Some tools may fall in the category of BIY or bodge it yourself as opposed to DIY.

If you find an old Victorian sack cart or wheelbarrow it probably won’t be cheap. However such old tools are often made from good materials are very well designed for the purpose and are proven by years of experience and wear. Look out for such tools at car boot sales and second hand market stalls as they can be a fraction of the price of new and more to the point they can do a great job.

The right tool for the right job can make things easy like this old lawn edger. However there is money to be saved by having a multi-purpose tool that will grub out weeds in paths, hoe, rake and scrape a bit like this edger in fact. Some of the best tools are those you cobble together for yourself, shelving for a shed, newspaper pots for sweet peas etc.

Other Tools and Device Tips

• Buy the best you can afford it should make the job easier, more pleasurable and last longer
• Mark your long handle tools with feet and inch marks to act as a ruler or space measurer
• Local horticultural clubs may have discount deals with suppliers
• Attach twine to two stout sticks to make an edging line marker
• Make do with fewer tools but be sure they are good and easy to work with before buying
• Grow bamboo to make your own canes. Also use hazel twigs for rustic supports
• Put twine or string in an up turned plant pot or old watering can and feed the string through the hole.
• Consider reusing any scrap for garden purposes- old chop stick, bits of knitting wool and an old vegetable rack are in use in my garden
• Use plasticated chicken wire to from a three sided leaf bin and put it against an out of the way hedge
• Make a pond out of an up-turned dustbin – old pedal bins contain my potting compost
• Make a hose guide by putting a plant pot on top of an inverted plant pot with a stick through the drain holes and pushing firmly into the ground. It will look like an old diabalo.
• Plant up an old wheel barrow with trailing plants that can be moved to where you want them
• Line the inside of dark pots and containers with bubblewrap before filling with soil to keep the soil cooler. Don’t block the drain holes