expensiveoption,butifyouthinkofitasan
investmentforthefuture,itmakessense.
Alternatively, you could make your own pots
anddevelopanewskill.Findalocalcoursethat
teaches how to make terracotta garden pots,
like Wot Pots Pottery in Bristol (wotpots.co.uk).
Ifthisisn’taviableoption,becauseyouwantto
soworgrow-onlargenumbersofplants,make
pots from newspaper or toilet rolls (there are
videosonYouTubethatwillshowyouhow).
There’s a biodegradable option, too: try
netherwalloptrading.uk for the Original Paper
Potter,£10.95,andthenaturalgardener.co.uk
forcoirpots;from£3.95for20x8cmpots.SPEAK OUT
Don’t underestimate consumer power. If you’re
buying more plants than you can carry, ask
nurseries and garden centres for cardboard
boxesratherthanplastictrays.Alternatively,
keep a container/ box/tray alongside your
shoppingbagsinthebootofthecar.Askifyour
gardencentrerecyclesoldplasticpotsandif
theydon’t,suggesttheyjoinTheNationalPotto
ProductScheme.Thispledgestopickupplastic
potsfromanygardencentrethathassignedup.
Theyrepurposethepots,turningtheminto
ingeniousgardeningproducts,whicharethen
returnedtobesoldinthecentres.Theyhave
aleafletonline,whichyoucanprintoutand
give to your garden centre, explaining how to
get involved (pottoproduct.co.uk).REPURPOSE COMPOST BAGS
Most of us buy compost and soil in 100-litre
bags or smaller which aren’t recyclable.
Repurposing is the key word here – getting
creative with this heavy-duty polythene is your
best bet. You could use it to line porous pots
(such as terracotta) and hanging baskets; punch
holes in the bottom and plant potatoes in it;
cover tender shrubs with it to protect from
winter weather; open it up and lay on bare soil
as a weed barrier, or use bags as rubble sacks.
Alternatively, for the plastic purist, buy soil,
compost or manure in bulk with friends and
have it delivered in recyclable dumpy sacks.
You can also check to see if your local tip
(recycling centre) or council horticultural
department makes compost and can deliver.GET PROPAGATING
Grow plants from seed, by division or by taking
root cuttings, and you cut out the garden centre
and its plastic pots and trays. Grow your plants
in reused pots or choose a terracotta, paper or
biodegradable option. If you intend to grow
trees, shrubs, roses or fruit canes, buy bare root
plants as they often come wrapped in newspaper
rather than plastic. Before ordering from online
nurseries, it’s worth asking how they package
plants for delivery. Most will come surrounded
by bubble wrap and polystyrene chips, but a
growing number of nurseries dispatches plants
in alternatives like straw and shredded paper.
Try sarahraven.com and rocketgardens.co.uk.CHOOSE QUALITY TOOLS
Inexpensive and light, plastic gardening tools
are hard to resist, but there are other options.
Galvanised watering cans have been around far
longer than their plastic cousins and will last a
lifetime. Wooden handled tools are a sustainable
option, and comfortable to use, as well as
wooden water butts and composters. Think of
these alternatives as aesthetically pleasing
investments that help the planet, too. Stylish
gardening shop burgonandball.com highlights
the issue of buying plastic-free on its website
and has a great range of alternative products.
Try theplasticfreeshop.co.uk for niche
accessories; for watering cans, you can’t do
better than the galvanised designs from Haws,
manufactured in the UK since 1886.Low-waste
gardening begins
with wooden-peg
plant labels, wooden
handled tools and
steel watering cans
“Reuse compost bags to line
pots, grow potatoes, protect
tender shrubs from frost...”