Garden Accessories

Buying Guide

Garden accessories cover a lot of ground, from watering cans and storage to bird feeders, tool organisers and decorative pieces. There is no single ‘best’ sustainable material for garden accessories; rather the more of these items you can buy in natural, rapidly renewable, biodegradable or recycled or upcycled materials, the less synthetic plastic ends up in your outdoor space. UV exposure causes plastics to break down into microplastics over time.

Galvanised steel watering cans, terracotta pots, coir hanging basket liners, natural jute twine and FSC-certified wooden tool storage all perform well and avoid the fragility and waste of cheap plastic alternatives. Natural materials also tend to sit better in a planted garden, where the warmth of aged steel, terracotta or woven wicker complements nature.

It is also worth thinking about peat. Many garden accessories, including seed trays, seed-starting blocks and growing media, still contain peat. Peat bogs are some of the most carbon rich habitats in the UK and take thousands of years to form. Choosing peat free alternatives is one of the simplest switches available to any gardener.

Every brand featured in our garden accessories edit goes through our 8-lens sustainability review before it reaches this page. You can read the full breakdown for each brand over on our blog.

Technical and Sustainability FAQs

Q: What garden accessories make the biggest difference to wildlife?

A: A water source is the single most impactful addition to any garden for wildlife. Even a small, shallow dish of water placed at ground level attracts birds, hedgehogs and insects. Beyond that, a log pile or bug hotel made from natural untreated wood (like bamboo) provides habitat for beetles, solitary bees and other invertebrates. A bird feeder using quality mixed seed attracts a wide range of garden birds. The Royal Horticultural Society notes that even small gardens with the right features can support meaningful local biodiversity. None of these things need to be expensive or complicated.

Q: Is it worth switching from plastic garden accessories to natural ones?

A: Yes, particularly for items used regularly in or near soil. Plastic seed trays, plant labels and pots fragment with UV exposure and shed microplastics into garden soil, where they have been found to disrupt soil structure and affect plant root growth. Natural alternatives such as terracotta seed trays, coir propagation pots and wooden plant labels biodegrade harmlessly at end of life and are often more durable in the short term too. The switch does not need to happen all at once. Starting with the accessories you replace most often tends to have the quickest impact.

Q: Why should I avoid peat-based compost and growing media?

A: Peat bogs are among the most carbon-dense ecosystems on earth, storing more carbon per hectare than tropical rainforest. Extracting peat for compost releases that stored carbon and destroys habitats that take thousands of years to develop. The UK government has committed to ending peat sales in retail horticulture. Peat-free alternatives made from coir, composted bark and wood fibre are now widely available and perform well for most garden uses. Garden Organic recommends looking for producers who make exclusively peat-free products, such as Melcourt and Dalefoot, rather than brands labelling products as “reduced peat”, which can still contain up to 80% peat.