Save Money Gardening Using Recycled Items
The Beauty of This Article
Rarely do you find a writer who unashamedly boasts about the value of his/her article, but that is exactly what I am doing today. The value of this article lies in the fact that it serves three purposes: it helps you to save money; it helps you with gardening ideas; and it helps you to find creative ways to recycle.
Three for the price of one, and since you aren’t even paying for this article you are getting three for the price of nothing. How fantastic is that?
You don’t need me to tell you that times are tough. The economy is in the tank and it has hurt us all financially. Pay no never mind to what the government is telling you, or what the economic experts are telling you; the fact of the matter is that your buying power is weaker today than it was twenty years ago, and it is growing weaker daily. So saving money is something you should be interested in.
Do I need to tell you the value of gardening? Do I need to expound on the “warm and fuzzies” you get when you grow your own food? Do I need to tell you about the feeling of accomplishment you get when it is harvest time and you know you are eating something that you raised from scratch? Is there anyone who disagrees with the fact the homegrown vegetables taste so much better than Monsanto-engineered vegetables?
And finally, is there anyone who does not understand the value to society that accompanies recycling? Is there anyone out there who does not understand the damage done to the earth when we continue our current mining practices? Recycling means less minerals needed, and less minerals needed means less mining and less depletion of natural resources.
So you see, this article really is quite valuable. I guess, then, it is time to find out how you can save money, grow great food and help the earth. Read on!
A Statement of the Obvious
I love frugal. Anyone who has followed my writings over the years knows that to be true. I work too hard to make my money; I can’t stand wasting it when I don’t have to. Add to that the fact that I refuse to buy into the consumerism craze that has ruined this country for decades. We have lost touch with our roots. We have become the worst of all societies, a convenience society, willing to spend billions on items and services we are fully capable of producing or supplying.
But I am heartened of late. I live in a city, namely Olympia, Washington, that encourages community gardens. Here you will find a resurgence of gardening, that time-honored pastime that took a back seat during the 80s, 90s and into the 21st Century. Here you will find gardens in a majority of the yards, backyard and front yard, and a city that embraces those practices. Here you will find a large Farmer’s Market and a handful of smaller ones, all offering local produce, cheeses and meats, and all organically grown.
Yes, I am heartened. I read daily about this movement towards self-sufficiency, and I talk to neighbors and online friends who are once again seeing the wisdom of growing our own food. It warms the cockles of my heart and encourages me to continue in my quest for the perfect urban garden.
So now that you are here, and now that I have shared my vision with you, let me take you around our property, all 1/8 of an acre, and tell you about some items we use that save us money.
More pallet ideas
- How To Make A Patio Chair Using Wooden Pallets
Here is a great project that requires very little knowledge or skill, and the great news is it will cost you practically nothing to build.
Free Wood Anyone?
Any gardener who has not discovered the wonders of wooden pallets is a deprived gardener. I don’t care where you live; you should be able to get your hands on some wooden shipping pallets for free. Look behind big businesses near their loading docks. You should spot a pile of them. Many businesses will be more than happy to have you haul them away.
And what do you do with those pallets? Oh my goodness, where do I begin? I have written articles about making a chicken coop out of pallets, which we have done. I have written articles about making lawn chairs from pallets, which we have done.
In addition, you can easily make a pottery bench using a pallet and four sturdy pieces of wood for legs. You can make raised beds from pallets. Simply remove the nails from the pallets and use those slats for the raised bed. Nail them to corner stakes and presto chango, a wooden pallet becomes a planter.
You can also use pallets for vertical gardening. Tack garden netting on one side of the pallet, fill it with dirt, plant your veggies while the pallet is on the ground, and after the roots have established themselves you can stand the pallet up and lean it against a wall. This is easy to water, too, since you simply pour water at the top and it flows down to all the plants in the pallet garden.
Tool shed anyone? How about a compost bin? Both can be made simply by screwing four pallets together in a square and then attaching a piece of plywood on top with hinges. One does not have to be a carpenter to do these creative projects. Hey, we even have a pallet fence that separates two sections of our yard.
