Who would have thought that pantyhose would play such a useful role outside the house as well as keeping our legs looking trim and feeling warm? Here are 7 uses for your pantyhose in the garden:

• Cover nearly ripe fruit with a piece of pantyhose to keep off invading, hungry little animals.

• Tying strips of pantyhose to stakes to keep your tomato plants, etc., upright, is ideal as there is ‘give’ in the fabric and it will not strangle the stems when there is a high wind or heavy rain.

• Tie the hose to a trellis where you have climbing plants, like ivy or roses. (It is suggested that you use white pantyhose for white trellises and neutral for natural wood. I think that is going a bit over the top!)

• Pantyhose are tough and ideal for keeping coiled hosepipes in place.

• When watering very delicate flowers in your garden cover the spout of the watering can or hose nozzle with some pantyhose so the spray is tempered.

• Keep your bulbs for next season’s planting in separate pantyhose, well labelled and stored in a dry spot.

• A piece of old pantyhose placed over the holes in the bottom of plant pots will stop soil being drained out when watering.