compo writes:

I have major problems with slugs and mice so I leave some plants for
them but for myself I have a strawberry tower to keep the fruits away
from beasties. I made this from a piece of 6" plastic drianpipe and a
flat bottomed bucket such as a cattle lick

Using a hole cutter make holes in the drainpipe at varying intervals so
that plants will not obstruct each other. Upend bucket, sink slightly
into ground for stability and half fill with gravel. Insert pipe end
into gravel so that it stands upright. Put a smaller pipe into the
drainpipe and fill around it with soil of your choice. Pack down and
remove the inner pipe. Fill resulting hole with gravel to enable
watering (alternatively fill inner pipe with dry, coarse sand and then
remove pipe).

Sounds like my flower tower. Six columns of 0.75" holes making up a
triangular grid, plant a lobelia plug in each (takes about 150 plugs)
and stand in a big pot which can either have more lobelia or a
contrasting flower. I find running a length of sprinkler hose (the
stiff black variety) up the middle before filling the tower is better
than trying to use gravel or sand. Lead it out through a bigger hole
below compost level and up to the side of the big pot, Hozelock one
way connector on the bottom end and a marble forced in the top and
watering is just a case of clipping the hose on, turn the tap on for a
minute and you're done. I mix slow release fertiliser granules in with
the filling to avoid having to feed, they'll cover a summer nicely and
the whole tower can be swapped for the winter version with just four
columns of holes at a wider spacing filled with winter flowering
pansies.

Anthony