Plastic-Free Gardens (ideas and inspiration)

The Plastic-Free Gardener is a good book for anyone who wishes to grow organically, and without plastic. Working with natural materials where possible, this avoid microplastics in the natural environment.

Read more on no-dig gardening and humane slug/snail deterrents. If you live with animal friends, read up on pet-friendly gardens (also read how to stop birds flying into windows).

Plastic is everywhere in the typical garden, from hosepipes and seed trays to watering cans and plastic pots. Author Louise was inspired to write the book, after finding blown-in street plastic litter (sweet wrappers, plastic bags, shards of hard plastic from watering cans and string) to her own little Oxfordshire garden.

Knowing that sometimes it’s not possible to be 100% plastic-free (most lawnmowers have plastic parts), she’s also not a fan of plastic-encased garden wire that gets nibbled by wild creatures, or green plastic clips to tie plants.

She suggests natural twine (below) and recycled plastic plant pots.

Also growing from seed is better than buying plants in plastic, and use plastic-free plant pots. And ideally make your own compost.

This little watering can is made from recycled plastic, and even has a little ‘frog ladder’ built in, so small creatures can escape (it’s best to avoid leaving cans with water in, to help prevent drowning – store them upside down or somewhere safe, when not in use).

A Plastic-Free Paper Pot Maker

This paper pot maker lets you use recycled newspapers, to make your own plant pots. Just roll a strip of paper around a wooden cylinder, tuck under one end to form the base, then use another piece of kit to twist into place.

When the seedling has grown, you can plant direct in the ground, without removing from the pot, to avoid root disturbance. The kit makes three plastic-free pot sizes.

Switch to Natural Garden Twine

Garden twine is far better to support your runner beans that those plastic green ties, which can harm wildlife and birds, if they fly away.

Never leave any kind of twine, string or ribbon in gardens (biodegradable or not). Because birds may take it to make nests, and it can strangle or tangle chicks or other garden wildlife.

Nutscene offers twines made from flax, cotton, hemp and macrame (knotted). Ideal to support garden vines, this is ethically produced and wound on a factory in Scotland, in many colours.

Sold with dispensers with cutting blades included. The classic twine is wrapped in retro-styled paper labels.

This flax twine is made from the linen plant, so biodegradable after use. It’s sold in a recycled paper box with its own cutting blade, and you can buy refills. Made to quality standards in Switzerland.

Plastic-Free Gardening Products

Natural rubber seed trays, including ones for larger seeds like beans and squash. Unlike flimsy plastic versions, these are robust, flexible and designed to last. Also in 20 cell and 30 cell versions.

Bamboo seed labels, packed in organic cotton bags. And plastic-free rubber plant ties.

These gardening gloves. are made from organic cotton and fairly traded rubber.

The Wild & Free Garden (transform your outdoor space)

The Wild & Free Garden is a unique guide to creating a stunning outdoor space, using found materials, community connections and your own creativity. No more big expensive trips to the garden centre!

You can design a beautiful and inspiring garden at next-to-nothing with this book. The author shows how to tap into the sharing economy, where you can find free or low-cost materials of good quality and style, when you know where and how to look.

Create a garden that reflects your individual style and personality, and also spend and waste less. And uncover an abundance that money can’t buy. With each project, you’ll grow a deeper connection to your garden and community.

This is how gardens used to be built, when family and neighbours rallied round, and everyone was in tune with nature. With vibrant colour photos, learn how to:

• Develop a sharing economy mindset
• Find quality materials for free
• Create a sustainable yard that reduces waste
• Design the garden of your dreams
• Be inspire by other wild and free gardeners
• Source information from community partners
• Save seeds for your own use, or plant swaps
• Repurpose furniture and find architectural salvage gems
• Grow community projects with neighbours (with shared tools)
• Set up a community rainwater collection system

Projects to inspire include:

• Building a dry creek (a meandering trench filled with rocks to mimic a natural dried stream, that directs rainwater away from foundations to prevent erosion)
• Planting a wildflower lawn (this includes native pollinators to give food for local bees, butterflies and nocturnal moths and bats).
• Using a vintage trailer as a guesthouse (use this as your ‘happy hermit’ place for prayer, writing or art, or simply as a talking point for garden visitors!)

Stephanie invites us to slow down, release habitual consumption and refocus on what matters: resourcefulness, community and connection to the earth and one another. Kelly Smith Trimble

Stephanie Rose is a writer, who aims to encourage better living through plants! She is a long-time student of organic garden, permaculture design and natural skin care, and focuses on regenerative practices that are healthy and natural. She also volunteers to build children’s gardens in Vancouver, Canada.

Good Tuesday Eco Garden Planner Journal

This garden journal planner is designed to lay flat for left-and-right handed people, and to cover all your sow ideas, progress and results, also a nice gift for anyone with green thumbs.

Organise planting plans, record seasonal changes and reflect on yearly successes. Plus there are sections for notes, sketches, plant profiles and a five-year review, ideal for experienced or beginner gardeners.

The modern floral cover opens out to track plants using double-page spreads for each year, a seasonal to-do list, a monthly garden plan (with three spacious spreads for each month) and space for plant profiles for 26 different plants (from growing conditions to seasonal care).

Use the planting planner to map out when veggie and flowers need planting, and there is also a plant wish list, to jot down up to 22 future seeds, dream plants and gardening goals.

Everything at Good Tuesday is printed on recycled paper, sent in plastic-free packaging, made in the UK and beautifully designed.

Choosing recycled paper is better than FSC-certified paper, as that still requires fast-growing trees with pesticides (instead these products ‘close the loop’ and use up unwanted waste that would otherwise end up at landfill, emitting methane gas).