I’m a royal gardener – the free ways to transform your outdoor space & the foods that warn off slugs

THEY say one man’s trash is another one’s treasure – and your rubbish could be key to transforming your garden for free.

King Charles’ senior gardener Jack Stooks – who has been working at the Royal Gardens at Highgrove for over 20 years – has shared why you should think twice before chucking things in the bin.

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Royal gardener Jack Stooks shared how to upgrade your garden for free using waste items[/caption]

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Crushed egg shells are great for the garden because they are full of calcium and beneficial for vegetable[/caption]

Recycling is such an invaluable way to help our planet and there are certain waste items you can find a new purpose for in your outdoor space.

Similarly, composting – when you allow the item to break down into compost – can help your garden flourish, providing a natural weed killer, deterring slugs and even making flowers bloom better than ever.

On behalf of LitterBins, gardening expert Jack shared the effective ways to make use of everything from old cardboard to glass.

With his tips, your garden will be fit for royalty without you spending a penny…

Cardboard

Using cardboard in gardens is quite common as it can work like mulch to keep the ground moist. 

Think of it like an alternative to woodchip. It can also block out the light, which helps to kill weeds as they can no longer photosynthesise.

It naturally decomposes in the soil and feeds it, acting like a compost too. 

The downside of cardboard is that it can reduce the oxygen in the soil so it’s not ideal if you are placing it in areas with lots of plants. 

Try and place it down, suppress the weeds and then take it all up and add a feed to the area. If you have a pathway that is always very weedy, you can put cardboard down and put gravel on top of it. 

It will reduce the amount of water that gets into the soil, therefore reducing the rate at which the weeds can grow.”

Food waste

With food waste, any sort of raw food is compostable.

Sealed compost bins are a great purchase as they stop rodents and pests getting in. 

Foods like potato peels are amazing as they are rich in nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and many vitamins. 

Carrot peels, apple cores, tomato bits and broccoli stalks also work well to enrich the soil. 

However, cooked food, such as chicken and bits of fat from meat, aren’t great to put into compost.”

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Jack Stooks has been working at the Royal Gardens at Highgrove for over 20 years[/caption]

Coffee

Coffee adds nitrogen to the soil, which is really important for plant growth. 

I have a coffee machine and we often use the granules for the garden. 

You can add it into the soil with roses or any kind of acidic plant, like an azalea. By putting it into the soil or around the plant, it will actually start to feed the plant.

As well as those great benefits, coffee also has a strong smell so it can deter certain snails and slugs.

They can feed on live plant materials and often destroy entire areas of gardens.

Banana Peels

Banana peels are amazing for the soil. I remember as a child my grandparents used to always put them under the roses, and I never knew why. 

But what’s good about bananas is that they are full of potassium, so that’s really good for plant health. 

It also helps the plant produce more flowers, which is great for things like roses. 

Either place them directly onto pot plant soil, or around the base of your garden as mulch

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Cardboard naturally decomposes in the soil and feeds it, acting like a compost too[/caption]

Egg shells

Crushed egg shells are great for the garden because they are full of calcium and beneficial for vegetable and fruit plants like tomatoes and peppers. 

Fast growing plants can deplete the soil of calcium really quickly so egg shells can help to keep it rich. 

Add them right into the soil or sprinkle them into the holes before planting. 

Some people cook the shells in the oven because it can make them even crunchier.

Eggs are also good as a slug preventative, so people use them quite often around plants to stop slugs. 

I’m not convinced about it but it’s always good to put it down because it’s known for that specific purpose.

Citrus peels

Citrus peels are great for deterring insects, things like mosquitos and flies, so if you have got a terraced area you like to dine or socialise in, you can place them around the pot plants.

Mosquitoes and flies tend to not go for citrus-type things, hence why all the bug repellents are normally citronella. 

Satsumas, oranges, lemons and limes are all good ones and they dry quite well.

Citrus peels also contain phosphorus and potassium which are good for plants. 

In fact, many fertilisers refer to the NPK ratios, which is the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium they contain.

Glass

People tend to use things like glass bottles upside down as a border for their plants. 

It’s an attractive feature but be careful of them smashing if you use a lawn mower or strimmer. 

While they’re often used, it isn’t the safest option and we know glass is easily recyclable.