Think laterally to make the most of what your garden produces

 

I'VE always had a Heath Robinson approach to making apparatus in the garden.

 

However, I do recycle everything. If an object is capable of holding soil, then it's a plant pot. My old Jelly Belly wellies are home to Sedums, discarded council recycling boxes make substantial vegetable (or tulip) containers.The blue, 99p stackable boxes from Ikea are big enough to grow tomatoes in- and much cheaper than pots.

 

I've been collecting old and broken pans and teapots to house my now vast geranium collection. This does, of course, mean drilling holes in the bottom, which has proved tricky!

 

To stop an old turf stack from collapsing, I built a framework of dahlia stakes and aluminium posts. I covered this with old potato sacks lashed together with strimmer line (it was all I could find). The whole thing has been hidden with a bamboo fence - but look beyond and what a state!

 

Many of you will have seen Monty Don's hazel coppice on Gardeners' World - sadly, not many of us have the space for pollarding trees to use for bean poles and supports. I have found a suburban solution - the 8ft flower spikes of New Zealand flax (Phormium) are light but tough as nails. I lash them together to make bean frames.

 

Other prunings are equally useful - Berberis and roses to keep cats off soil and apple, beech and whitebeam make pea sticks.

 

If you've got stuff lying around, try to re-use it - lateral thinking gives a garden character.