Now turn your imagination loose and come up with some more ideas.
Odds and Ends
I’m sure most communities have garage sales, so you don’t need me to tell you about the great bargains there; however, in Olympia, it is common practice for people to put items they no longer want out on the curb for free takeaway. That’s how we came up with the toilet in our garden. That’s right, I said a toilet! That toilet made a funky planter for us last year and it will do so again this year.
We also found a free dresser alongside the road last year. What does one do with a dresser? Take the shelves out, put four legs on it, punch holes in the bottom, fill it with dirt and you have a great lettuce table for growing lettuce free of slugs. Dressers are also great for storing long-lasting vegetables after harvest. Just put it in a cool location and you can save veggies for up to two months.
Do you have any old sheets of plastic around the house? Here’s what you do with those: take two pallets and lean them against each other so they make a pyramid. Now staple the plastic on to the sides and you have a free greenhouse. The inside will increase in temperature by 30 degrees on sunny days in early spring and you protect your plants from late frosts. You can do the same thing using storm windows once you take them down after winter.
Do you have rocky soil? Take four pieces of wood and make a square with them. Then take an old piece of wire mesh and staple it onto the frame and then sift your dirt to get rid of the rocks and pebbles.
Frugal greenhouses
- Frugal Greenhouse Designs and Idea
Garden like a professional using these inexpensive methods of making a greenhouse.
I Could Go on and on and On
But the point is this: most of your needs around the garden can be met by using things that you already own. We all have junk accumulating around our yards and in our garages. Use that junk in your gardens and save money in doing so.
Do you want to fertilize your garden? For God’s sake don’t go out and buy fertilizer. If you have chickens like I have suggested several times then you already have all the fertilizer you need.
What I am suggesting will not be found in Better Homes & Garden Magazine. No, my suggestions are much too rustic for that fine magazine. If you have an overwhelming need to spend money then for goodness sake, buy the latest issue and follow their advice. If, however, you want to save money and have a feeling of accomplishment, then follow Old Bill’s advice and make do with what you have. The environment will thank you for it.
2014 William D. Holland (aka billybuc)
Comments
Totally passing this along to my dad for his spring gardening and thank you as always Bill for sharing your knowledge on gardening and saving money doing so. Wishing you a wonderful Thursday now!
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Thank you Janine! Tell your dad I said hello and have a great day.
Bill, you live in the real world, and offer valuable suggestions to make life satisfying. We learn from you in so many areas. Thank you!
Save Money Gardening Using Recycled Items is such a helpful and informative hub. Your ideas are most useful indeed
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No, thank you Dora! Just using some practical experience learned from long ago from my dad. I hope it helps you my friend.
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I'm glad to hear it DDE...thank you so much!
You are the master of recycle. I looked up the word in the dictionary and there was a picture of youLOL. Seriously if everyone would follow these ideas...we would have less waste and save a ton of dollars.
Old wooden pallets have so many uses, I made a birdbox out of one and am collecting more to make raised beds.
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You had me laughing with that dictionary line, Carol. Thank you! Hope all is well in Arizona my friend.
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Excellent SpaceShanty...I hope you do a hub about it.
You sure know how to make use of anything you can find. I like the dresser ideas. I never would have thought of that. I'm a bit perplexed about using dog poop as fertilizer, tho. Most everything I've read says not to use cat or dog poop in the compost bin because it may contain parasites and germs. Of course, now with humanure making an appearance on the green living scene, I'm a bit confused on the issue.
I'd love to see photos of all the things you've mentioned in this article, especially what you've done with the discarded dressers.
I will be making a gate out of my pallets come spring! Thanks!
I love these ideas! And talk about some simple, and cheap, ways to set up a great garden in your back yard! Nice job Billy!
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Very cool, Mari! Gates are easy to make with pallets...two hinges and you are done. :) Thanks for the visit my friend.
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Victoria, I refuse to spend money when all I need is free....I hope you give some of these ideas a try. They have been tested in our backyard and I promise they work. Thank you as always.
