#Buy Online Metal Planters

[bagiyaa]

Enhance Your Green Space with Stylish Ceramic Pots

Ceramic pots are the perfect blend of aesthetics and functionality, making them a must-have for every plant lover. Whether you're sprucing up your living room or creating a lush garden corner, ceramic planters add a sophisticated touch while ensuring your plants thrive.

Why Ceramic Plant Pots Are a Great Choice

Unlike plastic or metal alternatives, ceramic plant pots offer better moisture retention and airflow, promoting healthy root growth. They are also highly durable, ensuring long-term use while adding an elegant charm to any space.

Shop Ceramic Pots Online for Every Plant

Looking for the perfect ceramic pots online? Whether you need compact pots for your succulents or big ceramic pots online for statement plants, there’s a wide variety to choose from. Available in different colors, textures, and finishes, ceramic pots complement every decor style.

How to Style Your Ceramic Planters

To create a modern and minimalistic look, opt for white or neutral-toned ceramic planters. If you love bold decor, go for colorful or patterned ceramic designs. Mixing and matching different sizes and styles can also add depth and character to your green space.

Where to Buy Big Ceramic Pots Online?

If you're searching for big ceramic pots online, look for reputable garden stores or home decor shops that offer high-quality, handcrafted options. Ensure the pots come with proper drainage to keep your plants healthy and thriving.

With their timeless appeal and practical benefits, ceramic plant pots are the perfect addition to any home. Shop the best ceramic pots online today and bring style to your plant collection!

[tameblog]

