Today's post is a response to Rach's very excited (!!!!! LOL) response to yesterdays post.
If you've been following my blog, you are probably aware that we are trying to reduce our environmental footprint as much as possible. You may also have noted that I love gardening and am just a tad frugal. So recycling in the garden is something that makes my heart sing!
Recycling in the garden is popular, but many suggested projects use items such as pallets,tyres and old building materials. These are great, and we use them a lot (see some below), but I believe the best recycling projects are those that use items that were your own rubbish. We find most of our inspiration by looking at the materials around us and seeing if they can be used to meet a need. This saves us from throwing them out and also saves in fuel costs, time etc.
Here are some the garden recycling projects that I found on my walk around the garden today (there are more, these are the easiest to explain though).
These projects may not always look pretty, and yes, our yard is messy - its a working yard. I don't pretty things up to take photos for you, sorry! :)
Arch for cucumbers
This is only part recycling, and part purchased. It is simply 4 bamboo stakes banged into the ground. Then we wove some wire mesh over the stakes (bamboo and wire mesh both from the local hardware - total cost $16). We used a couple of taller hardwood stakes that we already had in the centre, to give a bit more support to the wire. Then, with recycled poly pipe, we formed 2 arches. The poly pipe is pushed onto the stakes and held in place with a screw on each one. Ours has a bit of a church window arch shape because I accidentally bent the poly pipe when I was trying to give it a gentle curve. I like it, but if you want a more rounded shape, be careful when bending the pipes :).
Seedlings pots and labels
I made all if our seedlings pots from newspaper. We don't buy the paper often (just the local paper when we want to go garage sale-ing), but as it only takes half a sheet of newspaper for each pot, it is easy to get enough. The labels in each pot are made from a cut up milk jug and written on with sharpie.
Cold frame
Our cold frame was built from pallet wood and a window we picked up at the tip. I even recycled some nails from the pallets to make it. It is lined with a cut up feed bag to stop weed growth.
Compost bin
Simply three pallets tied together (with strong twine like binder twine) made a huge new compost bin for us. We can untie them to access the compost when the time comes and then rebuild it.
Cloches
Cloches are covers for plants that give a warmer micro-climate than the local area. I am using cloches in the garden this year when my seedlings have true leaves and are ready to come out if the coldframe, but are still in need of protection from cold and the occasional spring frost. My cloches are made from juice bottles with the bottom cut off. I will leave the lids off the bottles to reduce the humidity inside and harden the plants a little. Having this small opening won't be a problem for frosts (here at least) as the rest of the bottle will still protect the plants.
Chook house
I built our chook house a few years ago entirely from recycled materials. I used corrugated iron that used to be a fence for the roof, pallets and the old timber decking from our verandah for the walls and old drawers, a cupboard door (and a scrappy piece of lino for weather protection) for the nesting boxes. The door was an old one from the house and inside the floor is lined with recycled bricks and the girls have an old metal slatted bed base and some branches for roosts. It is by no means the most beautiful chook house in the world, but it was free, recycled and made by me so I love it! It has also worked well for the last few years, which is a plus!
Garden beds
I've talked about these before. Built from pallet timber and lined with feed bags (instead of weed mat). I can't wait till these are full of vegies!
Tree guards
Feed bags again! Mum gave me heaps and I just keep finding uses for them. This simple tree guard protects from animals, frosts and lawn mowers and was simply made by cutting the bottom off a bag and uses some prunings (or stakes) to hold it in place.
Vegie garden cat protection
If you (or your neighbours) have cats, you know how much they love digging in garden beds. I used some old chicken wire to lay over my beds. It isn't attached so I can remove it for weeding, planting etc. The cats don't bother digging because it isn't comfortable and it can just be removed when the plants get big enough to be safe.
Bean teepee and plant supports
As we have been pruning away this year, I've held onto any long straight branches. I have used some of them to create this bean teepee and support for our berries. The are held together with cut up holey socks and recycled binder twine. The rest of the branches will be used for other plants that need staking.
A kiwiberry tunnel
My kids weren't using their swingset, so, with their permission, we removed the swings and will be adding some wire to the long sides as our kiwiberry (planted centre front and guarded with some recycled wire) grows so that it can grow over one side. Eventually, I intend to grow one on the other side too so we get a plant tunnel.
Snail traps
More plastic bottles! This time as snail traps (blogged about here). We use the dregs from the homebrew in these and they're working well.
Strawberry bed
Ages ago I talked about my strawberry patch and how I'd lined it with cardboard. It seemed like a good idea, but the snails and slater bugs had eaten much of the cardboard *sigh*. So I revisited the black plastic idea using the heavy duty bags that the sheep manure I bought at a farmgate was packed in. I don't like buying plastic, or getting it if there is a choice, but finding ways to recycle plastic makes it feel much better.
Wine bottle pot waterers
I haven't done this yet, but I have the bottles there ready for when we go away. Here is the tutorial I found for them. I'll be using these to water my herb pots over summer.
Garden candles
I made this tin can tea light holder for Stu for our wedding anniversary (10 years is tin - see my cute love hearts?). We intend to make a collection of them to hang around our pergola with citronella candles in them for summertime parties. They're a lovely easy project to do. Simply fill you can 3/4 full of water and freeze. The frozen water then makes it easy to punch through the can using a hammer and nail. A scrap of wire makes the handle and inside use a little blue tack to hold you candle in place.
I hope I've given you a few new recycling ideas for your garden and that you've enjoyed your wander around mine.
Have you got any more ideas?
I'd love to hear them or see projects that you do following this post - please leave me a message.
If you've been following my blog, you are probably aware that we are trying to reduce our environmental footprint as much as possible. You may also have noted that I love gardening and am just a tad frugal. So recycling in the garden is something that makes my heart sing!
