When it comes to 'green' gardening a lot of activities are being done to promote wildlife, preserve water and use less chemicals. However, one big problem has still not been properly addressed and it is our dependency on plastic products especially where those products are not recycled.
I am no exception and for years I have accumulated plastic plant pots and stored them in my shed. I rarely used them twice and never really thought about alternatives such as taking them back to the garden centre. But since I have started gardening with the girls I have become more aware of my shortcomings and I have been interested in exploring other options.
For certain products e.g. gardening gloves, it is hard to move away from plastic, or at least latex, but for things like pots it is just a question of being creative. And most children love being creative!
So with the girls I tested out our creativity in some of the planting we did in February taking advantage of the amazing weather. I still used some regular plastic plant pots but I also tried coir pots, toilet roll tubes and a milk carton that was sitting in my recycling box. I did not have a chance to use newspaper pots but they are definitely on my to-do list! They all seem to be doing a fab job although I should have cut and folded the bottom of the toilet roll tubes before filling with soil as I now can’t move them until proper roots have formed to hold the soil in place (you live and learn!). My eldest daughter really enjoyed helping me cut into the milk carton (she is a regular home-scavenger for her crazy ‘make and do’ projects!) and using coir pots with the little ones was actually really helpful as it is easier to spot if the soil needs watering.
I definitely think that introducing these kind of activities also breaks up the sowing sessions and makes them more fun for children.
What are yours and your mini gardener alternatives to traditional plastic pots?
Please do share your ideas and post pictures of your creations on our Facebook or Instagram pages as it could help inspire other gardeners to replicate your fab ideas.
