Flowers are great for bringing a touch of colour to an outside space, but keeping them alive isn't always easy, especially when the weather is so warm and your soil seems to dry out quickly.
But according to one gardening expert, there's an unusual item you can use to keep your blooms fresher for longer - nappies.
Shaun Schroeder claims that placing nappies at the base of hanging basket displays will keep your flowers fresh and blooming for much longer, as they will help to hydrate your plants slowly, which can be vital in the summer months when a constant supply of water is needed.
The Bristol-based gardener plants roughly 140 hanging baskets a year, and often puts water retention gel in the bottom of the baskets when planting, but insisted that unworn nappies work just as well.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post, he said: "They soak up the water when you first water the basket, then slowly release it over the day. It's not something I do myself - but I know a lot of people who swear it works for them."
Nappies can be bought from most supermarkets and can be found for as little as 85p for a pack of 24 nappies designed for newborn babies from Asda, which works out at just 3p per nappy.
If your hanging baskets need bigger nappies, Asda also sells a 44-pack of size two nappies for £1.75, or 4p each, while a 48-pack of size four nappies costs £3.25, or 7p each.
You can also buy a 28-pack of size seven nappies from Aldi for £3.59, or 13p each, while the discount supermarket's size three nappies cost £2.99 for a 56-pack, which is just 5p per nappy.
And gardener Shaun also urged people to only ever water their plants once the sun has set, as if you water while the sun is shining, the water will evaporate and result in you needing to water your plants more often.
However, if you water later in the day, it will soak through the soil overnight in the colder temperatures - which will prepare your plants for day ahead.
Meanwhile, another gardening expert recently insisted you should always take care to avoid getting any water on the plant's leaves, as this can encourage diseases.
"Think about where your plants are positioned," the experts said, "South-facing plants are likely to need more water as the direct sun will dry out the soil quickly, and remember that some plants and vegetables prefer more water than others.
"For example, tomatoes and roses are thirsty and require lots of watering, whereas plants such as lavender and poppies and vegetables like asparagus do not, every plant is different."
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