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Sha, I am convinced that no matter what the idea there will always be a study that says you shouldn't do it. At some point we need to just move on. I don't do the poop thing, but I have no problem with the urine. Farmers have been peeing on their fields for centuries. LOL
I so agree with you...I love to reuse items and have been accused of being a pack rat, but I hate to throw things away...there is no "away"....just because it is out of our homes doesn't mean it is gone! I also agree about the crazy buying frenzy the western world indulges in...all those malls...all that stuff....people trying to fill that hole, that longing with stuff...I have to admit I did that for a few years and found no comfort there. I hope this hub gets lots of attention as this is the kind of information people need now.
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Thank you Sheri! Oh, I was a part of that buying frenzy for a number of years. It took me a good long time to realize that happiness couldn't be purchased. I love to see if I can find new uses for old things...and usually I can.
Plants die under my care, but I can see you are a true expert with a much-envied green thumb. I love how you suggest using things around the neighborhood or in the house to make your garden grow. I also love the pallet greenhouse. It's a great way to recycle harmful plastics. This stuff is nice to know. But me-- even my compost decomposed on me.
Well, my attempt at starting a garden here has been an abysmal failure :( That being said, I am going to try by starting at the right time of year and following your ideas! Thank you!
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grand old lady, an expert I am not; I'm just too stubborn to spend money on things I can easily make myself. As for that compost of yours..LOL Thank you for the laugh.
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Randi, I follow the trial by error method of gardening. If something works I keep doing it; sooner or later I get it right. Good luck this spring and thank you.
I'm going to pin this to both my gardening board and my recycling/repurposing board. I so want to try one of those pallet projects! Here's another idea: I once bought a dozen cupcakes that came packaged in a plastic clam shell thing. I turned the packaging into a little mini greenhouse for starting seeds.
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Deb, thanks for sharing and thank you for the idea...that's a great idea and right up my alley. :)
I love doing all of this recycling business in my garden. Is it your garden in the video, Bill? You have inspired me to plant some vegetables between the shrubs and perennials in my garden.
Voted up and awesome!
Great article, I have learned much from it, and this comes from one who always had a garden, even when I lived in apartments in big cities. Good job!
You may have relieved some of my husband annoyance in the spring.
He hates it when I start plants in the house. But I do have 2 pallets and plastic to make a green house. -Judy
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Hi Martie! Yes, that's part of our garden. It doesn't look like much right now but in two months things will change. Thank you for the visit and good luck with yours.
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Highvoltagewriter, thank you! I'm always happy when I can exchange ideas with people.
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Fantastic, Judy! Hopefully it is a win-win situation for you and your husband. Thanks for another visit.
I've been meaning to tell you how disturbing it was last summer to watch you munching on lettuces as you pulled them out of the garden toilet.
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LMAO....best laugh I've had today, Lizzy! Sorry about that; I won't share quite so much this next summer. Thanks Lizzy!
I love these ideas. You certainly are creative. Thanks for the ideas.
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You are very welcome, Sheila! When you don't have much you learn to make it last as you well know.
Bill, this one is pure genius! I'm already doing some of these, but I'll be showing the hub to my other half, he is going to be pretty busy this summer. :)
You're right, this information is priceless.
I hope all is well, my best to you.
Great tips, Bill! I love the egg carton to start the seeds. They cost nothing if you eat eggs and they are just the right size to start those little seeds and it saves space at the beginning.
I have to share one of my tips. When I plant my tomatoe plants in my garden, I cover the soil with cut grass between my tomatoe plants. It keeps the humidity in the soil longer and it gives nutrients all summer long. In the beginning, I do that two or three times until the plants are so big that I can't go in between them almost. When my neighbour saw me doing it the first time I planted tomatoes plants, she laughed in my face.... but not for long. Now, she shares my tip to her friends when they go in her backyard and walk near my tomatoe plants :-)
Have a nice evening!
