REUSE RECYCLE, REPURPOSE!

Let's be more resourceful in the garden by buying less and creating more Olga Grieves says just a little imagination can go a long way!

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In our image-saturated, influencer-fuelled times, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that a good garden needs to be full of new things and the latest gadgets. The expensive tools, the trendiest containers, the latest 'solutions' to all your gardening problems. But the truth is, most of us don't need more stuff - we do, however, need more imagination!

Some of the most exciting gardens and allotments I've seen are not the make-your-eyes-water-at-the-thought-of-the-price glossy, catalogue-perfect ones. They're the ones cobbled together over years with a bit of ingenuity and a lot of heart. Repurposed, recycled, thoughtful and creative, where often nothing matches but, somehow, everything sings.

Repurposing and upcycling in the garden isn't just about saving money - although that’s a welcome side effect. It’s about celebrating resourcefulness, working with what you have, and building a space that feels lived in and loved. Plants don’t care about brands and labels. An old wooden ladder or metal gate becomes a trellis for sweet peas. A chipped enamel jug finds new life as a vase for your garden posies. Even broken pots, turned on their sides and nestled into soil, can become homes for frogs or shelters for insects. Everything we really need is already made.

THE JOY OF MAKING DO

There's also something deeply satisfying about making do. In a world that constantly tells us to upgrade, replace, discard, buy more, choosing instead to repair or reuse feels quietly radical and rebellious. Not every tool in the shed needs to be the latest model. My favourite rake is my 'half-rake' - I broke it eight years ago but since it now fits perfectly between the beds, it's definitely staying!