Recycling in the garden is popular, but many suggested projects use items such as pallets,tyres and old building materials. These are great, and we use them a lot (see some below), but I believe the best recycling projects are those that use items that were your own rubbish. We find most of our inspiration by looking at the materials around us and seeing if they can be used to meet a need. This saves us from throwing them out and also saves in fuel costs, time etc.
Here are some the garden recycling projects that I found on my walk around the garden today (there are more, these are the easiest to explain though).
These projects may not always look pretty, and yes, our yard is messy - its a working yard. I don't pretty things up to take photos for you, sorry! :)
Arch for cucumbers
This is only part recycling, and part purchased. It is simply 4 bamboo stakes banged into the ground. Then we wove some wire mesh over the stakes (bamboo and wire mesh both from the local hardware - total cost $16). We used a couple of taller hardwood stakes that we already had in the centre, to give a bit more support to the wire. Then, with recycled poly pipe, we formed 2 arches. The poly pipe is pushed onto the stakes and held in place with a screw on each one. Ours has a bit of a church window arch shape because I accidentally bent the poly pipe when I was trying to give it a gentle curve. I like it, but if you want a more rounded shape, be careful when bending the pipes :).
Seedlings pots and labels
I made all if our seedlings pots from newspaper. We don't buy the paper often (just the local paper when we want to go garage sale-ing), but as it only takes half a sheet of newspaper for each pot, it is easy to get enough. The labels in each pot are made from a cut up milk jug and written on with sharpie.
Cold frame
Our cold frame was built from pallet wood and a window we picked up at the tip. I even recycled some nails from the pallets to make it. It is lined with a cut up feed bag to stop weed growth.
Compost bin
Simply three pallets tied together (with strong twine like binder twine) made a huge new compost bin for us. We can untie them to access the compost when the time comes and then rebuild it.
Cloches
Cloches are covers for plants that give a warmer micro-climate than the local area. I am using cloches in the garden this year when my seedlings have true leaves and are ready to come out if the coldframe, but are still in need of protection from cold and the occasional spring frost. My cloches are made from juice bottles with the bottom cut off. I will leave the lids off the bottles to reduce the humidity inside and harden the plants a little. Having this small opening won't be a problem for frosts (here at least) as the rest of the bottle will still protect the plants.
Chook house
I built our chook house a few years ago entirely from recycled materials. I used corrugated iron that used to be a fence for the roof, pallets and the old timber decking from our verandah for the walls and old drawers, a cupboard door (and a scrappy piece of lino for weather protection) for the nesting boxes. The door was an old one from the house and inside the floor is lined with recycled bricks and the girls have an old metal slatted bed base and some branches for roosts. It is by no means the most beautiful chook house in the world, but it was free, recycled and made by me so I love it! It has also worked well for the last few years, which is a plus!
Garden beds
I've talked about these before. Built from pallet timber and lined with feed bags (instead of weed mat). I can't wait till these are full of vegies!
Tree guards
Feed bags again! Mum gave me heaps and I just keep finding uses for them. This simple tree guard protects from animals, frosts and lawn mowers and was simply made by cutting the bottom off a bag and uses some prunings (or stakes) to hold it in place.
Vegie garden cat protection
If you (or your neighbours) have cats, you know how much they love digging in garden beds. I used some old chicken wire to lay over my beds. It isn't attached so I can remove it for weeding, planting etc. The cats don't bother digging because it isn't comfortable and it can just be removed when the plants get big enough to be safe.
Bean teepee and plant supports
As we have been pruning away this year, I've held onto any long straight branches. I have used some of them to create this bean teepee and support for our berries. The are held together with cut up holey socks and recycled binder twine. The rest of the branches will be used for other plants that need staking.
A kiwiberry tunnel
My kids weren't using their swingset, so, with their permission, we removed the swings and will be adding some wire to the long sides as our kiwiberry (planted centre front and guarded with some recycled wire) grows so that it can grow over one side. Eventually, I intend to grow one on the other side too so we get a plant tunnel.
Snail traps
More plastic bottles! This time as snail traps (blogged about here). We use the dregs from the homebrew in these and they're working well.
Strawberry bed
Ages ago I talked about my strawberry patch and how I'd lined it with cardboard. It seemed like a good idea, but the snails and slater bugs had eaten much of the cardboard *sigh*. So I revisited the black plastic idea using the heavy duty bags that the sheep manure I bought at a farmgate was packed in. I don't like buying plastic, or getting it if there is a choice, but finding ways to recycle plastic makes it feel much better.
Wine bottle pot waterers
I haven't done this yet, but I have the bottles there ready for when we go away. Here is the tutorial I found for them. I'll be using these to water my herb pots over summer.
Garden candles
I made this tin can tea light holder for Stu for our wedding anniversary (10 years is tin - see my cute love hearts?). We intend to make a collection of them to hang around our pergola with citronella candles in them for summertime parties. They're a lovely easy project to do. Simply fill you can 3/4 full of water and freeze. The frozen water then makes it easy to punch through the can using a hammer and nail. A scrap of wire makes the handle and inside use a little blue tack to hold you candle in place.
I hope I've given you a few new recycling ideas for your garden and that you've enjoyed your wander around mine.
Have you got any more ideas?
I'd love to hear them or see projects that you do following this post - please leave me a message.
Another great post full of ideas
ReplyDeleteGee, I could be looking at my own garden! We have a three bay compost bin from pallets and an almost identical cold frame! And I'm eyeing off the kid's swing set for a makeshift greenhouse.
ReplyDeleteLove your garden, have filled me with inspiration thanks!! Karen
ReplyDelete