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Jo, please tell your other half that I am sorry I made work for them. LOL Thank you as always from chilly Olympia.
bill
I love you Bill! Yes - I love you for getting the word out as you have in this hub. Fantastic ideas that anyone and everyone can and should use. Reasons for following your advice are virtually limitless. Saves money, fresh veggies, no pesticides, healthier, helps the environment, recycling, reusing, and a fun hobby, exercising, plus therapeutic.
You're the man billybuc! You're our leader and teacher and mentor. You make a huge difference!
I'm a rustic living kind of lady (with a rusty body) - Voted up and across, pinning, tweeting, googling and doing everything else I can to share this. Video is just great. Thanks! Audrey
Up, Useful, Interesting and shared.
My relations and friends who are into gardening will appreciate these tips.
Maybe this spring I'll see if anyone I know in Kalamazoo will share the rent on a small community garden plot and I'll see if I can grow something. My wife did a little bit of container gardening last year. We live in an apartment, but the owners are nice about letting us put some plants on the porch.
My son called me this morning and was moaning about the snow and ice and said that he couldn't wait to plant his garden, i told him i felt the same way. There's nothing better than a juicy tomato picked from your own garden. I still have green peppers and tomatoes in my freezer from last year. You have some great ideas. I will be using egg cartons to start my flower seeds. Thank you Bill...
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Thanks for the tip Joelle.. I have a little old lady across the street from England who showed us that last summer; this spring we will definitely be doing it.
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Audrey, you are a classy dame in the nicest sense of the word and yes, my dear, I love you too. I'm just a simple guy who has learned some truths over six decades; now I'm just trying to pass those truths on while I am still above ground. :) Thank you my dear.
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Ruby, I love that you still have peppers and tomatoes in the freezer...the gift that keeps on giving...fresh produce. Thanks for sharing that; you made my day.
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Brian, I hope you can make that community garden work. We must have fifteen or twenty in our city of 45,000 and more each year. This is a great community for that sort of thing.
Thank you my friend.
Great stuff, my philosophy exactly! I don't think we've ever bought a new flower pot - everything is recycled, given to us or rescued from the local household waste centre where people throw away all sorts of useful things :-)
Great hub, billybuc and very useful! I've actually tried one of the recycled items - the milk cartons. They work pretty well for pots except in Texas you have to be careful what you put in them because they get too hot.
I love the pallet ideas! Voted up!
Billy, you are a recycling gardener after my own heart! I have used your pallet garden idea for growing herbs. In fact, I still have some of those herbs I dried this fall, and I use them in everything I cook. That particular pin has been repinned no less than 86 times from my board alone.
I really like the idea of a compost bin made from pallets. That saying 'Use it Up, Make Do, or Do Without' wasn't lost on you, my friend ;) Pearl
Awesome hub, dear Bill, just my kind of hub! I really love the old dresser ideas, and I just happen to have a couple of them out in my husband's man-garage! Hmm, I will be putting those to good use now, unless he has used them for his stuff.
I think this may just get HOTD! It should!
This hub is filled with useful ideas one right after the other.
Up and more and sharing. Well, the pin share button keeps saying whoops tonight, but I will keep trying.
Blessings,
Faith Reaper
Hey man I am really cheap..I mean "frugal" and you have given me some great ideas! I am going looking for wood pallets, jeeps; you could build a house with enough of those! Thank you good buddy! ^
You're so resourceful (on a lot of levels). Though you're not totally off the grid, thanks for sharing some ways everyone can use to go "freegan" (Google it... I'm not cursing). BTW, we're still hunkering down with zero-ish temps here in Chi-town. So I'm glad I'm still on the grid for now. :)
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Imogen, our yard doesn't look that great but it does the job and it cost us nothing. I refuse to pay for something I can easily build; all it takes is time and effort....and willingness of course. Thank you!
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Thank you Ann! Yes, I can see where the heat would be a problem in Texas. No such problems in the Pacific Northwest.
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Why thank you Pearl! I did have a big push on that hub this past week; obviously I have you to thank for it.
