Roses, like hydrangeas, are just one of the many garden plants that love food scraps.

One scrap ingredient that gives roses a boost is coffee grounds. You can simply bury them straight into your garden beds, giving your plant a nutrient boost or a helping hand against pests no composting is required.

When it comes to coffee grounds, over on the Gardening UK Facebook group, Helen Skinner enquired about how to best utilise a box of them that she’d snagged for free from her local cafe.

Asking fellow green-fingered enthusiasts, she said: “The coffee shop down the road has let me collect a box of grounds. How is it best to use though?”

She pondered whether to mix it with water or work it into the soil near the roots of her roses, rhododendrons, and azaleas.

The post sparked a flurry of responses, with Frances Reed chiming in: “I’m getting some from my local coffee shop for my roses. Been using it for years. Never fails me.”

Meanwhile, Jim Saunders advised: “The best way to use coffee grounds is to dig it into the soil around your roses using a fork.”

Garden enthusiasts have been sharing their top tips online, with Sandra Ferguson revealing: “I sprinkle them around the base of my roses to give them a boost and they flower so much better and for longer. I then fork it in and water.”

Sandra also claimed that using coffee has another benefit: “Found that the coffee has even worked to repel cats and rats I’ve seen entering my garden.”

Sharing her own tactic, Sheryl Worthy said: “I scatter mine throughout the whole garden. It's great for keeping the slugs at bay too.” While Rosemary Martin added simply: “And cats.”

Tracey Mclellan shared her method as well: “I just sprinkle mine over the top of the soil have done for 15 plus years now used tea bags too, and my partner drinks a lot of ground coffee.”

It’s not just anecdotal as both used and fresh coffee grounds are packed with nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and plenty of micronutrients, making them a perfect DIY garden fertiliser.

These kitchen leftovers have gained a loyal following among green-fingered folks, who find them effective against garden pests like slugs and snails while deterring rodents and preventing felines from treating vegetable patches as their personal loos.

Rich in potassium, banana peels also make for such an excellent addition to rose plants and the peel can also strengthen the plant's stems and produce glossier leaves.