Recycling in the Garden

Recycling in the Garden

I believe in recycling, reusing and creating garden art from found materials.  Several years ago I visited a research garden that used wine bottles to border flower beds. I liked the idea so much that I have incorporated it into my yard. One of the benefits is it gives me an excuse to drinking plenty of wine! I don’t stop there though because I love the blue Skyy vodka bottles as well!  Water collects on the bottom of the bottles for the birds and butterflies to drink from too.

I frequent the Habitat for Humanity Resale Store for pieces of PVC that I paint and use as garden art. Concrete blocks can be used as planters and plant stands; broken pieces of concrete from a sidewalk or driveway can be used for a retaining wall.  I always notice what people have thrown away, because sometimes it become art in my garden.

A concrete base I found in someone's lawn trash. It makes a nice plant stand. I have another one I put a piece of glass on top of and use as a table.

Bottles used around a flower bed as a border.

Natural Weed Killers

I’ve come across a book named Trowel & Error written by Sharon Lovejoy. In the book she lists numerous natural solutions for getting rid of unwanted insects, and diseases in the garden.  Some of the solutions I’ve tried with great success. Others I’ve just recently tried and will report my experiences later. For instance, Sharon suggests mixing 1 ounce liquid soap in a 2-gallon bucket of water. Drench a 2 foot square of lawn with the liquid, let sit 2 or 3 minutes, and then cover with a white flannel sheet or blanket. In about half an hour, lift the blanket and check for chinch bugs, which get tangled in the nap of the fabric.  You can also use a wet vac to vacuum up the emerging bugs after soaking sections of the lawn with the soapy water.

A great spot weed killer is white vinegar mixed with a few drops of liquid soap sprayed on young weeds in the heat of the day. You can also boil vinegar and spray onto weeds to kill even faster.

To kill large sections of grass without chemicals, use this  salt and vinegar combination

1 Pound of salt

1 Gallon of vinegar

2 Squirts of dishwashing liquid

4 TBSP of lemon juice

Mix salt in enough HOT water to dissolve. Add rest of ingredients. The soap will help mixture to stick to plants but it’s best to use on hot, dry day.

FESCUE UPDATE

It’s now October and the summer rains helped the grass seed I planted germinate and fill in the bare spots in my lawn. I have continued to treat for chinch bugs once a month, which I truly hate to do because I avoid chemicals in my yard. However, the small amount of lawn I have is looking better.  My hope is that the Bahia grass will discourage the insects and be more draught tolerant as well.

Creating Privacy

 I'm friendly and outgoing, but when I want to enjoy my pool, I prefer privacy. I'm grateful for the fence around my yard, even if it is chain link, but it offers no privacy. Along the north side of my home, I planted necklace pods and plumbagos that will eventually give me an attractive privacy screen. On the south side I wanted something more immediate to allow me to enjoy the pool. Money being a concern, I was limited in my fencing options. In addition, that side of the yard looked terrible too. The grass didn't grow and there were no attractive plants. The existing surnim cherry hedge is wonderful, but stopped half way down the property line.

First, I planted 4 more cherry bushes to fill in over time. Then I bought 2 rolls of inexpensive reed fencing and zip tied it to the existing fence. Then I planted a red passion vine and a cutting from a brugmesia/ angel trumpet. They will grow faster than the hedge and give color along the fence.

I envision that the side yard will eventually be 2 large flower beds with walkways along the fence line and between the beds. I planted two small foxtail palms, chosen because they are draught and cold tolerant. I added two knock out roses, which I purchased, flax lilies and crinum lilies that I divided from the overgrown existing yard and some gaillardia which I started from seed.  I eliminated the grass and applied mulch to keep the weeds down and keep moisture for the plants.

SPRING 2011

SUMMER 2011

Things have started to grow!

OUTDOOR CURTAINS
Using curtains in my carport helped me create an outdoor room  which offers shade and privacy

Using curtains on a carport can creat privacy and also the feeling of an outdoor room, without a big expense. In addition to my privacy, the neighbors don't have to look at my shelves of paint, cleaners and pool chemicals. In Florida, carports are rarely used for parking a car! My carport provides a shaded sitting area close to the grill. Also in this photo you can see PVC that I've painted for garden art and concrete blocks used as planters and plant stands. These ideas are mentioned in my blog under recycling.

