Haxnicks and The Incredible Solar Electric Flight

This summer an incredible expedition is set to take place - a group of adventurers will pilot 4 backpack flying machines, known as paramotors, across 2000km, from Monaco to Morocco. The route will involve numerous challenges, such as crossing the notoriously dangerous Pyrenees, and flying over the straits of Gibraltar. Amongst the pilots are Damian Cardozo and Tom Hughes, both from Haxnicks.

Paramotors, for those that don’t know, are backpack engines with propellors, which enable the pilot to fly under an inflatable parachute. The pilots will fly west from Monaco, along the French coast, before crossing the windy Pyrenees and heading South down the Spanish coast, eventually reaching Gibraltar. From here, they will undertake the final challenge, flying over the straits of Gibraltar to arrive in Morocco.

The mission aims to raise sponsorship and awareness for Ataxia UK, a charity which funds research into the causes and potential treatments of the disease. Ataxia is a neurological progressive disease, which over time destroys the body’s coordination.

Check out the pilots, and indeed the whole mission at www.theincrediblewebsite.org, which follows the mission progress along with a whole load of other incredible events, and also has links to donate should you so wish...

Haxnicks Raised Bed System - The complete growing solution for small spaces!

Haxnicks, the plant protection specialist, has developed an easy-to-build Raised Bed Growing System that requires little maintenance and is ideal for growing vegetables, salads and herbs in small garden spaces. The 100% FSC-certified timber raised bed measures 1 metre by 1.2 metre and comes with an optional fitted frame and choice of two protective covers.

Haxnicks Raised Bed Growing System is made up of four parts. The Raised Bed Base is easily built using the four lengths of FSC-certified, pressure-treated timber and rust-free corner-joining brackets. The single bed is 15 cm (6 inch) deep, but if greater depth is required, extension brackets are supplied to secure multiple tiers of the bed base.

The Raised Bed Frame provides a 50cm high, arched, black-metal framework for the protective covers. It slots securely into holes in the joining brackets of the timber base. The covers can then be fitted and secured at the corners for a snug fit.


Create a mini-greenhouse with the PVC Weather Protection Cover , it warms the soil for earlier planting and retains warmth and humidity for quicker growth. Flaps at either end make ventilation easy. Made of heavy-duty, clear PVC, it provides robust weather protection for newly-sown crops.

The Micromesh™ Pest Protection Cover helps retain soil moisture whilst providing the best possible protection from insects, including aphids and carrot fly, and other pests. The ultra-fine mesh allows air and water to easily pass through, but protects against scorching and other weather damage.

Haxnicks Raised Bed Growing Systems are available from all good garden centres or call Haxnicks on 0845 241 1555.

Storing ‘home-grown’ vegetables naturally

Successfully growing your own vegetables is only half the story. The challenge is then to harvest and store your crop so nothing goes to waste. Haxnicks has produced a new storage sack designed to make it easy for root vegetables.

The Vegetable Sack is part of Haxnick’s Jute Naturally™ range of fully biodegradable products made from jute (also known as hessian, or burlap in the USA). The jute sack measures 70cm (2ft 3in) by 40cm (1ft 4in) and is decorated with the names of vegetables suitable for storing in this way – potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, swedes, beetroot. A couple of twine ties are attached to the top of the sack, so it can be easily secured to keep your vegetables safe and sound. The woven jute allows the free passage of air, preventing condensation, so crops are kept cool and dry.

Jute Naturally™ Vegetable Sacks retail at £2.99 each and are available from all good garden centres and selected gardening mail order catalogues.

For stockists or more information, call Haxnicks on 0845 241 1555 or click here.

Chelsea Flower Show Review

Emma models the Bag-to-Boot, whilst Emily tries to hide in the Pea and Bean Planter!

We would really like to thank everyone who came to our stand at the Chelsea Flower Show 2009. It was, for Haxnicks, an incredible experience and we thoroughly enjoyed it, and were pretty much flat out from 7am to 8pm every day!

