From mesh laundry bags to toilet paper tubes, the secret to a better garden might already be sitting in your cupboards (or even bin). Gardening can become a costly hobby when you factor in everything from compost to containers, but with a bit of creativity, many household items can be reused outside for free.
‘You don’t always need expensive gear or fancy fertilizers to grow a great garden,’ says Victoria Parkinson, Garden Expert at Arctic Cabins. ‘Some of the best tools are sitting in your home. They can provide great, simple ways to cut costs and reduce waste.’
Ticking off your pre-spring gardening checklist? Take a look at the everyday household items that you can use outside:
1. Planters using toilet paper tubes
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It’s sweet pea planting season, but if you don’t have a greenhouse brimming with trays and pots, your empty toilet rolls could make a surprisingly good stand-in (and save you some money in the process).
‘Buying planters can get expensive, as well as many being plastic and therefore needing to be cleaned and recycled after use,’ says Chris Cooper, lawn expert at Hayter. ‘Using toilet roll cuts out the middle man, saves cardboard from being chucked in the recycling and makes the most out of household rubbish.’
Victoria agrees, telling us: ‘Toilet roll tubes are perfect for starting seeds indoors before spring. They’re biodegradable and perfectly sized for young seedlings. They can get planted straight into the ground, meaning less root disturbance and will not affect your soil negatively.’
To try this at home, Victoria says to stand the tubes upright in a tray. Then, fill each one with compost before sowing your seeds and watering well.
‘When the seedlings are sturdy enough to move outside, dig a small hole and pop the whole tube in. The cardboard will break down naturally over time and the roots will grow straight through. Your plants won’t even notice they’ve been moved.’
2. Old plastic bottles as irrigation systems 
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Bottle irrigation is an easy, low-cost way to water plants slowly by reusing old plastic bottles. Useful for both indoor and outdoor plants, it’s especially useful in periods of dry weather or when you go away. Drip irrigation systems can cost around £60, so repurposing bottles is certainly a more cost-effective alternative.
‘Simply puncture small holes in the bottom of your water bottle,’ says Chris. ‘This can be done simply enough with a fork, before burying the bottle close to the plant you want to irrigate. Fill the bottle with water, screw the lid on, and leave it to keep your plant well-watered for up to a week.
‘It only takes a couple of minutes to make, and the results are fantastic. Drip irrigation is great for your garden, it makes sure the water gets directly where it needs to go – the roots. When you live in a country that can experience the odd dry spell, this becomes very useful. Pair it with a homemade rain collector, and you’ll never have problems with draught again.’
3. Mesh laundry bags to deter pests
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Mesh laundry bags are a valuable tool in the garden. According to Dr. Russell Sharp, founder of Eutrema, they can be slipped over brassicas or strawberry trusses to keep out unwanted pests. A clever repurposed alternative to traditional horticultural netting (which can be anywhere around £12), simply place over your plant and cinch each bag closed at the base.
Top tip: avoid covering flowers that haven’t yet pollinated. The bags can prevent bees from doing their jobs.
4. Loose change for checking plant health
Checked down the side of your sofa? Don’t take your old coins to the bank just yet. According to Chris, loose change has plenty of uses in the garden.
‘This is a reason to hold on to loose change that you probably weren’t expecting,’ he says. ‘To check plant health with coins, grab your nearest coin and use it to scratch away at the bark of a plant that you suspect has seen its last days. If the bark is dry, continue the test from top to bottom. If you find a layer of green towards the bottom, then you know your plant is still alive.’
5. Suppress weeds with cardboard boxes 
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‘Flattened delivery boxes laid beneath gravel or mulch work really well as a biodegradable weed suppressant,’ says Morgan Smith, paving specialist at Pegseo. ‘Overlap the sheets to block light fully, soak them to weigh them down, then cover with soil or bark. Over time, the cardboard breaks down naturally and can even help improve soil structure.’
You could also use old t-shirts or jeans. Gardeners’ World presenter Sue Kent told House Beautiful UK last year that she swears by this hack to suppress weeds.
‘I use old t-shirts and jeans to keep underground weeds away for a couple of years. My husband’s jeans come in very useful,’ she said.
‘Once I’ve freshly weeded, I cut the jeans up in a circle and lay them on the ground around the base of the plant, before topping with soil and gravel. It’s got to be biodegradable or natural materials, but it really works. If you stop weeds from growing from the bottom, you can easily pick up any surface weeds from the top.’
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