                                                        space before curtains 2011

Space after curtains

Opposite side of yard. Plants will eventually grow taller than chain link fence to provide privacy.

Gardening As Therapy

If you call it yard work…..you’re not a gardener.  There may be some “yard work” involved in gardening, but if you really and truly love getting dirty and can’t think of a better way to spend countless hours in your yard, then calling it work just seems wrong. I think a more accurate term is therapy. Of course anyone who gardens already knows this.

Even as a child I spent time pulling dandelions in our yard in Ohio. I was having fun! During the summers of childhood, I spent a week at my grandparents’ home in the country, picking strawberries and helping tend the vegetable garden. I loved sitting on the back steps snapping beans or shelling peas. I ate more fresh peas than ever got on the dinner table.  One summer in junior high I found a picture of their home taken many years prior. It showed a beautiful flag stone walk going from the driveway up to the front door. I don’t recall that they ever used the front door and I figured it was because the walk way was covered over with grass. I took it upon myself to cut away the grass, exposing this beautiful walkway. It took me several hours, and I enjoyed every minute of it.  It filled my need for instant gratification. I was so proud and thought my grandparents would be thrilled. However, being practical about caring for 8 acres in their retirement years, they thought I was nuts. By the next summer, the lawn had grown back over the walkway. My grandma explained that grandpa didn’t have the time to waste on walkways because he liked spending time in his gardens…not dealing with lawn care and edging.  Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t know many 13 year olds spending afternoons digging grass off a walkway…but I did it two summers in a row! I’m sure some children would have thought it was an awful way to spend summer vacation. But my adolescent mind needed time to ponder life’s lessons and of course to fantasize about boys! It was my therapy and I loved it.

Every place I have lived, whether I owned or rented, I planted flowers and created an outdoor space. Even in the winter in Ohio, I shoveled snow off the patio at my cottage, put tiki torched around and built a fire. My friends and I would sit around singing campfire songs and enjoying the night sky.  It’s so easy to forget your troubles or celebrate life when you relax in nature with good friends.

Many times in my life I have lived alone.  No matter how busy I am with work, my social life or volunteering, there are days when I have nothing to do (or I don’t want to do any of the things I should do!). I am most grateful on those days for my yard. Sometimes I just walk around smelling the flowers, taking pictures, noticing what is blooming or needing attention. Sometimes I take my tea, or wine and sit outside imagining a new flower bed or patio. I create it in my mind before I pick up a shovel.  Sometimes the dreaming is as fun as the creating. This active meditation allows me to listen and be still I forget my concerns and feel filled with hope. My mother gave me decoration that sits on my kitchen window sill that reads “One who plants a garden, believes in God”.  Perhaps that’s why I feel tremendous gratitude when I am in my garden.

Another thing I notice is how my cats love to walk around the yard with me.  They have their favorite places to sleep or catch their vitamin D, but they seem to love the yard more when I am there with them. They are so curious about every new plant that goes in the soil and they welcome them like new friends.  They act proud that this is their home and are grateful too.

After a day in the sun with the sweat dripping down my neck, I jump in my pool and float around on a raft feeling refreshed, satisfied and accomplished.  I think my form a therapy will be required for my lifetime………..ah, what a life.

  

FESCUE!

I try to avoid the “F” word.  As far as I’m concerned it has no place in a Florida yard.  Yes, I know it can be beautiful, but at what cost?  Grass, as most people refer to it, requires water, which is at a premium in Florida. It needs chemicals to keep it green and free of root eating bugs. Not to mention the weekly mowing and trimming necessary during the hottest months of the year.

This summer of 2011, we have been experiencing a severe drought. My lawn looks horrible, but my recently planted flowers look beautiful. This has always been my experience. So I prefer to plant more flower gardens and less lawn. I like lots of mulched or paved walkways that meander through the flower beds and take you on a journey around the yard.

 Sometimes when things are recently planted it can be hard to envision what they’ll look like a year from now, especially if you plant cuttings or small plants. The garden is a great place to practice patience!

The areas of “fescue” in my yard are minimal, but I want them tom look nice. I had/have a problem with chinch bugs, so I needed a chemical to treat it, and then I seeded the area with Bahia grass instead of St. Augustine, which may be prettier but is more prone to Chinch bugs.  Bahia grass is what is used along roadways and in commercial applications. It is cold and drought tolerant.  So far my seeds are just starting to germinate. I am using the daily showers we are finally blessed with to keep the seeds growing. Occasionally I pull the hose out to give them a drink.  Hopefully the lawn will be established by fall, and looking nice too.

