Monty Don just posted a photo of his purple sprouting broccoli and tomatoes, but it wasn’t the crops that caught my eye – it was actually the way he used terracotta plant pots as a safety measure.
There are a fair few ways to use broken pots in the garden, but if you have healthy spares lying around, Monty’s method is simple – and it looks a lot nicer than shoving other objects on the end of your plant supports.
I’ll be taking a leaf out of Monty’s book to save myself any accidental injuries in my own garden!
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Monty Don’s purple sprouting broccoli and ‘Gardener’s Delight’ tomatoes were the stars of his recent Instagram post – he said they’re loving the hot summer weather – but it’s what he wrote in brackets at the end of the caption that I liked the most: ‘[The] flowerpots are to stop poking out my eyes on the broccoli canes.’
I’ve spotted safety terracotta pots in a couple of Monty’s Instagram posts, and the way he uses them is simple: he balances one small pot on the end of each of his plant supports. Even the best plant supports can pose a safety hazard, and it’s easy to forget they’re there while you’re weeding your vegetable bed or tending to your crops in other ways – but Monty's trick will keep you from injuring yourself.
It’s worth cleaning your terracotta pots if you want to have them looking their best. Or, you could buy a new set, like this affordable 12-pack of 6.5cm terracotta plant pots from Amazon.
What I like most about Monty’s plant pot trick is that they actually look nice – almost rustic, or Mediterranean, if you prefer that kind of garden design scheme. This set of 18 terracotta grow pots from Crocus are a similar style to Monty's, too.
Commenters on Instagram agree that it's a brilliant idea, noting that they've very nearly injured themselves on their own plant stakes and canes from time to time. If you have children, that's even more of a reason to accident-proof your garden.
Where to buy small terracotta pots
Grab an affordable set of 12 terracotta plant pots from Amazon.
Crocus' terracotta grow pots are a similar style to Monty's flowerpots.
These plastic pots are a cheaper alternative to regular terracotta pots.
Will you be using tiny terracotta pots as a safety measure in your garden?
