Brighten your plot with junk.

1. Make a decent-sized container out of an old tin bath or bucket, drilling drainage holes in the base before starting and painting it with acrylic paint, sealed with a layer of varnish.

2. Old wicker baskets can be used effectively as a plant container on the patio with the help of some stain and varnish, lining the inside with a plastic dustbin liner.

3. Don't throw away broken pots. They can be broken further and used as crocks or, better still, use pieces of terracotta pots to surround a display of alpine plants you want to highlight.