Tips on recession gardening

The Guardian has been drawing attention to the various ways of gardening frugally to help survive the recession.

It says there has been a renaissance in self-sufficiency in a similar way to the victory gardens of the Second World War.

The newspaper suggests careful planning and shopping around can help save cash and achieve value for money.

It hints supermarkets often offer better deals than garden centres and says horticulture lovers can benefit from getting together to share seeds and cuttings.

Green-fingered Brits should also aim to buy small plants and grow them to maturity themselves rather than buying a fully-developed plant at a premium.

The article suggests gardeners check the discount section of stores as tools are often reduced, even though they are perfectly good.

Car boot sales, charity shops and eBay are also fine sources of cheap equipment, it says.

Meanwhile, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) recently teamed up with celebrity gardener Alan Titchmarsh to launch a funding scheme for schools.

The RHS Campaign for School Gardening Alan Titchmarsh Award will help institutions develop their green space with grants of £500.