This is my latest bit of garden handiwork. It is a series of self watering plant pots made from old milk cartons.

I simply cut them round just below the handle and then inserted the inverted top (lid removed) into the bottom section. A few stones went into the inner section followed by a mix of compost and perlite.

The design gives three ways of watering. I can sprinkle water on top as per normal watering practises. However I can also pour water down the handle (the soil line is below the opening), taking water down to the middle of the container or put water in the outer container, where it will be drawn up through the earth, encouraging the roots to reach down.

Self-watering? Well, perhaps not entirely. However, I can give a good dose of water to the base less frequently than I would need to if watering from the top was the only option. The containers don’t have to stand in a waterproof tray to avoid water loss into the soil and the small spaces at the sides (compared to the relatively large void created the combined shapes) will reduce evaporation.

I only made them last weekend but, so far, the design is working well.