How everything can have a use

This month Stephanie Hafferty is exploring permaculture principle five - putting what we've already got to hand to use on the plot

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Giving everyday items a second life is one of the most valuable things we growers can do — and it fits perfectly with the permaculture principles too. It saves money, reduces waste and creates a more resilient kitchen garden Put formally, the fifth principle is 'use renewable resources and services'. It is one allotteers and home gardeners can really relate to. Growing your own on a budget requires a resourceful nature, an enquiring mind and a determination to sort out problems on the plot - preferably using odds and ends and that bit of string in the bottom of your pocket!

On a broader scale, the fifth permaculture principle includes using renewable resources, such as water, solar and wind power to generate electricity. Increasingly, solar-powered options are becoming available to home gardeners, including small solar panels to power heating and irrigation systems. On a smaller scale, outdoor solar lighting can help to increase 'daylight hours' for seedlings and plants in greenhouses and other undercover spaces. This is a cheap way of encouraging plants to grow faster. Just hang a string of fairy lights, or some of the individual solar lamps in the greenhouse. They'll charge by day and, as the sun sets, will start to glow, extending the 'day' by several hours. This does make the greenhouse look a bit like the aliens have landed in the night, so you might want to explain to your neighbours why!