February 1st, 2025 Posted In: Garden Style & Living Recycled garden furniture, landscaping and planters can save you money.And they always add character and individuality to your garden or backyard.Plus it’s the most sustainable way of living. Even if your recycled garden isn’t cheaper than buying new, it’s still a better use of world resources.Recycling can look contemporary – or it can create a rustic garden charm. And it’s at the heart of cottage garden style, now sometimes called ‘cottagecore’.But finding the right recycled garden materials, furniture or pots isn’t always easy. By definition, these are not things you can just buy from a named retailer, who will deliver to your door in days.So this post will help unlock the secrets of creating a beautiful but practical recycled garden.Where can I find lovely vintage or recycled garden furniture and pots?Probably the biggest complaint I hear about buying vintage and recycled goods is people saying ‘I can never find what I’m looking for.’When you buy new, you go into a shop or online and search for a ‘garden bench’. You’ll see several garden benches in the store. And lots of garden benches will pop up online. There’s a good chance that you’ll see one you like. You order it and it’ll be delivered to your home.But if you go into a salvage yard or charity/thrift shop looking for a garden bench, you’re unlikely to find it the first time you go. Even if you go to the big online auction houses, such as eBay and Gumtree, you won’t find your perfect garden bench just by looking up ‘bench’ a couple of times.Get to know classic and vintage garden furniture styles. You’ll find out what you do and don’t like, and be able to spot bargains more quickly. Top is a metal bench at Doddington Place Gardens and above is a ‘Lutyens’ bench at Gravetye Manor Hotel.When I searched online for ‘garden bench’, there were one or two beautiful vintage ones – but they were expensive. And the cheap ones were not especially nice.However, if I were to repeat that search regularly, I’d have a better chance of finding what I’m looking for.Buying vintage and recycled garden furniture and pots is a long game.  All the top second-hand shoppers I know go into their local thrift or charity shops on a regular basis. They visit architectural salvage yards just to see what’s new.So identify online auctions that deliver to your area. Set up an alert for the item you want. Start with Gumtree, eBay and PreLoved.Then look for local architectural salvage yards or exchange sites.Look up charities near you that sell second-hand furniture. These include Habitat ReStore, which operates in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Asia. And the Salvation Army operates in 133 countries and has some larger centres selling second-hand furniture. In Europe and the UK,  there is Emmaus. Plus there are always local charities near you.Don’t forget to factor in the costs of transporting items. You may not be able to fit anything large or heavy into an ordinary car.And don’t forget to donate unwanted items to a charity if you’re clearing a house or garden. Some charities provide free pick-up if you are donating items.The insider secrets on finding the best recycled garden itemsThe most important thing is to ‘get your eye in.’ That means getting to know what sort of things you like and what you could do with them.Instead of looking for a particular item, such as a garden bench, start thinking about what you could turn something into.And step one of ‘getting your eye in’ is to look at as many recycled, upcycled and vintage items as possible. The more you see, either in videos or posts like these or in real life, the more you’ll be able to see what you could do with them.Four different ways of upcycling garden pots and planters. clockwise from top left: an old cooking pot re-used; food tins, painted and with the labels stripped off; old dustbins and garbage cans used as larger planters and equipment from a distillery re-purposed as garden planters.  All have a rustic garden charm and would work in cottage gardens.Professional thrifting tipsVisit the thrift shops, second-hand fairs and salvage yards as often as you can.If it’s a fair or a market, get there early. Before it opens if you can.My mother had a second-hand stall in the Portobello Road in the 1970s and 80s. She said that the professionals – the dealers – always arrived before the market was open to help her unpack! They always got the best bargains.Be systematic. Start at one end of the room, yard or row of stalls and go slowly along. Then move methodically back up the row on the other side. Don’t dart about.Let people know you’re up for taking things they don’t want away. Sometimes you’ll see items left in the street or in front gardens. Always ask before taking anything – even if it has been discarded in a skip.Once people know you are interested in second-hand, they’ll often get in touch. Kathy Pickering’s rustic cottage garden is full of ‘finds’ discarded from friends’ gardens.And before you throw anything away, think about what it could be used for. Kathy has used the springs and frame of an old mattress as a trellis.Kathy Pickering turned this sofa frame into a trellis for climbing plants (top) and designer Amanda Grimes designed this recycled show garden for RHS Hampton Court, using flagstones and scaffolding boards to make benches.How to Landscape with Recycled MaterialsWe are all getting much more interested in using recycled landscape materials.Several show gardens have recently featured crushed hardcore or rubble used as a mulch.‘Chelsea Repurposed’ by Cityscapes (top) – a show garden using a crushed concrete and sand mulch. Above is a mulch made from bricks, stones and rubble picked out of the earth from elsewhere in the Walworth Garden. See here for more about the Walworth Garden’s recycled landscaping.If you have a garden in a town or a new-build development, you’ll probably have lots of bits of broken concrete, broken bricks, pebbles or rocks in your earth. You’ll have to pick them out before you can clear it for planting. Instead of taking them to landfills, you can use them as mulch.You can also use this kind of mulch as a basis for dry planting or a gravel garden.At Great Comp Garden in Kent, the owner had to dig lots of ragstone out of the ground to clear it for borders. He found so much that he decided to build ‘ruins’ with it in the garden.He also mounded the ground in one place up to build a ‘ruin’ on top of it. He used discarded washing machines and pieces of old agricultural equipment to get the volume of the mound before covering it all with soil. See more about how he did it in Garden Ruins & Follies.Make the most of what you’ve already gotThere’s an increasing interest in making the most of what you’ve got. If your yard is completely covered in concrete or pavers, then take some of it up to allow more planting. You can make it look more attractive by setting a pattern of brick or stone into it rather than replacing the whole area.Top: Leftover brick, stone and pebbles used to make a pattern. Above: this garden owner filled cracks in the concrete paving with patchwork patterns of tile, brick, stone and pebble rather than replacing the concrete completely.You may also be able to re-use landscape materials discarded from another garden. Tell your landscapers you’d like to use recycled materials if you can. They will usually know of a local depot or they may be able to sell or give you materials from another job.What are the best recycled materials for a garden?The best recycled materials for a garden will be anything that is already in your backyard or which can be transported  easily from nearby.But if you don’t have any second-hand materials nearby, then there is no single ‘best material.’Recycled wood, stone and brick mixed together. Old beams, pallet wood, railway sleepers and scaffolding boards are combined with different bricks in this show garden by Simon Cowell. The recycled materials give it a lovely textured feel.If your aim is to be more eco-friendly, then Oli Haden, head gardener and CEO of the Walworth Garden in London, says that there are two important questions to ask. This applies to both new and recycled materials.The first question is ‘how are you going to fix it into the garden?’ If you’re going to use concrete, then your recycled garden will be less sustainable and eco-friendly.Secondly, how long will it last? Materials that need replacing quickly are expensive – because it costs to replace them.’ The two materials which will need replacing soonest are artificial grass and softwood decking, so if you’re planning in staying somewhere for a long time, avoid those two.Oli says that recycled stone is the best material because it lasts for centuries and doesn’t have to be set into concrete.  However, Oli says you will have to fit the pavers together as closely as possible and add a boundary to hold them in place. This could be wood sleepers or a steel band.Read more about eco-friendly landscaping here. Recycled garden art and decorYou can re-purpose so many things as garden art and decor. Some of them may not last long, but if they were going to be thrown away anyway, you’re giving them another use before you eventually discard them.The garden shows in the UK now feature an increasing number of recycled garden ideas. See recycled RHS Chelsea and some of the show gardens in this RHS Hampton Court round-up.Plumbing pipes and tanks re-purposed for the garden. Top show Mike Long’s show garden featuring re-purposed concrete water ducts (the wide circular pipe), copper piping and taps used in a water feature. Above is Naomi Slade’s show garden featuring old water tanks re-used as ponds/water features. Both such great examples of ‘from trash to treasure!’Top shows broken terracotta pots fitted together and planted up with succulents. (These are called fairy gardens in some places.) Succulents have shallow roots so are happier than most plants in this kind of arrangement. Above is rusted petrol (gas) pump on a show garden by Gardena. Almost anything can be re-used or recycled if you like how it looks!Top: Broken china and shells collected from the beach used as mosaic garden decor and (above) industrial equipment re-purposed as a moongate arbour seat in Pip Probert’s Viewers Garden at BBC Gardeners World LiveRecycled garden border edgingRecycled garden border edging ideas include using strips of old corrugated iron, recycled bricks and scaffolding boards.You can also use wicker for a rustic look, but be aware that it won’t last long.Garden border edging using painted car tyres in Spain and wine bottle edging in Jo Rutherford’s garden on a budget.In the photo above, gardener Jo Rutherford collected wine bottles. She sank them into the earth so that they were approximately half buried. Many people have suggested that these could freeze and break in winter. So far they haven’t, but Jo is based in Whitstable, a coastal town with mild winters.Car tyre edging also has its issues. Car tyres slowly leach chemicals over a number of years. They’re not advised for vegetable growing, although the process is very slow.If you’re using wooden sleepers or scaffolding boards, try to avoid those that are treated with tar or creosote. They’ll look darker than untreated wood. Tar and creosote also leach chemicals into the soil, although if they are old, it may already have worn off.Some sleepers and scaffolding boards are tanalised, which is considered safe for use in gardens.From trash to treasure – pots and plantersPlants will grow in any kind of container.Plants will grow in anything – the top shows two pots hanging from some old plumbing pipes and the photo above is a rusted dustpan turned upside down for cyclamen.So there are only two things you need to know about re-purposing things as pots and planters.Firstly, you must have drainage. If water sits at the bottom of a pot, the roots of the plant will rot. You can drill holes in wood and metal, but china and stone are more problematic.Secondly, most plants need room for their roots to grow. The size of the pot you need depends on the plant – for example, succulents can grow in very shallow containers.However, larger plants need a pot that’s at least roughly half the height of the fully grown plant.In terms of width, go for a pot that is just an inch or so wider than the root ball. If the plant is still young, you may have to re-pot it several times as it grows.Make sure your re-purposed pots will survive your wintersAnd in terms of outdoor planters, you need to choose a material that will survive your winters.This chest of drawers is planted up as a fun item by garden designer Mark Lane (top). The picture above shows old olive tins used as planters – note how the whole plant is just a bit bigger than the size of the tin.Beyond that, you can use almost anything for a planter. Garden designer and BBC Gardeners World presenter Frances Tophill says she has used an old washing machine drum in the past.People have used drawers (although wood will rot quickly), agricultural troughs, old laundry bins and food tins, watering cans that no longer hold water, rusted wheelbarrows and all kinds of industrial equipment such as oak casks from distilleries to water tanks.From office to backyard? Re-purposing indoor furnitureWhen you’re looking for second-hand furniture, don’t forget to check sales of old office furniture or shop-fittings. Very often these will be made of durable materials that will last outside, such as metal.Look at shop and office equipment as well as indoor furniture, provided that it’s made of waterproof material. The top photos show a widely available style of dining or cafe chair in metal, so it can used outside. The table and mannequin in the photo above were both bought from a shop that was shutting down.Composting – the ultimate recyclingThe more you can recycle and compost the waste material from your kitchen and garden, the better. You’ll be returning nutrients to the earth and saving on trips to the dump. And you will save some – although not all – of the costs of buying new mulch.However, you do need some space to compost unless you are using, for example, a Hotbin, which breaks down waste material fast.The essential thing to know is that there is fast compost and there is easy compost. Unless you are using something like a Hotbin, there is no fast, easy compost.With easy compost you need at least three bin areas. Add vegetable and fruit kitchen scraps, but not meat, fish or cooked food. Add clippings and pruning from the garden. If you cut them up, they will biodegrade faster.With fast compost, you may need more bin areas. You need to pay attention to the mix of ‘brown’ and ‘green’ elements. You will turn the compost at least once a week. It’s not difficult but it does need management.Fast compost breaks down over a few months, so it should give you more compost. Easy compost can take a year to eighteen months. I do easy compost (see here) and speed it up with a compost accelerator such as Garotta or Envii. (note, these are affiliate links, see disclosure)Compost breaks down, so a huge pile of garden clippings turns into quite a small layer of mulch. This means that very few gardens ever make enough compost to completely cover their garden beds. But at least you’ll save some money on it!Pin to remember recycled garden ideasAnd do join us. Sign up here for a free weekly email with more gardening tips, ideas and inspiration. Source link

