Recycling in the Garden

There’s such a huge amount of things that can be reused in one form or another that this will no doubt be a giant thread.

Beyond never getting rid of my leaves or grass clippings, which goes without saying, I’m using the metal pillars from a porch as rails on a short fence.. I’ve got plans to change out a tub in the house which I’ll be making use of the old cast iron one outside as a water feature. I like to make trips to Wal*Mart late at night during the graveyard shift to relieve them of their cardboard boxes, need to do that soon for the fern bed. Best boxes are in housewares.. ;)

Oh gosh.. I don’t like to throw out those cheap plastic containers that you get when you buy plants, reuse those for plantings.

Newspaper has countless uses, such as layering under mulch or making cup planters out of them.

Can also use milk jugs as drippers for beside plants. Put a small hole near the bottom, fill with water and cap. Water will drip out slowly watering the plant.

Tons of stuff can be reused. HGTV has a good article on the matter, sure others can pinpoint more links and ideas.. :)

-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b

Cheap plastic containers that you get when buying plants, I cut in rings and use them to mark where I have put my seeds. When they are growing, I do not have to wonder about where are the plants an where are the weeds.
Plastic coffee containers for drip by tomato plants.

And for flower pot, what about an old barbecue, or two old bicycles side by side and hanging plants in between or for climbing plants!

-- Eklectic, Follow my Bliss, South East Ontario 5a

I collect all kinds of things. I got two almost “mint” wood stoves (antiques) for a buck each at an auction. One got sand blasted, and painted, then tucked into the garden with flowers coming out the chimney and stove openings…...kinda kewl. I put old steel wagon wheels here and there, get the clematis to climb them. Old milk jugs, tea pots, wash basins etc…..container gardening on the decks.

The worst case of garden re-cycling. I buried a pet dog named Dexter in the back acreage. he was a great friend and that was a very sad day. Two years later I had company over and all were sitting about the deck having beverages when some one commented about the new black lab named Luna. “Whats Luna chewing”.............I looked, notived the broken tooth and thought OMG…......Dexter’s back!

last year I went and got several loads of sheep manure for the veggie garden. farmer used a back hoe to laod the truck and I used a pitch fork to toss it the garden. One chunk was heavy and I just figured it was a still frozen chunk of manure, went off and got another load. Got home and the wife was hysterical because the dog dragged some “body” into the house…........a whole dead sheep. Turns out that when a sheep dies in the winter, the ground is too frozen to bury it so they toss it on the manure pile…....sweet lord thundering, I wish I had known.

never a dull moment around here

-- Central northish Ontario

Ohhhh myyyyyy what a story …. I would soooooo be reacting like your wife …. poor thing. (Although it is kinda funny …of course once the “body” would have been removed—I mean truly, what would be the chances of that).

Man, Holiday/Family Dinners/Gatherings must be AWESOME and HYSTERICAL with all your stories!!!! ;-)

-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b

Greenthumb … sounds like you got some nice “items” in your garden … like I would love for my new garden. Come spring/summer I would love to see a photo of your “old planted” items. I think what I am trying to create is much more common in “your neck of the woods” than in my “city environment”. Love reading about your yard/gardens …

-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b

I also reuse the plastic pots I get plants in. We have plant sales and I fill them up with new plants for others to buy. I use old campfire coffee pots to put plants in too.

Of course the old reuse of wooden chairs with plants in them is still a favorite.

I actually spent 4 hours one day tearing down doorframes and baseboards in a house due to be knocked down so I could build things in the garden with the wood. Garden signs and garden benches are my favorite so far. I am going to make bird houses next.

-- wjl - 5a Indiana

Greenthumb—I think you have to make this stuff up!!
yet another great story

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

real life…......real drama

if nothing ever went wrong, if some one never made a mistake then my guess is…....they never did much.

Make no mistake…..............I’ve lived a lot of “life”............thankfully.

I recycle milk bags, the litre ones into freezer bags.

I have collected a few old farm impliments like a couple of old plows, grass cutters, tractor seats…..just junk. I take my torches and cut them up, use a stick welder to make “garden art”.

-- Central northish Ontario

Please show us your “garden art”

-- Eklectic, Follow my Bliss, South East Ontario 5a

yes, I would really like to see your garden art Greenthumb … :-)

-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b

coming to a theater near you !!!!!!

-- Central northish Ontario

About recycling: when you dig a pond, before putting down the liner, use old carpets. It will protect the liner from the rocks and whatnot that could rip it.
I am lucky, our dog was sick all over the carpets!!!!

-- Eklectic, Follow my Bliss, South East Ontario 5a

In our area we have a blue box that we put our glass bottles, jars and cans in for collection once a fortnight by the recycling people, but we dont have anywhere we can recycle plastic. Thanks for tips on here, I will recycle those myself.

-- Derbyshire------- English Countryside

We don’t have trash/garbage pick-up (out in the boonies where we would have to pay for an independant.) That’s how much we recycle.

-- arborial reconfiguration specialist......Zone out....(USA 5)

I started making stars and crosses out of sticks last year. The garden clubs seem to like them alot. Look good in the garden too painted or not.

-- wjl - 5a Indiana

any photos “NPR”??? Would like to see those?

-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b