I saw the 1982 film ‘Come back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean’ this week and it got me thinking about Five and Dimes.

They were American shops, originally pioneered by the Woolworth brothers in 1879, selling a variety of inexpensive items. The Five and Dime concept blossomed around the world, in Britain they were called Three Penny Shops. In Australia we call them Two Dollar Shops.

These shops are great places to fossick around, you never know what bargains you will find.

That’s where I bought this white wooden box for a couple of dollars.

I drilled a few holes in the bottom, then covered with a little gravel to increase drainage.

Over the gravel I placed a piece of plastic fly-screen to prevent the soil from entering the gravel layer and plugging up the drainage. You can buy inexpensive plastic fly-screen and gravel from hardware shops.

Next, it was a matter of filling with potting mix and planting up; annuals, bulbs or perennials will all look pretty.

In my case, I decided on tulip bulbs.

Because we don’t have really cold weather in Southern Australia I place my tulips in the crisper department of my refrigerator for about a month. This simulates European winter conditions and the bulbs think they are lying under a covering of snow. It’s a fun trick which produces better blooms and gets your family wondering about the unusual vegetables in the refrigerator.

I planted the bulbs up earlier this year in July and here they are.

Splendid tulips in their five and dime box.

JT