Recycle those plonk bottles
The other day I was filling up a bit of un-allocated time in the timetable my wife had created for me, by testing some unclaimed fizzy wine that I found in the fridge. Finders-keepers I say, but what to do with the evidence of the empty bottle? Then I remembered my Mum had already come up with a solution to this age-old problem - grow some plants in them and hang 'em on the wall.
So take your champagne-type bottle (it'll work with Cava and Prosecco bottles too) and using a drill bit and hammer, gently tap a hole in the bottle recess at the bottom. (You might want to put on some gloves and eye protection for this, safety fans). Make the hole large enough to poke soil through - I find a sandy loam soil works best. Shake the soil down until the bottle is half filled. You can choose to either leave the label on, or remove it - the choice is yours.
Now poke a small plug-plant such as a Geranium into the hole and shake the soil down around the roots. You can water the plant through the neck of the bottle, being careful not to put too much in at first. Leave the bottle lying on its side for a while, in the light, until the plant has established - you will see the roots growing through the glass.
When the plant is well rooted, attach a plastic tie around the bottle neck and then you can hang it on a fence or wall. Several of these together on the same all look fantastic when in flower, and are a real eye-catcher. Remember to water them regularly.
This is a pretty simple but effective way to bring a bit of colour and interest into the garden, using something that you would normally through away.
