer wrote:

arsenic falavoured spuds - yum ;-)

They already contain a fair bit in their skins.

If you are referring to the fact that you shouldn't eat green potatoes
then the poison is not arsenic. The poison is actually and alkaloid
called solanine. The green is actually chlorophyll but it is a good
indication that the potato has produced solanine as well. Solanine is
very poisonous but fortunately present in small quantities even in
very green potatoes (you could eat a green potato and not die). The, I
suppose, positive aspect of solanine is that it is very bitter, as
most alkaloids are, so you wouldn't want to eat it anyway. Deep
peeling a green potato will remove all the solanine as it is only
present in the skin and just below.

As for arsenic, plants will take it up into their leaves and fruit to
some extent if there is any in the ground and some plants are better
at it than others. However, if there isn't arsenic in the ground then
there wont, in fact can't, be any in the plant.

Graham


Potatoes are curious vegetables.

They are ftom te same family as datura, belladonna, and several other
members oa a family most of which are deadly poisonous, and used in the
manufacture of witches ointment.

I think tomatoes are in the same family.

It is reckoned that potatoes would not pass FDA regulatuions if they
ever had to take the test...

I must say - maybe its urban legend that arsenic was what the skins
suposedly had.

http://soils.tfrec.wsu.edu/mg/lead.htm

suggests it is not urban legend, and that potatoes are just great at
incorporating any heavy metals into their skins.




Yes tomatoes are in the same family. I was surprised when I found that
out because the plants are so different. Eating the leaves of tomatoes
is a bad idea .oO(hopes that we get some sun this year so the tomatoes
grow).

The process of metal extraction by plants is called phytomining BTW.
Perhaps we could use potatoes to get rich extracting heavy metals from
the ground. There is so little arsenic in the ground (generally) that
there is not danger from poisoning. I believe that is some naturally
occurring arsenic in Cornwall but it is at levels where even if a plant
accumulates it there is no danger. Apparently, and this may be urban
legend or just plain bad science, people that consume tiny amounts of
arsenic live longer.

"doozer" wrote in message
...
The Natural Philosopher wrote:
doozer wrote:


...

Potatoes are curious vegetables.

They are ftom te same family as datura, belladonna, and several other
members oa a family most of which are deadly poisonous, and used in the
manufacture of witches ointment.

I think tomatoes are in the same family.

It is reckoned that potatoes would not pass FDA regulatuions if they
ever had to take the test...


I believe that, like runner beans they were originally grown here as a
curiosity and for its rumoured aphrodisiac qualities - they were known as
"pommes d'amour" or "love apples".


Yes tomatoes are in the same family. I was surprised when I found that
out because the plants are so different. Eating the leaves of tomatoes
is a bad idea .oO(hopes that we get some sun this year so the tomatoes
grow).

Potato fruits look like small green aubergines (another of the solanacea)
My nickname comes from my love of a particularly attractive member of the
same family.
http://www.brugmansia.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
(under construction due to tuit deficiency ;-)


The process of metal extraction by plants is called phytomining BTW.
Perhaps we could use potatoes to get rich extracting heavy metals from
the ground. There is so little arsenic in the ground (generally) that
there is not danger from poisoning. I believe that is some naturally
occurring arsenic in Cornwall but it is at levels where even if a plant
accumulates it there is no danger. Apparently, and this may be urban
legend or just plain bad science, people that consume tiny amounts of
arsenic live longer.

I'd avoid it myself :-(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/252308.stm

Jeremy