[ramestoryworld]

February 1st, 2025 Posted In: Garden Style & Living Recycled garden furniture, landscaping and planters can save you money.And they always add character and individuality to your garden or backyard.Plus it’s the most sustainable way of living. Even if your recycled garden isn’t cheaper than buying new, it’s still a better use of world resources.Recycling can look contemporary – or it can create a rustic garden charm. And it’s at the heart of cottage garden style, now sometimes called ‘cottagecore’.But finding the right recycled garden materials, furniture or pots isn’t always easy. By definition, these are not things you can just buy from a named retailer, who will deliver to your door in days.So this post will help unlock the secrets of creating a beautiful but practical recycled garden.Where can I find lovely vintage or recycled garden furniture and pots?Probably the biggest complaint I hear about buying vintage and recycled goods is people saying ‘I can never find what I’m looking for.’When you buy new, you go into a shop or online and search for a ‘garden bench’. You’ll see several garden benches in the store. And lots of garden benches will pop up online. There’s a good chance that you’ll see one you like. You order it and it’ll be delivered to your home.But if you go into a salvage yard or charity/thrift shop looking for a garden bench, you’re unlikely to find it the first time you go. Even if you go to the big online auction houses, such as eBay and Gumtree, you won’t find your perfect garden bench just by looking up ‘bench’ a couple of times.Get to know classic and vintage garden furniture styles. You’ll find out what you do and don’t like, and be able to spot bargains more quickly. Top is a metal bench at Doddington Place Gardens and above is a ‘Lutyens’ bench at Gravetye Manor Hotel.When I searched online for ‘garden bench’, there were one or two beautiful vintage ones – but they were expensive. And the cheap ones were not especially nice.However, if I were to repeat that search regularly, I’d have a better chance of finding what I’m looking for.Buying vintage and recycled garden furniture and pots is a long game.  All the top second-hand shoppers I know go into their local thrift or charity shops on a regular basis. They visit architectural salvage yards just to see what’s new.So identify online auctions that deliver to your area. Set up an alert for the item you want. Start with Gumtree, eBay and PreLoved.Then look for local architectural salvage yards or exchange sites.Look up charities near you that sell second-hand furniture. These include Habitat ReStore, which operates in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Asia. And the Salvation Army operates in 133 countries and has some larger centres selling second-hand furniture. In Europe and the UK,  there is Emmaus. Plus there are always local charities near you.Don’t forget to factor in the costs of transporting items. You may not be able to fit anything large or heavy into an ordinary car.And don’t forget to donate unwanted items to a charity if you’re clearing a house or garden. Some charities provide free pick-up if you are donating items.The insider secrets on finding the best recycled garden itemsThe most important thing is to ‘get your eye in.’ That means getting to know what sort of things you like and what you could do with them.Instead of looking for a particular item, such as a garden bench, start thinking about what you could turn something into.And step one of ‘getting your eye in’ is to look at as many recycled, upcycled and vintage items as possible. The more you see, either in videos or posts like these or in real life, the more you’ll be able to see what you could do with them.Four different ways of upcycling garden pots and planters. clockwise from top left: an old cooking pot re-used; food tins, painted and with the labels stripped off; old dustbins and garbage cans used as larger planters and equipment from a distillery re-purposed as garden planters.  All have a rustic garden charm and would work in cottage gardens.Professional thrifting tipsVisit the thrift shops, second-hand fairs and salvage yards as often as you can.If it’s a fair or a market, get there early. Before it opens if you can.My mother had a second-hand stall in the Portobello Road in the 1970s and 80s. She said that the professionals – the dealers – always arrived before the market was open to help her unpack! They always got the best bargains.Be systematic. Start at one end of the room, yard or row of stalls and go slowly along. Then move methodically back up the row on the other side. Don’t dart about.Let people know you’re up for taking things they don’t want away. Sometimes you’ll see items left in the street or in front gardens. Always ask before taking anything – even if it has been discarded in a skip.Once people know you are interested in second-hand, they’ll often get in touch. Kathy Pickering’s rustic cottage garden is full of ‘finds’ discarded from friends’ gardens.And before you throw anything away, think about what it could be used for. Kathy has used the springs and frame of an old mattress as a trellis.Kathy Pickering turned this sofa frame into a trellis for climbing plants (top) and designer Amanda Grimes designed this recycled show garden for RHS Hampton Court, using flagstones and scaffolding boards to make benches.How to Landscape with Recycled MaterialsWe are all getting much more interested in using recycled landscape materials.Several show gardens have recently featured crushed hardcore or rubble used as a mulch.‘Chelsea Repurposed’ by Cityscapes (top) – a show garden using a crushed concrete and sand mulch. Above is a mulch made from bricks, stones and rubble picked out of the earth from elsewhere in the Walworth Garden. See here for more about the Walworth Garden’s recycled landscaping.If you have a garden in a town or a new-build development, you’ll probably have lots of bits of broken concrete, broken bricks, pebbles or rocks in your earth. You’ll have to pick them out before you can clear it for planting. Instead of taking them to landfills, you can use them as mulch.You can also use this kind of mulch as a basis for dry planting or a gravel garden.At Great Comp Garden in Kent, the owner had to dig lots of ragstone out of the ground to clear it for borders. He found so much that he decided to build ‘ruins’ with it in the garden.He also mounded the ground in one place up to build a ‘ruin’ on top of it. He used discarded washing machines and pieces of old agricultural equipment to get the volume of the mound before covering it all with soil. See more about how he did it in Garden Ruins & Follies.Make the most of what you’ve already gotThere’s an increasing interest in making the most of what you’ve got. If your yard is completely covered in concrete or pavers, then take some of it up to allow more planting. You can make it look more attractive by setting a pattern of brick or stone into it rather than replacing the whole area.Top: Leftover brick, stone and pebbles used to make a pattern. Above: this garden owner filled cracks in the concrete paving with patchwork patterns of tile, brick, stone and pebble rather than replacing the concrete completely.You may also be able to re-use landscape materials discarded from another garden. Tell your landscapers you’d like to use recycled materials if you can. They will usually know of a local depot or they may be able to sell or give you materials from another job.What are the best recycled materials for a garden?The best recycled materials for a garden will be anything that is already in your backyard or which can be transported  easily from nearby.But if you don’t have any second-hand materials nearby, then there is no single ‘best material.’Recycled wood, stone and brick mixed together. Old beams, pallet wood, railway sleepers and scaffolding boards are combined with different bricks in this show garden by Simon Cowell. The recycled materials give it a lovely textured feel.If your aim is to be more eco-friendly, then Oli Haden, head gardener and CEO of the Walworth Garden in London, says that there are two important questions to ask. This applies to both new and recycled materials.The first question is ‘how are you going to fix it into the garden?’ If you’re going to use concrete, then your recycled garden will be less sustainable and eco-friendly.Secondly, how long will it last? Materials that need replacing quickly are expensive – because it costs to replace them.’ The two materials which will need replacing soonest are artificial grass and softwood decking, so if you’re planning in staying somewhere for a long time, avoid those two.Oli says that recycled stone is the best material because it lasts for centuries and doesn’t have to be set into concrete.  However, Oli says you will have to fit the pavers together as closely as possible and add a boundary to hold them in place. This could be wood sleepers or a steel band.Read more about eco-friendly landscaping here. Recycled garden art and decorYou can re-purpose so many things as garden art and decor. Some of them may not last long, but if they were going to be thrown away anyway, you’re giving them another use before you eventually discard them.The garden shows in the UK now feature an increasing number of recycled garden ideas. See recycled RHS Chelsea and some of the show gardens in this RHS Hampton Court round-up.Plumbing pipes and tanks re-purposed for the garden. Top show Mike Long’s show garden featuring re-purposed concrete water ducts (the wide circular pipe), copper piping and taps used in a water feature. Above is Naomi Slade’s show garden featuring old water tanks re-used as ponds/water features. Both such great examples of ‘from trash to treasure!’Top shows broken terracotta pots fitted together and planted up with succulents. (These are called fairy gardens in some places.) Succulents have shallow roots so are happier than most plants in this kind of arrangement. Above is rusted petrol (gas) pump on a show garden by Gardena. Almost anything can be re-used or recycled if you like how it looks!Top: Broken china and shells collected from the beach used as mosaic garden decor and (above) industrial equipment re-purposed as a moongate arbour seat in Pip Probert’s Viewers Garden at BBC Gardeners World LiveRecycled garden border edgingRecycled garden border edging ideas include using strips of old corrugated iron, recycled bricks and scaffolding boards.You can also use wicker for a rustic look, but be aware that it won’t last long.Garden border edging using painted car tyres in Spain and wine bottle edging in Jo Rutherford’s garden on a budget.In the photo above, gardener Jo Rutherford collected wine bottles. She sank them into the earth so that they were approximately half buried. Many people have suggested that these could freeze and break in winter. So far they haven’t, but Jo is based in Whitstable, a coastal town with mild winters.Car tyre edging also has its issues. Car tyres slowly leach chemicals over a number of years. They’re not advised for vegetable growing, although the process is very slow.If you’re using wooden sleepers or scaffolding boards, try to avoid those that are treated with tar or creosote. They’ll look darker than untreated wood. Tar and creosote also leach chemicals into the soil, although if they are old, it may already have worn off.Some sleepers and scaffolding boards are tanalised, which is considered safe for use in gardens.From trash to treasure – pots and plantersPlants will grow in any kind of container.Plants will grow in anything – the top shows two pots hanging from some old plumbing pipes and the photo above is a rusted dustpan turned upside down for cyclamen.So there are only two things you need to know about re-purposing things as pots and planters.Firstly, you must have drainage. If water sits at the bottom of a pot, the roots of the plant will rot. You can drill holes in wood and metal, but china and stone are more problematic.Secondly, most plants need room for their roots to grow. The size of the pot you need depends on the plant – for example, succulents can grow in very shallow containers.However, larger plants need a pot that’s at least roughly half the height of the fully grown plant.In terms of width, go for a pot that is just an inch or so wider than the root ball. If the plant is still young, you may have to re-pot it several times as it grows.Make sure your re-purposed pots will survive your wintersAnd in terms of outdoor planters, you need to choose a material that will survive your winters.This chest of drawers is planted up as a fun item by garden designer Mark Lane (top). The picture above shows old olive tins used as planters – note how the whole plant is just a bit bigger than the size of the tin.Beyond that, you can use almost anything for a planter. Garden designer and BBC Gardeners World presenter Frances Tophill says she has used an old washing machine drum in the past.People have used drawers (although wood will rot quickly), agricultural troughs, old laundry bins and food tins, watering cans that no longer hold water, rusted wheelbarrows and all kinds of industrial equipment such as oak casks from distilleries to water tanks.From office to backyard? Re-purposing indoor furnitureWhen you’re looking for second-hand furniture, don’t forget to check sales of old office furniture or shop-fittings. Very often these will be made of durable materials that will last outside, such as metal.Look at shop and office equipment as well as indoor furniture, provided that it’s made of waterproof material. The top photos show a widely available style of dining or cafe chair in metal, so it can used outside. The table and mannequin in the photo above were both bought from a shop that was shutting down.Composting – the ultimate recyclingThe more you can recycle and compost the waste material from your kitchen and garden, the better. You’ll be returning nutrients to the earth and saving on trips to the dump. And you will save some – although not all – of the costs of buying new mulch.However, you do need some space to compost unless you are using, for example, a Hotbin, which breaks down waste material fast.The essential thing to know is that there is fast compost and there is easy compost. Unless you are using something like a Hotbin, there is no fast, easy compost.With easy compost you need at least three bin areas. Add vegetable and fruit kitchen scraps, but not meat, fish or cooked food. Add clippings and pruning from the garden. If you cut them up, they will biodegrade faster.With fast compost, you may need more bin areas. You need to pay attention to the mix of ‘brown’ and ‘green’ elements. You will turn the compost at least once a week. It’s not difficult but it does need management.Fast compost breaks down over a few months, so it should give you more compost. Easy compost can take a year to eighteen months. I do easy compost (see here) and speed it up with a compost accelerator such as Garotta or Envii. (note, these are affiliate links, see disclosure)Compost breaks down, so a huge pile of garden clippings turns into quite a small layer of mulch. This means that very few gardens ever make enough compost to completely cover their garden beds. But at least you’ll save some money on it!Pin to remember recycled garden ideasAnd do join us. Sign up here for a free weekly email with more gardening tips, ideas and inspiration. Source link