Show me something used and I'll show you how to make it work in a garden. Nothing to it once you make up your mind to do it.
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Faith, get out in that man-garage and lay claim to it immediately. Once your name is on it he can't do anything about it. LOL
Thank you my dear; I'm so glad you found this useful. As for the HOTD, I've given up hope.
blessings always and a day
bill
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Jackie, there are actually people who have built houses out of them. There is a video of the process on YouTube...pretty fascinating.
Anyway, thank you my friend. Happy gardening!
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Heidi, the winter you people have had is one for the record books. Unbelievable! Meanwhile, we have had two inches of snow total for the year. No lie!
Thank you! I don't have a lot of money and I refuse to spend it on stuff that I can easily make. Simple formula for me.
I love gardens and gardening and sure do miss my garden.
Thank you
Laurie
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My pleasure, Laurie; thank you!
Great advice Bill, I urge all your readers to follow just that. If they must buy a magazine buy Organic Gardner, or a Permaculture one. I have a friend who lives in what we call an alternative community. He built his entire house (apart from the roof) out of pallets. They are amazingly versatile things.
Very interesting. It is true that it is amazing what you can do with other peoples junk, but please!! don't give my husband any more ideas for hoarding.
Great hub, using the stuff one already has is a great idea. Instead of buying expensive stuff we can always be resourceful and use what we have for gardening. Useful and informative, voted up.
on trash values bil
Just the other week I asked my father if I could have the old toilet bowl under his wooden carpenter shade which I have seen for many years now. I wanted to use the toilet bowl for planting flowers. When I told him about that, he said I´m getting crazy and when he asked me where to put that flower toilet bowl, I said in front of our house. He was laughing because he thought I was joking. No, I was not. I´ll be planting that tomorrow...Thanks for the inspiration Bill. This article is awesome.
Good morning bill
Now you are talking my language.
Long ago, yes, way back before the donosaurs, my Momma and Daddy taught me to reuse whatever.
I am thrilled that you have shared these many ideas. So many think that they need to go buy this new fangled whatever to use for gardening. But often we have so many things we need right around our property.
voted up up and away ps
Another brilliant read billybuc ;so interesting and here's to so many more.
Eddy.
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Yes, Jodah, I have seen pallet houses and they are strong and quite useful.....we set limitations on ourselves and we can break those limitations with our imagination and an ounce of willingness. Thank you my friend.
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Hendrika....LOL...hide this article from your husband.
Thank you!
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Thank you Vellur! I refuse to spend money on my garden; there is just no reason to do so.
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Thank you sujaya!
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Thelma, you have me smiling. Our toilet bowl is in the yard just waiting for warmer weather. Yes to toilet bowl planters!!!!
Thank you Thelma!
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PS, I was right next to you when the dinosaurs roamed, and I was taught the same thing. If I ever go broke it won't be from buying new things.
Thank you my friend; stay safe and happy
bill
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Eddy, good Lord willin' and the creek don't rise, there will be many more. Thank you my dear.
billy
Your imagination and inventiveness is certainly our good fortune. I really like the greenhouse idea because who can afford a greenhouse?
Use and reuse will not only help the planet but as you have so adeptly pointed out my friend, it will help our budget!!
Voted up, useful, and interesting.
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Helping the planet, Mary....it's about time we made that attempt, don't you think?
Stick with me, Lady; I've got a million of these ideas. :) Thank you Mary!
I like how you turn other people's junk into useful items that help feed your family. Very resourceful. That dresser example was creative.
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Thank you Flourish. I think we have a responsibility to the environment to recycle whenever possible.
This is great. Great ideas for saving money and reusing what is already there. Plus, you get healthier food! :-)
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Lots of bonuses, Vicki! I'm going to keep doing this on a larger scale and the benefits will keep rolling in. Thanks for the visit my friend.
You will not regret to use that tip! You should see a difference in the size of your tomatoe plants! I hope that you will write a hub about the difference it made for you! If you have pictures of previous year you could compare!
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Thanks Joelle! I'll remember to do that.
