The growing and varied ways to make your lifestyle a Greener one can sometimes be a little overwhelming. And trying to discern an approach to make your garden that bit more eco-friendly can also be puzzling, especially when the grass is green and the bees are buzzing. So here are five of the most practical gardening products that will help you get those green fingers back.

Drought plug Water Recycling Kit
this simple-to-use, energy-free, recyclable hose application can save you money, and pays for itself within days. Made in the UK, the Drought pug can be used during water restrictions and comes with two hose ends connectors; a hosepipe with an integral siphon pump; a strong shut-off valve; and a double ended hose connector.
The Drought plug is perfect for retrieving that ‘grey water’ most households waste. Simply lock the Drought plug into the bath plug hole by twisting it gently clockwise.
Attach the hose provided to the Drought plug using one of the end connectors with the shorter piece of pipe closest to the bath and attach the other end to your garden hose using the double-ended hose connector supplied in your kit.
Squeeze the siphon pump 16-18 times until the water in the pipe is below the level of the Drought plug and the water will then flow out of the bath.
The shut off valve can either be put at the end of the hose provided, or placed at the end of your garden hose and used to stop the flow of water when your container or watering can is full.
The speed at which the water flows out will depend on the difference in height between the ends of the hosepipe. The greater the height the faster the water will flow.
The Drought plug Water Recycling Kit retails for a very reasonable £18.99 from varied gardening and online stores.

Rotol 220 Litre Home Composter
this is another product that is made and sold in the UK (so there is less of a carbon footprint to worry about). The Rotol 220 Litre Home Composters are manufactured from 100% recycled materials and is a proud winner of gardening which? Best Buy. This sturdy and robust product features an easy access apex lid – so all of those kitchen scraps and garden mulch can be dropped in to help you compost your way to richer, happier flowerbeds.
The Rotol 220 costs £19.95 and can be found at www.greengardenshop.co.uk

Flat-Trap Slug Pub
this is a favourite amongst gardening centres across the UK and costs as little as £14.95. The simple and effective method for dealing with snails and slugs is proven and environmentally friendly too. These purpose-built ‘pubs’ provide many years of excellent service and can just be popped beside the flowerbeds, patios or pavements (one product unit contains 3 ‘pubs’) and do not require to be sunk into you lawn.
Instructions for use:
1 – Unclip the lid from the Trap.
2 – Fill the reservoirs with either Beer or Milk. (Please note lager will not work as it does not contain the correct natural ingredients that will attract the slugs).
3 – Position the slug trap near to the slug problem.
The Slug trap works by filling the internal reservoirs with beer or milk to within 5-10mm of the top giving a large area for catchments. Slugs or Snails are enticed into the slug trap by the smell of yeast in the beer. Once inside the slug pub, the slugs or snails drink from the reservoirs and become intoxicated to such an extent that the slug or snail drowns in the beer or is so drunk it can’t find its way back out of the trap. Brilliantly simple and very effective, catches loads of slugs and snails.

The Worm Works – Multi-Tray Worm Composter
This product is for the more serious gardener. The Worm Works is an easy, efficient tool and it operates quite simply. There are three trays. You place some worms in the bottom tray along with some food scraps which the worms eat. Once they have finished that food they move by themselves up to the next tray into which you have put food and the first tray is now ready to use as compost. You simply keep the system going and the liquid fertilizer gathers in a chamber at the bottom where there is a tap to drain it into your watering can.
The ideal environment for these working worms means they can churn through your kitchen waste quite happily, processing a strong, nutrient rich liquid feed. This organic compost – which you dilute with water prior to use – is an excellent plant food for house plants, garden flowers, shrubs, vegetables or as a lawn feed – and is the rich organic compost, commonly known by gardeners as "Black Gold".
The Worm Works also retails at £79.99 and is sold by www.greengardenshop.co.uk

The down pipe Rainwater Collector Filter – T33

The T33 is designed for rain water collection in water butts. These filters are easily connected to all 63mm, 68mm, 80mm and 100mm round down pipes, and 61mm sq and 65mm Sq Square down pipes and can be left to automatically fill the water butt.
The 0.1mm stainless steel sieve ensures that only clean and filtered water arrives in the base. Best of all, when the water butt is full, the filter will automatically redirect water back down the down pipe, preventing any overspill.
The T33 comes fitted with a winter plug that (once fitted) will prevent filling during those freezing winter months. The filters are practically maintenance free, as they feature a self-cleaning characteristic which directs dirt straight down the drain.
The Down pipe Rainwater Collector Filter – T33 is sold by www.britisheco.com at £39.99.

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