| One of the pleasurable spin-offs in organic | | | | beans and peas for planting next year. (Safe from |
| gardening is finding alternative ways of coming up | | | | mice as well) After washing the jars, dry in the |
| with the same, if not better, end result..... | | | | oven to remove all traces of moisture before |
| Household throwaways can be valuable to the | | | | storing your seeds. Collect dark glass jars, or |
| alternate enthusiast. Here are ten recyclable ideas | | | | wrap paper round clear jars to prevent seeds |
| to make gardening a little less hard on the | | | | being damaged by light.7. Ice Lolly sticks: Make |
| pocket!1. Hedge clippings: Instead of burning or | | | | perfect row markers in your seed trays or |
| direct composting, beg, borrow or even buy, if | | | | greenhouse beds. The wooden ones won't last for |
| the quantity justifies the price, an electric garden | | | | ever but you can at least write on them with |
| muncher. Branches up to an inch in diameter are | | | | pen, pencil or crayons!8. Wire coat hangers: Make |
| posted into a slot and the machine munches them | | | | mini-cloches with discarded or broken wire coat |
| up into small chips. Spread these chips thickly | | | | hangers. Pull into a square shape. Place the hook in |
| around shrubs or fruit trees to help keep | | | | the soil and push down gently until the natural |
| moisture in, and control the temperature of the | | | | bend in the wire rests on top of the soil. Place |
| soil.2. Food Waste: All food waste must be | | | | another a short distance away in your seed bed |
| composted. Composting is becoming quite an art | | | | to create two ends of a cloche. Now throw over |
| form, and special composting bins can be bought, | | | | a sheet of plastic and hold down with logs or |
| or very simply made. There are many different | | | | stones. Note: this will work only when creating |
| theories and each gardener will find his or her | | | | very small cloches.9. Clear plastic: Keep any clear |
| preferred way. Keeping the compost fairly warm | | | | plastic containers that could be placed upside |
| is the overall key to a good result. Or, if you're in | | | | down over a plant. Cut a mineral water bottle in |
| no hurry, simply keep adding to a heap, and dig | | | | half to make two handy individual cloches. Large |
| out the bottom when required. Sieve before using | | | | sheets of clear plastic from packaged household |
| and the compost will be ready for planting small | | | | items are fine for throwing over mini coat hanger |
| plants and even seeds.3. Old carpets, large | | | | cloches.10. Aluminium bottle tops: Keep aluminium |
| damaged cardboard boxes: and similar materials | | | | tops from milk or juice bottles, and also coloured |
| can be laid over the vegetable plot in autumn to | | | | foil around beer or wine bottles. Thread together |
| help prevent those early spring weeds appearing. | | | | to make a bird scarer. Simply thread with thick |
| Spread over a whole patch and weigh down with | | | | cotton and hang on your fruit bushes before the |
| stones or logs. Lift off on a sunny day in early | | | | birds find the new fruits.Look out for other tools |
| spring a few days before digging.4. Paint trays: | | | | for the garden from kitchen throwaways such |
| Keep old roller painting trays and similar containers | | | | as:old kitchen spoons and forks for transplanting |
| for seed trays. Punch a few holes in the bottom | | | | tiny plants in the greenhouse.Leaky buckets for |
| for drainage. Add a little fine gravel before filling | | | | harvesting small quantities of potatoes, carrots |
| with seed compost. Seed trays shouldn't be | | | | etc;light wooden boxes for harvesting salads |
| deeper than 15cm.5. Yoghurt pots: All plastic | | | | through the summer, and transporting pots |
| yoghurt or dessert pots can be washed and | | | | etc;Keep an eye on that rubbish bag and turn |
| saved for re-potting seedlings. Make a hole in the | | | | today's throwaways into tomorrow's tools!Linda |
| bottom of each and add a little fine gravel before | | | | Gray is a freelance writer and, with her partner. |
| filling with compost or soil..6. Glass jars: Glass jars | | | | has spent ten years renovating a neglected acre |
| with sealable lids are excellent for storing seeds, | | | | of woodland. |