Recycling is awesome.
This is very useful, Bill, especially for me as I start to think about my spring gardening plans. It's also an important hub that reminds us about the value of recycling. I love all your suggestions for using wooden pallets!
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Yes it is vkwok...I wish more people agreed with you.
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Thank you Alicia. I am starting to look at the garden now with thoughts of turning over the soil and adding compost...as soon as this morning's snow melts. LOL
Lucky you... snow melting.... and working in your garden... this is still in my dreams here in Ottawa where we are starting to celebrate Winterlude and people skate on the canal!
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Joelle, quite the winter you have had...we really just skipped right over winter and now are thinking about spring. Strange year indeed. Well, have a wonderful weekend my friend.
Man Bill, I can't tell you enough at how much I've noticed you hit the wooden pallet thing pretty regularly in many hubs of yours. Maybe I need to start taking you seriously sometime or something, lol! I know a friend of mine that has taken your advice and worked on building a chicken coop in his backyard using old pallets. A very useful hub I will be sharing because I know many people who working their yards and gardens and would love to see some practical uses for things that they have just laying around. Voting up and useful!
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Kas, I won't suggest something if I think it is a silly idea. As long as someone doesn't care what it looks like, pallets are a great solution. For people with little money it would be silly not to consider using them.
Thanks buddy; it's good to see you again.
bill
Great tips, I think they are all wonderful ideas.
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Well thank you mylindaelliott...hopefully spring will arrive soon and I can get out in the garden that is calling to me.
The vertical gardening idea is interesting. I suppose it would keep the veggies dry and less "buggy". When I get my garden, I am going to try this out. Thanks for the idea.
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Dianna, I think you'll be pleased with the results. Good luck and thank you!
Do we recycle? Do we save money? You bet we do! My partner's garages attached to various houses have always elicited remarks from neighbours like, 'What on earth have you got in here?', 'Why do keep all this rubbish?' Rubbish? You're kidding! We have wood, planks, boards, nails, screws, taps, washers, handles...., all by the thousands. We have a saying in this house, 'It'll come in useful even if we never use it!'
Neighbours now knock on the door and ask, 'Do you happen to have a nail/piece of wood/tap this length/colour/size?'
We rarely buy new - it saves money and it saves waste. We have a fortune in that garage of 'rubbish' and we know how to use it.
Great hub full of your usual invaluable advice, bill.
We have a very wild, wet and windy Somerset today; the poor souls down on the Somerset Levels are suffering more and more. They can't even see their fields, let alone their gardens. When will it end?
Hope you're faring better in Olympia. Have a great day, bill. Ann
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Ann, what an incredibly loyal follower and friend you are. Thank you so much. As for that garage of yours...bravo! I love that the neighbors now come to you when they need something. Just like the old days in our neighborhood when I was growing up. As for your weather....what a mess. We are having a very mild winter, but I read about the flooding daily in your part of the world. Stay safe my friend and again, thank you.
bill
Bill,
Loved every moment of this Hub. I am literally itching, crawling out of my skin to get started gardening again. I didn't have one last summer and it was awful.
I happen to work part-time at a recycling center. Can you imagine the things I'll be bringing home to the farm?
Wonderful work as always. Take care!
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Rachel, you are pretty much in a dream world right now...great job, great farm...heaven my friend. :) Thank you and it's good to see you again.
There's nothing like good, old fashioned ingenuity. Have a eating helping, and just add to it as needed.
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Indeed, Deb! Ours will get larger this year as time and space allows. Love it!
I bet you have a great garden Bill! And I am seeing more and more pallet ideas in the garden and elsewhere. Now when I see pallets in various stores I think about what I could do with them. Really useful .
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Glimmer, I love it. As crafty as you are, those pallets should come in very handy. I think pallet bookshelves and wall hangings look fantastic...I can see a money-making venture for you. :) Have a great Sunday and thank you.
Gardening is so important now, and I really admire people who are becoming more self sufficient.
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Thank you ologsinquito, and I agree, it is very important now.
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