Gardening Tools, Equipment & BBQ's

Healthy gardens don’t just happen by chance; they take a lot of planning and care. As gardeners, we rely heavily on nature and the key to successful gardening is to work alongside mother nature and make the most of what she has to give. By the peak summer months, as much as 70% of household water supply is used in the garden.

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Weber charcoal barbecue models have been upgraded with new features such as black ash catchers, 20cm wheels and convenient charcoal measuring cups. 2010 sees the birth of Weber’s first four-legged charcoal barbecue. The brand new Weber One-Touch Deluxe comes with thermoset side tables, a convenient Tuck-Away lid holder, and two Char-Basket fuel holders. What’s more, all Weber charcoal barbecues now come with a 10 year warranty.

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In the current climate more and more people are looking to save money and we are seeing an increase in the grow you own culture. A great method of growing vegetables is to use raised beds, as this method is becoming more and more popular here are a few tips that the keen gardener should be aware of

Adequate Drainage
you must make sure your raised beds allow for excess water run off. Excess water around the roots of your plants will cause root rot and your plants could die. Just like flower pots have holes in the bottom to allow the water to exit, it is essential to make sure your raised beds allow for the water to leave as well.
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How far can I cut back my Yew shrubs in my garden?
The Yew is one of only a few conifers that you can cut back to bare stems with no existing leaves, and it will recover. See the photo Yew plant cut to base and reshooting. This is often the best way to regenerate an old woody plant. Because the root system is still intact, the growth after pruning can be very fast.

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Here is an awesome sauce a friend gave to me, if you like BBQ sauce and you like beer then here is the perfect recipe for you!

Beer BBQ Sauce

1 can of beer (your favorite)

1 large can of tomato sauce

1 cup cider vinegar

3/4 cup olive oil

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You’ve committed to joining a competition BBQ. You’ve practiced and are ready to go. You’ve gotten buyoff from the family and you have your support structure, but now you ask yourself “what goes on?” The following article attempts to describe some of what goes on.

Part 1 – Competition Preparation. Preparation activity starts early in the week of the competition. Some folks have the fortune of focusing a tremendous amount of energy on this preparation aspect, but for most of us, it’s a hobby and must take a back seat to our jobs and family obligations. Stress levels and anxiety escalate as the week progresses, so when Friday evening comes, you’re thankful for being able to finally execute your craft. The relaxed feeling you get at about 10pm on Friday night of a competition, devoid of all the everyday stressors, is priceless. Here’s a typical week for me.

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Extend the summer season and live the alfresco lifestyle all year round by simply switching on your patio heater. Patio heaters create welcome warmth as well as providing a stylish and attractive ambience. Patio heaters are increasing in popularity, especially with the stay-at-home trend we are seeing. They come available in a range of colours – stainless steel, white, green and black – making them a fashion statement as well as a must-have garden accessory.

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Lump charcoal has a lot of attractive qualities; it lights faster, burns hotter, and leaves very little ash compared to briquettes. Briquettes, however, are kind of like the fast food of charcoal; they’re cheap, reliable, and can be found in almost every supermarket. The debate is ongoing for grillers across the globe and even though there are many pros and cons for each, the consensus is that the choice is down to personal preference.

Briquettes burn for at least 2-3 hours, while charcoal tends to burn out after 1 hour. This means that if you use briquettes, you don’t need to keep adding fuel when barbecuing large pieces of meat which require a longer amount of cooking time. So although you get hotter temperature with lump, you can cook for longer with briquettes…

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There are a variety of cooking methods to suit your bbq and choice of food so here’s a brief summary of each to enable you to get the most out of your barbecue experience…

GRILL/DIRECT:
To ‘grill’ on your barbecue using gas and/or briquettes is almost self-explanatory. Use when cooking small pieces of meat which only need to be barbecued for up to 15-20 minutes e.g. chicken fillets, steaks and prawns. If you are barbecuing with briquettes, distribute the glowing briquettes evenly across the whole charcoal grate.

Then place the cooking grate on the barbecue and position the food on the cooking grate directly above the briquettes. If you are barbecuing with gas, light the barbecue on full and leave it to pre-heat for 5 minutes. Then simply place the food on the cooking grate above the burners.

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There’s only one sure way to ensure perfect ignition every time: use the Weber chimney starter. Fill the chimney starter with briquettes and use firestarters to light them. You will need 2-3 of them to light a full chimney starter. This way you’ll have perfect briquettes in 20-25 minutes, and you can prepare the food while they heat up.

The Weber chimney starter holds precisely the amount of briquettes required for barbecuing in a 57 cm charcoal barbecue. Remember to use a pair of barbecue mitts when transferring the hot briquettes to the barbecue.

Hold the guide bar in one hand, grip the handle with the other and distribute the briquettes according to the barbecuing technique you want to use.

Reuse the briquettes
Close the barbecue air vents when you have finished cooking. This will extinguish the briquettes, and you can use them again. The next time you want to barbecue, fill the chimney starter with one-third of fresh briquettes. Then fill the rest of it with used briquettes. Simply light them as usual – and enjoy the satisfaction of recycling

A delicious spin on chicken tacos. Give it a whirl, you won’t be disappointed.

Beer-Marinated Chicken Tacos
from Weber’s Real Grilling™ by Jamie Purviance

Prep time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: 2 to 4 hours
Grilling time: 8 to 10 minutes

Marinade
1 cup dark Mexican beer, such as Negra Modelo
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

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Keen BBQ have teamed up with Amazon to bring you some of the best books in barbecue. Here are our top 3 favourites of the moment.

Barbecues and Grilling by Antony Worrall Thompson
This AWL book is a must for barbecue beginners and those wishing to enhance their BBQ-ing skills. With 100 recipes, there is something for every occasion, and lots of information on choosing, setting up and maintaining your grill. A perfect starter for all BBQ enthusiasts.

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Bored of burgers, steaks, chicken or sausages on the barbecue? Well, why not try flaming up something a bit more unusual instead? Perhaps you like the idea of sampling some crocodile burgers, kangaroo or zebra steaks, or maybe the sound of rattlesnake meat tickles your fancy. There are a number of specialists in the UK supplying a range of exotic and unusual meats.

Crocodile is a low cholesterol meat and exceedingly tender, with a similar texture to pork chop, but very light in flavour. Sounds like something you can really get your teeth into!

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Here’s a quick and tasty recipe for BBQ chicken breasts. “Hurry Up I’m Hungry Chicken Breasts”
from Weber’s Real Grilling™ by Jamie Purviance

Prep time: 5 minutes
Marinating
Grilling time: 8 to 12 minutes

Rub
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon prepared chili powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

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All the rage at the moment are firepits and braziers. They add light, warmth and looks to any garden.

Picture this…you’re entertaining with a BBQ or a few drinks, the light draws in and all you need is a bit of warmth and a little extra light to keep things going. Enter the firepit or brazier.

They come in all different shapes, sizes and styles, from rustic to contemporary.

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