I am the “kooky” one in my family.

For a long time, that bothered me; but not enough to stop my imagination.

A few of my garden pics today will demonstrate my kookiness when it comes to upcycling and other ways to avoid spending money.  Mind you, I still spend plenty on the garden.  It’s just that the upcycling is kinda fun.

Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value. (Source: Wikipedia Upcycling)

Reusing Peony Hoops to Foil the Deer

Let’s start with the deer.  In December, I decided that I should have protected some newly planted shrubs from winter browsing.  It was so cold outside that I didn’t have the patience to carefully craft a fence or netting.  I just threw together some peony hoops, wrapped hardware cloth around them, topped with some pieces of deer netting, and hoped for the best.

Now that it is spring, I need to fancy it up for my neighbor’s sake!  I set the bamboo poles into a rectangle and wrapped deer net around the bamboo.  Zip ties keep the net in place.  Pink flags tied to the net make the visible to marauders of the two and four-footed varieties.

The peony hoops are now free to use as intended.  They have served us well in their original and jury rigged capacity.

Upcycle A Lantern Chandelier Into A Mini Greenhouse

This is my craziest upcycle so far, for 2018. We recently replaced our entryway chandelier and the old one’s been sitting in the garage.  The glass shade brought to mind a giant pickle jar, like my grandfather used to use to cover his rose cuttings.  Since the cover had a little door for maintenance, it was perfect for a mini greenhouse. And, so, it is!

 

Plastic Garden Upcycle

I don’t mean a plastic garden – but ways to reuse plastic products in the garden!

Helium Tank Art

My husband enjoys welding. I think the physics of the process appeals to him.  He made this garden bell from an old helium tank.  In a past post, I wrote about garden bells and their significance in the garden.

Visitors find it hard to resist giving the bell a good clang as they enter!

What Happens to a Poinsettia after the Holidays?

This has me stumped. The beautiful poinsettia is still vibrant, but seems out-of-place in the springtime.  What do you do with your poinsettia until Christmas rolls around again?

Those are my six happenings in the garden for this week.  For more inspiration from gardeners around the world, visit The Propagator blog!

?  -Jo

© 2018 auntjoannblog.com. All rights reserved. See Legalese tab for permissions.