Gardening tips - six alternatives to traditional plant pots

Gardening experts GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk have compiled a guide for green-fingered Brits on how to up-cycle household objects into the perfect home for plants.

Gardeners have been told to look for old or unused objects in their homes and use them to plant a range of flowers and small shrubs, instead of breaking the bank on pricey containers.

Suggestions include using plastic bottles to create a wall farm and swapping out baskets for colanders.

A spokesperson for GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk explained: “Planting containers are sometimes an unnecessary expense as Brits can look at home first before splashing the cash.

Six Alternatives to Traditional Plant Pots

1. Colanders

Already complete with drainage holes and boasting incredible durability, these look great when hung and can be used instead of traditional baskets. Without good drainage, soil can become waterlogged resulting in the plants dying. Place a layer of gravel in the bottom to stop compost jamming up drainage holes.

2. Tin cans

With a lick of paint, a simple baked beans tin is a brilliant option for smaller flowers on the windowsill. Fill with rocks at the bottoms of the tin before placing soil over which improves drainage. Small cacti are a great low maintenance option too due to their drought resistant qualities.

3. Teapots