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.