Have Fun and be Creative - Get the Look for Less
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Article by: J T Taylor Hands up all those who have visited a Garden , African Violet Care Centre or DIY Store looking for something to add that touch of 'wow' to the garden. , Discount Patio Furniture Let's face it, what's on offer is not exactly going to be unique is it? So instead of running with the crowd, why not go for something different! Go Green Have fun and be creative. Salvaging and recycling can be so much more than just composting green , Real Men Use Reel Mowers waste. Think of all the other items that are cast aside in the throes of so many re-vamps and make-overs: brick, stone, , For Lighting Fixtures and Landscape Lighting Get Solar Power Installed redundant furniture, , Hammock Chairs - Relax in Style old sinks, cast iron bathtubs, the list goes on. Real Rubbish Garden! , Riding Lawn Mowers Parts At Chelsea a few years ago, the RSPB's Real Rubbish garden , Myths About Lawns designed by Claire Whitehouse demonstrated how reclaimed and re-usable materials could be incorporated in a contemporary garden. , Do You Want to Have Concrete Balls? Use some imagination Salvaging is all about using your imagination. Rather than throwing out items without a second thought, stop a minute and apply a bit of lateral thinking. Could it be recycled or re-used in other ways? We all make regular visits to our local tip , Myths About Lawns to dispose of rubbish. How often do you stop and look at items others have thrown out? What treasures could you have missed? Plastic , Teak Planters - Accent Your Outdoor Space with One coleslaw and salad pots , Why I Decided To Plan My Next Years Garden Last Fall, And Why make excellent seed , Garden Folklore: Plants Thrive in Good Company storage containers. Old toilet-roll centres are perfect for starting off broad bean seeds , 9-11 Changed Everything for the Garden Tractor Business whose deep roots , African Violet Care wont be disturbed when it comes to planting them out in their own bio-degradable cells. Old wooden , Fertilizers - What you Need to Feed Your Lawn pallets can be turned into the perfect compost , Everybody Feng Shui Tonight - in the Garden bin (who says 'five into one, wont go!). Even the most unlikely items can be reborn; an old lavatory pan becomes a witty planter; a discarded bath becomes a herb garden. , Hills and Holes: Not Part of Your Landscaping Design? It's not really a new idea either. We all remember the ubiquitous white-washed split tyre planters that appeared everywhere in the seventies but it's not so easy to do the whole cut-and-turn thing since the advent of steel belting but a couple of worn-out tyres makes a useful container for any plant , Balcony, Patio, and Courtyard Gardening that's a bit thuggish and likes to muscle in on its neighbours. I use mine to corral an unruly spread of mint whereas at CAT (The Centre for Alternative Technology at Macynlleth in Wales) they use a tyre stack as a composter. , A Rose is a Rose? Small but nonetheless efficient. Create something different It's surprising how many old wheelbarrows you will come across on a visit to your local , How to Win the War Against Slugs and Snails Council Tip A wheelbarrow provides plenty of scope for decorative planting and can usually be picked up for around a fiver. It'll be well-used and showing signs of age, which is perfect for the purpose. If you're feeling really industrious, you could give it a coat of 'Hammerite' to make it look pretty, otherwise just drill or punch some drainage holes, plant , Start Planning for Your Backyard Water Garden or Pond up and enjoy. And an added bonus with a wheeled planter is if you fancy a change , Hammock Chairs - Relax in Style of scenery, it's easy enough to move it around. Need a piece of 'art' to create a focal point? An old push mower , Saving Seeds from Your Garden or lawn , Everybody Feng Shui Tonight - in the Garden roller takes on a sculptural quality when set against a dry-stone wall , Daphnes for Scent and Colour and glimpsed through a blossom-clad arch. The same may be said for an old-fashioned horse-drawn ploughshare - make sure you have the space though. Don't overlook old furniture , Garden Folklore: Plants Thrive in Good Company either. You could pick up an old chest for a few pounds and with a lick of paint , How to Win the War Against Slugs and Snails it can be used to store hands tools, , Earthworms in the Garden/Earthworm Facts riddles, dibbers and the like and - with a bit of weather-proofing - even turned into a tiered display area. When it comes to re-using and recycling we are only limited by our imagination. Discover that elusive bargain Having recently moved home , How to Win the War Against Slugs