How gardeners can help with the war on plastic
AS the war on plastic continues, there’s much you can do in your garden to help make a difference. Here’s how...
GET CREATIVE
BRITAIN in Bloom competitor Barnoldswick in Lancashire re-purposed two-litre fizzy drinks bottles to create a spectacular wall of pollinator-friendly planting for bees, by turning the bottles on their side, cutting out an opening and filling with compost and plants such as nasturtiums, aubretia and lobelia.
When using plastic bottles or other containers, don’t forget to add a few drainage holes to let air get to the plants’ roots and avoid waterlogging.
TURN BOTTLES INTO CLOCHES
DISCARDED plastic drink bottles also make great cloches, which act as mini-greenhouses to protect tender plants from the cold and deter pests such as rabbits, and even urban deer, from nibbling at seedlings. Simply cut the top off the bottle and place over the plant.
REUSE POTS
PLANTS bought from garden centres are often supplied in plastic pots, although alternative materials such as coir, paper or bamboo are increasingly available. Consider re-using these for seed sowing and re-potting.
PASS THINGS ON
THINK about setting up a plant pot recycling point on an allotment of other community hub, where gardeners and schools can drop off any unwanted pots for others to pick up and recycle.
MAKE IT FUN
FOLLOW the lead of Britain in Bloomers St Helier in Jersey, which gets local green-fingered children involved in transforming rubbish into inventive floral displays.
This year, schools will be creating theirs from plastic collected from the community’s beach clean-ups.
For more about the RHS’ work in communities visit rhs.org.uk/ get-involved.