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A gardener with a handmade wooden trug draped over one arm.
Secateur in hand, a pup or cat at their feet and a garden to potter about in. This is the image of both traditional gardeners and modern gardeners that is commonplace in Britain. From Gardeners’ World host Monty Don to characters in Midsomer Murders, the trug may seem a small detail, but it is oh so British. ☺️
Having written about trugs and their history in detail in this post, and our giveaway today not being the first time trugs have been chosen to be part of TSLL’s Annual British Week, I will encourage you to explore the archives and dive into the post that speaks to you, but today, we’ve got something special to give to a lucky member.
For twelve months, I have been waiting to send this trug to a lucky TOP Tier member.
Purchased last year from Thomas Smith Trugs with the big order I placed for members as we had a sale to help reduce shipping costs for those who live in the states, I saved this one. It has been hanging above my potting table all year, never used, and looking bright and clean next to my other well-used and loved trugs, and I cannot wait to send it to its new home.
Light as a feather, truly, it amazes me how air-like these sturdy baskets are. Each handmade and held together with copper nails and brass screws, they are meant to be used, and will last a lifetime so long as you keep organic matter out of them after you have carried it to where you need it to go (in other words, after use each time, make sure nothing remains in the trug to deteriorate the wood).
Each trug is dated and signed as you will see (out of focus, but on the bottom, handwritten details about this trug are included), so you really do have a piece of art and history in many ways.
Carry your tools or use it for placing deadheaded flowers or weeds, it really is meant to be used as you garden. Thomas Smith Trugs makes different styles of trugs for different uses: a flower trug that has lower sides so the freshly cut flowers can rest their blooms without fear of snapping off; a harvest trug that is much deeper and has taller sides so all of your harvested produced stays safely inside; and this is the traditional and classic style – the garden trug, with medium size sides to hold just about anything you might need.
Details about the Trug
For the past few years, whenever British Week would roll around, I would make available the opportunity to purchase trugs through TSLL made by Thomas Smith, the original maker of the Royal Sussex trugs (you can see those partially hanging on my rack – they have the dark ribbon of wood around the top of the trug and the handle). Last year I purchased an additional trug, the one you see here, and have reserved it as a giveaway for this year. While the Royal Sussex Trugs are temporarily no longer being made due to a shortage of this wood which is sourced from India, I paused the sale through TSLL but do hope to resume it in the future as I enjoy working with Robin, who is the owner of Thomas Smith Trugs.
The trug seen here is one of the two collections they currently make – South Down Rother, so if you are not the winner or would prefer a different size or style of trug, Thomas Smith ships internationally, and you can purchase through them here. They make three styles (garden, flower and harvest) and many different sizes.
The dimensions and style of the trug being given away during this year’s British Week:
- Garden style
- No. 3 (size)
- dimensions: 14″ x 8″ (35 x 20 cm)
- Retail value – £135 + shipping
- View the trug on Thomas Smith’s Trugs website here.
- All costs covered by TSLL, and will ship internationally (also covered by TSLL)
How to Enter:
- Simply leave a comment on this post (below).
- Enter by Saturday May 24th at noon Pacific time.
- Check back on Sunday morning – May 25th – to see if you are the winner and claim your prize no later than Monday May 26th.
- That’s it! Super simple. ☺️🇬🇧❤️
Explore all of the posts shared in this year’s British Week
