Reuse ploystrene in 4 easy steps.

Ploystrene packaging comes with many new goods purchased. What begins as a way of protecting your new goods in transit then becomes an environmentally friendly disposal problem. So don't. instead reuse it in another way.

A clever way is to

• Brake it down into small hunks.
• Place these hunks intothe bottom of pots. 
• Fill the window boxes or pots with potting mix.
• Add plants as normal.

The polystrene is light weigt.  Lartge pots filled with damp potting mix do become heavy. Inhuries are more likely to occur when moving these containers. By adding the polystrene you are lightening the 'load' while reducing the amount of potting mix.  Hence also a cost cutter.

Don't throw them away

Use glass jars to propagate fushia and impatients, which happily root n water.

When there are enough roots [ie the roots have filled the bottom of the jar] simply divide the stems from each other. Plant  out.

Recycle and increase.

Make extra plants through taking cuttings.

• Trim off much of the greenery as this enables the roots to have a chance of growing without over stressing the plant..
• Place either straight into the soil or into small pots, glass jars or disposable containers until the cutting is ready to be placed into it's final position.

Mini toilet roll tubes for seeds

Do not discard the toilet rolls centers.

• Use a pen that will not run to name the toilet roll with the seeds name.
• Screw a little piece of newspaper and place it into the bottom of the toilet roll container.
• Fill each tube with potting soil.
• Place the toilet rolls on a tray.
• Plant one seed into each container.
• Water as required.
• Watch grow until ready to transplant.

Runners in Autumn

Autumn is a great time to divide the strawberries. Potting them then in pots seems to have problems in the comming summer season.  Usually remembering to water the pots enough for the strawberries to feel 'refreshed'.

Strawberries in tyres

Recycled car tyres make great mini gardens for strawberry beds. Especially racing car tyre s as these give great height so the strawberry can really stretch out.

Glass jar for growth.

First day of seed sprouting.

• Sprouting seeds such as alfalafa and mung beans may begin life by adding water and the beans into a jar.
• Cover with a net cloth and a rubber band.
•  Leaving the beans in there for 24 hours.
• Drain the water from the jar.
• Turn the on its side.  Set aside for until the next day.
• Rinse and set aside again.
• Repeat the process until the seeds have begun to sprout.
• Still moisten daily - keep in a cool place.

Containers for mini gardens suggestions

Yoghurt pots,  Plastic trays,  Wooden Crates,  Colanders, buckets, gumboots, tyres, plastic boxes
Hanging baskets, Water tanks, polystrine packaging, glass jars, coat hangers

Yellow flowers in a yellow pot.

Grown in pots or small container or even as a boarder the Torenia plants provide a splash of low growing [about 20 cm in height] compact color.

Semi-shade or sunlight the Torenia plants grow well.

• Just water them so that they can continue to grow and bloom.  
• The soil should be well draining, prepared with compost and fertilized every month.
• Grown in the sun the flowers are smaller than those benefiting from the shade.
• Although the plant can tolerate heat frost is unwelcome. 

For a year round colourful effect pots on the porches, sitting on shelves or as a hanging basket make the area a 'happier ' place to be. They also remind you when to check on the four points above in order to have an optimum growth display.