[alexha2210]

February 1st, 2025 Posted In: Garden Style & Living Recycled garden furniture, landscaping and planters can save you money.And they always add character and individuality to your garden or backyard.Plus it’s the most sustainable way of living. Even if your recycled garden isn’t cheaper than buying new, it’s still a better use of world resources.Recycling can look contemporary – or it can create a rustic garden charm. And it’s at the heart of cottage garden style, now sometimes called ‘cottagecore’.But finding the right recycled garden materials, furniture or pots isn’t always easy. By definition, these are not things you can just buy from a named retailer, who will deliver to your door in days.So this post will help unlock the secrets of creating a beautiful but practical recycled garden.Where can I find lovely vintage or recycled garden furniture and pots?Probably the biggest complaint I hear about buying vintage and recycled goods is people saying ‘I can never find what I’m looking for.’When you buy new, you go into a shop or online and search for a ‘garden bench’. You’ll see several garden benches in the store. And lots of garden benches will pop up online. There’s a good chance that you’ll see one you like. You order it and it’ll be delivered to your home.But if you go into a salvage yard or charity/thrift shop looking for a garden bench, you’re unlikely to find it the first time you go. Even if you go to the big online auction houses, such as eBay and Gumtree, you won’t find your perfect garden bench just by looking up ‘bench’ a couple of times.Get to know classic and vintage garden furniture styles. You’ll find out what you do and don’t like, and be able to spot bargains more quickly. Top is a metal bench at Doddington Place Gardens and above is a ‘Lutyens’ bench at Gravetye Manor Hotel.When I searched online for ‘garden bench’, there were one or two beautiful vintage ones – but they were expensive. And the cheap ones were not especially nice.However, if I were to repeat that search regularly, I’d have a better chance of finding what I’m looking for.Buying vintage and recycled garden furniture and pots is a long game.  All the top second-hand shoppers I know go into their local thrift or charity shops on a regular basis. They visit architectural salvage yards just to see what’s new.So identify online auctions that deliver to your area. Set up an alert for the item you want. Start with Gumtree, eBay and PreLoved.Then look for local architectural salvage yards or exchange sites.Look up charities near you that sell second-hand furniture. These include Habitat ReStore, which operates in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Asia. And the Salvation Army operates in 133 countries and has some larger centres selling second-hand furniture. In Europe and the UK,  there is Emmaus. Plus there are always local charities near you.Don’t forget to factor in the costs of transporting items. You may not be able to fit anything large or heavy into an ordinary car.And don’t forget to donate unwanted items to a charity if you’re clearing a house or garden. Some charities provide free pick-up if you are donating items.The insider secrets on finding the best recycled garden itemsThe most important thing is to ‘get your eye in.’ That means getting to know what sort of things you like and what you could do with them.Instead of looking for a particular item, such as a garden bench, start thinking about what you could turn something into.And step one of ‘getting your eye in’ is to look at as many recycled, upcycled and vintage items as possible. The more you see, either in videos or posts like these or in real life, the more you’ll be able to see what you could do with them.Four different ways of upcycling garden pots and planters. clockwise from top left: an old cooking pot re-used; food tins, painted and with the labels stripped off; old dustbins and garbage cans used as larger planters and equipment from a distillery re-purposed as garden planters.  All have a rustic garden charm and would work in cottage gardens.Professional thrifting tipsVisit the thrift shops, second-hand fairs and salvage yards as often as you can.If it’s a fair or a market, get there early. Before it opens if you can.My mother had a second-hand stall in the Portobello Road in the 1970s and 80s. She said that the professionals – the dealers – always arrived before the market was open to help her unpack! They always got the best bargains.Be systematic. Start at one end of the room, yard or row of stalls and go slowly along. Then move methodically back up the row on the other side. Don’t dart about.Let people know you’re up for taking things they don’t want away. Sometimes you’ll see items left in the street or in front gardens. Always ask before taking anything – even if it has been discarded in a skip.Once people know you are interested in second-hand, they’ll often get in touch. Kathy Pickering’s rustic cottage garden is full of ‘finds’ discarded from friends’ gardens.And before you throw anything away, think about what it could be used for. Kathy has used the springs and frame of an old mattress as a trellis.Kathy Pickering turned this sofa frame into a trellis for climbing plants (top) and designer Amanda Grimes designed this recycled show garden for RHS Hampton Court, using flagstones and scaffolding boards to make benches.How to Landscape with Recycled MaterialsWe are all getting much more interested in using recycled landscape materials.Several show gardens have recently featured crushed hardcore or rubble used as a mulch.‘Chelsea Repurposed’ by Cityscapes (top) – a show garden using a crushed concrete and sand mulch. Above is a mulch made from bricks, stones and rubble picked out of the earth from elsewhere in the Walworth Garden. See here for more about the Walworth Garden’s recycled landscaping.If you have a garden in a town or a new-build development, you’ll probably have lots of bits of broken concrete, broken bricks, pebbles or rocks in your earth. You’ll have to pick them out before you can clear it for planting. Instead of taking them to landfills, you can use them as mulch.You can also use this kind of mulch as a basis for dry planting or a gravel garden.At Great Comp Garden in Kent, the owner had to dig lots of ragstone out of the ground to clear it for borders. He found so much that he decided to build ‘ruins’ with it in the garden.He also mounded the ground in one place up to build a ‘ruin’ on top of it. He used discarded washing machines and pieces of old agricultural equipment to get the volume of the mound before covering it all with soil. See more about how he did it in Garden Ruins & Follies.Make the most of what you’ve already gotThere’s an increasing interest in making the most of what you’ve got. If your yard is completely covered in concrete or pavers, then take some of it up to allow more planting. You can make it look more attractive by setting a pattern of brick or stone into it rather than replacing the whole area.Top: Leftover brick, stone and pebbles used to make a pattern. Above: this garden owner filled cracks in the concrete paving with patchwork patterns of tile, brick, stone and pebble rather than replacing the concrete completely.You may also be able to re-use landscape materials discarded from another garden. Tell your landscapers you’d like to use recycled materials if you can. They will usually know of a local depot or they may be able to sell or give you materials from another job.What are the best recycled materials for a garden?The best recycled materials for a garden will be anything that is already in your backyard or which can be transported  easily from nearby.But if you don’t have any second-hand materials nearby, then there is no single ‘best material.’Recycled wood, stone and brick mixed together. Old beams, pallet wood, railway sleepers and scaffolding boards are combined with different bricks in this show garden by Simon Cowell. The recycled materials give it a lovely textured feel.If your aim is to be more eco-friendly, then Oli Haden, head gardener and CEO of the Walworth Garden in London, says that there are two important questions to ask. This applies to both new and recycled materials.The first question is ‘how are you going to fix it into the garden?’ If you’re going to use concrete, then your recycled garden will be less sustainable and eco-friendly.Secondly, how long will it last? Materials that need replacing quickly are expensive – because it costs to replace them.’ The two materials which will need replacing soonest are artificial grass and softwood decking, so if you’re planning in staying somewhere for a long time, avoid those two.Oli says that recycled stone is the best material because it lasts for centuries and doesn’t have to be set into concrete.  However, Oli says you will have to fit the pavers together as closely as possible and add a boundary to hold them in place. This could be wood sleepers or a steel band.Read more about eco-friendly landscaping here. Recycled garden art and decorYou can re-purpose so many things as garden art and decor. Some of them may not last long, but if they were going to be thrown away anyway, you’re giving them another use before you eventually discard them.The garden shows in the UK now feature an increasing number of recycled garden ideas. See recycled RHS Chelsea and some of the show gardens in this RHS Hampton Court round-up.Plumbing pipes and tanks re-purposed for the garden. Top show Mike Long’s show garden featuring re-purposed concrete water ducts (the wide circular pipe), copper piping and taps used in a water feature. Above is Naomi Slade’s show garden featuring old water tanks re-used as ponds/water features. Both such great examples of ‘from trash to treasure!’Top shows broken terracotta pots fitted together and planted up with succulents. (These are called fairy gardens in some places.) Succulents have shallow roots so are happier than most plants in this kind of arrangement. Above is rusted petrol (gas) pump on a show garden by Gardena. Almost anything can be re-used or recycled if you like how it looks!Top: Broken china and shells collected from the beach used as mosaic garden decor and (above) industrial equipment re-purposed as a moongate arbour seat in Pip Probert’s Viewers Garden at BBC Gardeners World LiveRecycled garden border edgingRecycled garden border edging ideas include using strips of old corrugated iron, recycled bricks and scaffolding boards.You can also use wicker for a rustic look, but be aware that it won’t last long.Garden border edging using painted car tyres in Spain and wine bottle edging in Jo Rutherford’s garden on a budget.In the photo above, gardener Jo Rutherford collected wine bottles. She sank them into the earth so that they were approximately half buried. Many people have suggested that these could freeze and break in winter. So far they haven’t, but Jo is based in Whitstable, a coastal town with mild winters.Car tyre edging also has its issues. Car tyres slowly leach chemicals over a number of years. They’re not advised for vegetable growing, although the process is very slow.If you’re using wooden sleepers or scaffolding boards, try to avoid those that are treated with tar or creosote. They’ll look darker than untreated wood. Tar and creosote also leach chemicals into the soil, although if they are old, it may already have worn off.Some sleepers and scaffolding boards are tanalised, which is considered safe for use in gardens.From trash to treasure – pots and plantersPlants will grow in any kind of container.Plants will grow in anything – the top shows two pots hanging from some old plumbing pipes and the photo above is a rusted dustpan turned upside down for cyclamen.So there are only two things you need to know about re-purposing things as pots and planters.Firstly, you must have drainage. If water sits at the bottom of a pot, the roots of the plant will rot. You can drill holes in wood and metal, but china and stone are more problematic.Secondly, most plants need room for their roots to grow. The size of the pot you need depends on the plant – for example, succulents can grow in very shallow containers.However, larger plants need a pot that’s at least roughly half the height of the fully grown plant.In terms of width, go for a pot that is just an inch or so wider than the root ball. If the plant is still young, you may have to re-pot it several times as it grows.Make sure your re-purposed pots will survive your wintersAnd in terms of outdoor planters, you need to choose a material that will survive your winters.This chest of drawers is planted up as a fun item by garden designer Mark Lane (top). The picture above shows old olive tins used as planters – note how the whole plant is just a bit bigger than the size of the tin.Beyond that, you can use almost anything for a planter. Garden designer and BBC Gardeners World presenter Frances Tophill says she has used an old washing machine drum in the past.People have used drawers (although wood will rot quickly), agricultural troughs, old laundry bins and food tins, watering cans that no longer hold water, rusted wheelbarrows and all kinds of industrial equipment such as oak casks from distilleries to water tanks.From office to backyard? Re-purposing indoor furnitureWhen you’re looking for second-hand furniture, don’t forget to check sales of old office furniture or shop-fittings. Very often these will be made of durable materials that will last outside, such as metal.Look at shop and office equipment as well as indoor furniture, provided that it’s made of waterproof material. The top photos show a widely available style of dining or cafe chair in metal, so it can used outside. The table and mannequin in the photo above were both bought from a shop that was shutting down.Composting – the ultimate recyclingThe more you can recycle and compost the waste material from your kitchen and garden, the better. You’ll be returning nutrients to the earth and saving on trips to the dump. And you will save some – although not all – of the costs of buying new mulch.However, you do need some space to compost unless you are using, for example, a Hotbin, which breaks down waste material fast.The essential thing to know is that there is fast compost and there is easy compost. Unless you are using something like a Hotbin, there is no fast, easy compost.With easy compost you need at least three bin areas. Add vegetable and fruit kitchen scraps, but not meat, fish or cooked food. Add clippings and pruning from the garden. If you cut them up, they will biodegrade faster.With fast compost, you may need more bin areas. You need to pay attention to the mix of ‘brown’ and ‘green’ elements. You will turn the compost at least once a week. It’s not difficult but it does need management.Fast compost breaks down over a few months, so it should give you more compost. Easy compost can take a year to eighteen months. I do easy compost (see here) and speed it up with a compost accelerator such as Garotta or Envii. (note, these are affiliate links, see disclosure)Compost breaks down, so a huge pile of garden clippings turns into quite a small layer of mulch. This means that very few gardens ever make enough compost to completely cover their garden beds. But at least you’ll save some money on it!Pin to remember recycled garden ideasAnd do join us. Sign up here for a free weekly email with more gardening tips, ideas and inspiration. Source link