and Snails and inherited a garden , Create Your Own Special Herb that beckons contemplation, I decided it was necessary to procure some seating that befitted the task. Disappointed at the sameness of the choices on offer I decided to search for an alternative that I found in the shape of a rather handsome bent-wood rocker. All it needs is some slight attention to a loose splat and a bit of refinishing in order to withstand the elements. I'm looking forward to sitting it on the side lawn , Growing Rare Fruits for Fun or Profit beneath the boughs of a knarled apple tree , 9-11 Changed Everything for the Garden Tractor Business and shall inset some bricks (reclaimed of course) in the grass , African Violet Care to avoid the rockers becoming entrenched. For £5.00 I've bought my own little oasis of calm and tranquillity. Council Tips , Teak Planters - Accent Your Outdoor Space with One are not the only places , Daphnes for Scent and Colour to look of course. If you are looking for something with a bit of age and different Auction Houses , Balcony, Patio, and Courtyard Gardening and Salvage/Reclamation yards , Create Your Own Special Herb Garden are a good place , Use Floating Row Covers to Grow Better Cucumbers Without Spraying to start you could find You'll only find new ones in shops. There are reclamation and salvage yards, , Hibiscus Tea second-hand stores and even auction houses , How to Win the War Against Slugs and Snails all of which are comparable to the fabled Aladdin's cave. Salvage and reclamation is pretty big business these days and it pays to shop around. If you have a project in mind, particularly if you live in a period property, , My Spring Bulbs Won't Bloom - Why? there is no better place , Palm Tree Care to scout around to find authentic and original every-day objects and architectural features , Easy Working With Cordless Lawn Mowers to breathe new life into your garden. , Orchids Versus the Traditional Rose Keep an eye out for weathered statuary and chimney pots , Why I Decided To Plan My Next Years Garden Last Fall, And Why that look terrific planted up or can be used as rhubarb forcers or celery blanchers. Fancy a bog garden? A cast iron bath - and I'm not suggesting some exotic £400 French jobbie, cheap an' cheerful is the order of the day here - sunken into the ground (plug removed of course) is the perfect container. Most towns have an Auction house , How to Win the War Against Slugs and Snails but be aware that there will be few bargains to be found on Antique or Collectable days. Sometimes you may find Specialist sales with a horticultural or agricultural bent and you may a find a bargain here but broadly speaking, a General Sale is your best bet. General sale days are great fun because the range of goods on offer is so wide, everything from ceramics to furniture , Fabric Hammocks and everything in between. Take advantage of the viewing opportunities and don't be afraid to ask the Saleroom Staff how much they think something might fetch and if they think it will be popular. With a bit of homework you may pick up a really bargain. Whether it's an old wheelbarrow, planter, pot, , Easy Working With Cordless Lawn Mowers chair , Myths About Lawns or statue; reclaimed and recycled items add a touch of individuality and character to a garden , Why I Decided To Plan My Next Years Last Fall, And Why and that's something you wont find on the shelves at any out-of-town mall. What's in your garden? When it comes to recycling in the garden, , Fertilizers - What you Need to Feed Your Lawn don't forget the plants , Water Gardens themselves. That Rose , Start Planning for Your Backyard Water Garden or Pond of Sharon may be the bane of your herbaceous border but to someone else, it represents a brilliant bit of instant ground cover so dig it out, pot , Gift Ideas for Bird Lovers it up and pass it on or even sell it at the Car Boot! Recycling is all about sustainability, all about making the very most out of what we have. So get involved. Visit your local tip, , Discount Patio Furniture - An Easy Way to Get the Best look for items to recycle and re-use in the garden. , Riding Lawn Mowers Go round reclamation yards, , Tractors and Their History auction houses , Hills and Holes: Not Part of Your Landscaping Design? and even have another look in your own back yard. , Use Floating Row Covers to Grow Better Cucumbers Without Spraying At worst, you'll save , For Lighting Fixtures and Landscape Lighting Get Solar Power Installed some money and who knows, you may find a hidden gem. Whatever you do, have fun and rejoice in the fact that what you're doing is literally not 'costing the earth'.Tim Taylor is a freelance writer and keen gardener. |
  
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