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