What do you do for your lawn? Have you ever tried to grow some other type of ground cover in place of grass?

Blank Piece of Paper

Some of the reasons that I love to garden are it allows my mind to wander. It’s meditation. I can spend hours doing something positive and see the results. I love to entertain and have friends and family around. Living in Florida provides us with beautiful weather year round and I want to take advantage of that. I live alone and like to be productive with my time, so rather than sitting in front of the TV, I get out in my yard and dream of how I can transform it.  Gardening is like a blank piece of paper. You start writing or drawing ideas and before you know it, they come to life!

My home has some mature trees that provide a foundation for my gardening.  The yard had become overgrown with weeds and undesirable shrubbery, so I needed to remove vegetation before I could begin any other projects.  I identified some of the foliage with the help of friends who have more knowledge than me. 

Once the yard was cleaned up, I decided how I would use the yard.  I wanted an outdoor eating area, a fire pit, a small vegetable garden, lots of flowering plants, an area to feed the birds and an area for Corn Hole.  I list these ideas on my paper.  The yard is fenced with chain link, which while I’m thankful for the fencing; it’s unattractive and offers no privacy.  I have a pool and needed to consider how the trees affected the pool as far as sun exposure and debris getting into the pool. I add to my paper where the sun moves across the yard, where the shading spots are during the day.

I started with the fire pit area. Locating it in the middle of the yard, away from tree branches that could catch fire, and large enough to incorporate a flower bed.  My thinking was that I could plant some shrubs that will grow somewhat quickly to start to offer some privacy.  I chose oleanders, which are cold, & drought tolerant and flower year round.  In addition I added bromeliads, mondo grass, geraniums and a few potted plants. 

When creating a new area I use two different methods, depending on the size. For a small area, I cover the grass with a heavy layer of newspaper and weigh it down with rocks or bricks and keep it watered. This will kill off the grass and provide a temporary weed barrier.  The newspaper breaks down and becomes mulch and is a great way to recycle newspaper. The area is ready to plant in about a month. Dig through the paper to plant, and then cover with mulch.  For larger area, I use Round Up weed killer. I avoid pesticides, insecticides and weed killers as much as possible! However, there are times I find it helpful in small amounts. However….ALWAYS take a shower immediately after using. Discover organic methods for fertilizing and weed killing as much as possible to avoid health issues. I’ll talk later about other methods I find helpful. 

To prepare a large area in your yard, use a garden hose to outline the new flower bed or sitting area, then  spray the weed killer and let sit in the hot sun for several hours, plant and cover with mulch.  I can’t afford to pave or concrete all the areas I would like for patios or walkways, so this method works well for me.  Of course my yard has an informal natural look and this wouldn't work well in a formal garden.  

To create the fire pit, I purchased large edging pavers from Home Depot and formed a large circle. The pavers keep the fire inside and allow for different size logs. I salvaged an old grate from a gas grill that I can place on top for cooking. An easy and chemical free fire starter can be made by collecting dryer lint in a cardboard egg carton. Break off pieces off the carton and light it under kindling.   I love the look of a purchased outdoor fire place but have found they rust out quickly and limit the log size.

A few  chairs and tiki torches finish the project.  There’s nothing like sitting under the night sky around a fire. I feel like I'm off on vaction when I sit by my fire! To be safe, keep the garden hose close by and keep a watchful eye on the fire. Always make sure the fire is safely extinguished before going to bed. Tomorrow is another day for adding to my piece of paper!

 Looking towards the pool into the back yard from the North side of the house, before any gadrening projects started. FALL 2010

 Lots of overgrown weeds and invasive plants growing along fence line offering privacy, but will have to go and be replanted with more attractive plants.

 Lots of grass. I don't really like grass, but the open area helps me envision sitting areas and flower beds!

 Debris pile is just the start .................

 Over several months, this type of debris pile was a weekly occurance.

 Creating a fire pit sitting area starts to make the yard an intimate gathering area for enjoying the outdoors.

 Having an outdoor table close to the kitchen or grill makes enjoying meals outside easy.

 Plants around the fire pit makes it more visually interesting.

Do you have a fireplace in your garden? Tell me about it!