Because Chelsea is such a great experience we decided early on to get as many of our staff to 'have a go' at running the stand for a couple of days at a time. This provided a great day out and lots of lessons for us at Haxnicks about what customers really think of our products - all positive I might add...

The Haxnicks Planters proved their popularity, selling continuously throughout the show, with a lot of people taking the chance to get some last minute potato planters going- it is still not to late to enjoy home grown organic vegetables.

However ultimately we would like to thank Chelsea for allowing us, during our occasional breaks, to tour (whizz) around the amazing gardens.

Victoria takes a break from her Rootrainer demonstrations, and convinces herself that our Pots Naturally palm tree is actually a real palm, somewhere on a beautiful beach...	...whilst Simon gets into his sales pitch, Julia demonstrates some other uses for the Haxnicks Baby Victorian Bell, and Emily surveys the scene.

Potato Patio Planter Planting Instructions

Seed Potatoes are on sale from December and throughout the Spring, and again in July/August for planting for Autumn and Christmas. Each Patio Planter is suitable for planting 3 seed tubers, or 4 tubers if very small 'baby potatoes' are required. By planting each potato planter at 4 week intervals you will be able to harvest over a longer period.

Place your seed potatoes in a cool but frost-free place in egg boxes or shallow trays in full light, so that they can form sturdy shoots (chits) about 2.5cm (1 inch) long. This takes approximately 5 weeks.

For each planter you will need approximately 40 litres of good general purpose compost.

Pour approximately 10cm (4 inches) into the bottom of the planter. Plant your seed potatoes, with the shoots or eyes facing upwards, and cover with 5cm (2 inches) of compost. Keep the compost slightly damp, but do not over-water.

When the shoots have grown 7cm (3 inches) high, add another layer of compost to leave the tips of the shoots just showing, keeping the compost damp each time. Repeat this process until the compost and shoots are 3 cm (1 inch) from the top.

When the Potato Planter is full and the leaves of the plants are showing, feed weekly with a high potash/ low nitrogen soluble plant food. If there is danger of frost, cover with fleece and remove when the frost has passed.

When the plant produces small white or pink flowers your potatoes are ready to harvest. Simply dig down into the planter to see if your potatoes are ready, and look out for the planter bulging, another sign of good potato growth. Remove a few potatoes at a time, or tip the planter out to reveal a bumper harvest.

If you want larger tubers then continue feeding and watering for another few weeks.

You Will Need

• 40 litres high quality multi-purpose compost/planter. (120 litres for the 3 planters)
• 3 or 4 seed potatoes / planter (9 - 12 seeds for the 3 planters)
• Liquid feed

Now you can enjoy the taste of Home-grown Spuds!

Haxnicks goes to Chelsea

For the first time Haxnicks will be appearing at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2009.We will be selling Rootrainers, Patio Planters, Canetoppers and Soft-tie off the stand, and offering mail order delivery on the rest of the Haxnicks product range. Also there is a special show discount of 15% on all payments taken at the stall.

Come and find us at Stall EA110 to buy, order, or just to have a chat!

Haxnicks Canetoppers™ - Colourful toppers and teepees.

CaneToppers™ are the latest fun, yet very practical, garden accessories from Haxnicks. They come in three configurations suitable for use with 6mm to 10mm canes, and are available in a choice of three colours – smart black, crisp turquoise and playful pink.

CaneToppers™ (1 Cane) act as safety tops for single canes, making an attractive and fun addition to any flower border or vegetable bed. Each pack contains ten CaneToppers™.

There are two configurations for making cane tepees - CaneToppers™ (3 Cane) holds three canes gripped tightly by the tough, rubbery plastic, with three toppers per pack.

CaneToppers™ (8 Cane) is slightly larger to hold eight canes firmly in a tepee, with one topper per pack.

Haxnicks CaneToppers™, priced at £3.99 per pack, are widely available from good garden centres and mail order gardening catalogues and websites. For stockists or more information, call Haxnicks on 0845 241 1555.