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