The overuse of plastic, particularly in food packaging, is one of the subjects many of us seem to get upset about quite justifiably. If you are a gardener here some tips for reusing some of that plastic this spring and summer:

• supermarket plastic trays that contain mushrooms and other veg make useful seed trays with a few holes poked in the bottom of them 

• plastic yoghurt and cream pots can be washed out after use and cut into vertical strips. They make excellent plant labels written on with an indelible marker pen. 

• water and soft drink bottles can be washed out and cut in half. Each half will make an effective cloche to protect small plants from late cold snaps,slugs and snails.

• put young plants in white polystyrene fish boxes. They are great for protecting them from the cold when hardening them off prior to planting out 

In addition Ashtons Coffee Lounge on Town Square in Crediton are offering to give us the used coffee grounds from their coffee machine if you take in a container. These make useful slug protection for young tender plants when spread around them in a circle. They are also a good soil conditioner. 

Please send in any tips you have for re-using plastic or other good and unusual ideas for re-use and we will put them in this newsletter.