*Winter flower decorations- Save the dead flower heads of hydrangeas, hang them up to dry and then spray with silver or gold paint. During the autumn, when beech leaves are at their most brilliant, cut some branches to keep. Stand them in a couple of inches of a mixture of half glycerine, half water. When all of this liquid has been absorbed, the branches can be arranged in a dry vase to make a decoration that will last through the winter. Pick honesty during the autumn when the seed-containers have turned white, then carefully peel the outer coating from both sides of each one to leave only the translucent silvery center. Pick teasels and grasses to use in winter flower arrangements. Hang them upside down to dry in an airy place.
*Homemade window boxes- Make your own window box with old floorboards nailed together. Drill holes at
 frequent intervals in the base. Paint the inside with non-toxic preservative, and outside with weatherproof paint.
*Tomato pots- Old handless or leaking plastic buckets and bowls are ideal for greenhouse tomatoes in.
*Rainwater- Rainwater is better for plants than tap water. Stand jugs outside to collect it for watering houseplants, or collect it in large tank for watering the plants.
*Potting soil- The freshly dug, aerated soil from molehills is ideal for potting houseplants.
*Hedges- When deciding to plant a hedge, apart from considering its position from the point of view of appearance, remember that a hedge has to be cut on two sides and make sure you are going to leave plenty of room on both sides. Hedging is like other garden plants: the better their soil conditions the better they grow. A line should be stretched down the center and the young trees planted carefully against it. A wiggle in the hedge will take a lot of hiding later.
*Bird table- There is no doubt that encouraging birds is one way of increasing the interest and fascination of a garden. The birds do a lot of damage in the garden but the actual harm they do is relatively slight. A problem may arise if soft fruit is being grown but the modern garden cages or nets will reduce damage considerably. One way of encouraging birds in the garden is to construct a bird table on which suitable bird food and scraps can be placed. It is always advisable to keep a bird table well above ground level so that cats cannot reach the birds as they feed.
*To water tomatoes, marrows or courgettes- Sink a flower pot into the ground near to each plant and pour water into this to keep the roots moist.
*To water plants in your absence- Place the end of a length of wool in a large jug of water, with the other end in the plant pot. The water will slowly be absorbed into the soil.