Recycling in the Garden

Tie up your tomato plants with strips of old tshirts

When you start to pay attention to it you begin to notice just how much garbage we create on a daily basis.  So much of our trash can be recycled now through recycling programs. But some thing still cannot. How much of our trash could actually still be used if we reused, repurposed, recycled, or even Upcycled it?  I love the word upcycle.  It just means taking what we once thought of as trash and not merely recycling it but making it into something much more useful or desirable than it was.  Recycling in the Garden can be fun and can save you big dollars!!  All you need to do is look around your home, go room by room and think... could I reuse this or is there a way to repurpose that?  Get creative!!  You'll have fun and save money too!!

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

From your Closet:

Do you need plant ties?  Cut your old tshirts into strips and use them to tie up your vines and vegetable plants like tomatoes.  The stretchy fabric has some give to it which will allow the plant to grow without damage.

Got an old pair of shoes?  Plant them! Drill a hole or two in the sole of the shoe to improve drainage.  Then add potting soil and your favorite container plants.  Try succulents like these Hens and Chicks and Sedum for a sunny spot in your garden.  If you have a shady garden, Heuchera 'Citronelle' or miniature Hostas such as 'Mouse Ear's' would be a perfect choice.

Check out this cute pair of shoes planted with succulents that I found at www.hometrenddesign.com.

From the Kitchen

Save your empty soda, water bottles and milk jugs.  When you're going away
on vacation in the heat of the summer, create a pin sized hole in the bottom of
a water bottle or milk jug, fill it with water and place it in your container garden
or next to your shrubs to provide a slow trickle of water.

   

 These same bottles and jugs can be used as planters.
 I found this cute idea where they are hung on the side 
of a deck.  Be sure you add holes to bottom for drainage!  
Plant tomatoes as shown here or flowering plants kike
 Callibrachoa (Million Bells) which would trail nicely and add a splash of color all summer.

(http://jennsgardeningspot.blogspot.com/2011/06/recycling-in-garden-plastic-make-it.html)

Need to add some color to a wall in your garden?  Upcycle old tin cans.  Wash them and remove the labels then paint them a bright color.  I love the bright blue cans here.  Hang them up or place them on your steps.  Anywhere you decide to use these pretty containers, you'll add a pop of color to your garden.

http://sprout5.blogspot.com/2011/04/earth-month-get-ready-to-plant.html

There are many other things in the kitchen you can reuse like an old
Cheese Dispenser.  Fill it with granular fertilizer, turn it over and shake
out the plant food as you need it.  Small dishes like the red ramekins
 in the photo can be used for starting seedlings.

From the Dining Room

Petite stemware and teacups repurposed as planters make sweet little container gardens that are great gifts.

   

From the Kid's Room

Now let's take a look in the kid's room.  Old toys can be recycled into container gardens too.  

This old wagon has seen better days.  But, once I planted it, it was brought
 back to life overflowing with Petunias, Swiss Chard, Gerbera Daisies, Coleus,
Hens and Chicks, and 'Angelina' Sedum.

From the Garage

I'll bet you can find things to  plant in your garage too.  I planted this old garden spreader with Coleus, Marigolds and sweet potato vines, and it's now a unique coversation piece in the garden.

How about planting your old gutters when you change them out!  That's right.. even your old gutters can be planted!

http://www.ehow.com/boards/using-old-gutters-for-gardening-410110/

The gutters are the perfect space for a salad garden. Plant lettuce, spinach and your other favorite greens.

Do you need a trellis for  your peas or beans to climb up?  Reuse your old bicycle wheels to make a perfect trellis for them.  My husband is a cycling enthusiast so we always have extra wheels around the house.  I can't wait to try this project next spring!

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/recycled-bike-wheel-trellis-suited-to-the-seasons-166086

Place one wheel at ground level.  Tamp a steak in the ground in the center of that wheel.  Using heavy wire attach a second wheel to the top of the steak.  Run string through the spokes from the top wheel to the bottom wheel.. and voila you have a trellis.

All around our homes we have items we don't use anymore that could be repurposed in our gardens.  Take a look around today.  What do you have that you can recycle, repurpose, and upcycle?