[angusstory]

February 1st, 2025 Posted In: Garden Style & Living Recycled garden furniture, landscaping and planters can save you money.And they always add character and individuality to your garden or backyard.Plus it’s the most sustainable way of living. Even if your recycled garden isn’t cheaper than buying new, it’s still a better use of world resources.Recycling can look contemporary – or it can create a rustic garden charm. And it’s at the heart of cottage garden style, now sometimes called ‘cottagecore’.But finding the right recycled garden materials, furniture or pots isn’t always easy. By definition, these are not things you can just buy from a named retailer, who will deliver to your door in days.So this post will help unlock the secrets of creating a beautiful but practical recycled garden.Where can I find lovely vintage or recycled garden furniture and pots?Probably the biggest complaint I hear about buying vintage and recycled goods is people saying ‘I can never find what I’m looking for.’When you buy new, you go into a shop or online and search for a ‘garden bench’. You’ll see several garden benches in the store. And lots of garden benches will pop up online. There’s a good chance that you’ll see one you like. You order it and it’ll be delivered to your home.But if you go into a salvage yard or charity/thrift shop looking for a garden bench, you’re unlikely to find it the first time you go. Even if you go to the big online auction houses, such as eBay and Gumtree, you won’t find your perfect garden bench just by looking up ‘bench’ a couple of times.Get to know classic and vintage garden furniture styles. You’ll find out what you do and don’t like, and be able to spot bargains more quickly. Top is a metal bench at Doddington Place Gardens and above is a ‘Lutyens’ bench at Gravetye Manor Hotel.When I searched online for ‘garden bench’, there were one or two beautiful vintage ones – but they were expensive. And the cheap ones were not especially nice.However, if I were to repeat that search regularly, I’d have a better chance of finding what I’m looking for.Buying vintage and recycled garden furniture and pots is a long game.  All the top second-hand shoppers I know go into their local thrift or charity shops on a regular basis. They visit architectural salvage yards just to see what’s new.So identify online auctions that deliver to your area. Set up an alert for the item you want. Start with Gumtree, eBay and PreLoved.Then look for local architectural salvage yards or exchange sites.Look up charities near you that sell second-hand furniture. These include Habitat ReStore, which operates in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Asia. And the Salvation Army operates in 133 countries and has some larger centres selling second-hand furniture. In Europe and the UK,  there is Emmaus. Plus there are always local charities near you.Don’t forget to factor in the costs of transporting items. You may not be able to fit anything large or heavy into an ordinary car.And don’t forget to donate unwanted items to a charity if you’re clearing a house or garden. Some charities provide free pick-up if you are donating items.The insider secrets on finding the best recycled garden itemsThe most important thing is to ‘get your eye in.’ That means getting to know what sort of things you like and what you could do with them.Instead of looking for a particular item, such as a garden bench, start thinking about what you could turn something into.And step one of ‘getting your eye in’ is to look at as many recycled, upcycled and vintage items as possible. The more you see, either in videos or posts like these or in real life, the more you’ll be able to see what you could do with them.Four different ways of upcycling garden pots and planters. clockwise from top left: an old cooking pot re-used; food tins, painted and with the labels stripped off; old dustbins and garbage cans used as larger planters and equipment from a distillery re-purposed as garden planters.  All have a rustic garden charm and would work in cottage gardens.Professional thrifting tipsVisit the thrift shops, second-hand fairs and salvage yards as often as you can.If it’s a fair or a market, get there early. Before it opens if you can.My mother had a second-hand stall in the Portobello Road in the 1970s and 80s. She said that the professionals – the dealers – always arrived before the market was open to help her unpack! They always got the best bargains.Be systematic. Start at one end of the room, yard or row of stalls and go slowly along. Then move methodically back up the row on the other side. Don’t dart about.Let people know you’re up for taking things they don’t want away. Sometimes you’ll see items left in the street or in front gardens. Always ask before taking anything – even if it has been discarded in a skip.Once people know you are interested in second-hand, they’ll often get in touch. Kathy Pickering’s rustic cottage garden is full of ‘finds’ discarded from friends’ gardens.And before you throw anything away, think about what it could be used for. Kathy has used the springs and frame of an old mattress as a trellis.Kathy Pickering turned this sofa frame into a trellis for climbing plants (top) and designer Amanda Grimes designed this recycled show garden for RHS Hampton Court, using flagstones and scaffolding boards to make benches.How to Landscape with Recycled MaterialsWe are all getting much more interested in using recycled landscape materials.Several show gardens have recently featured crushed hardcore or rubble used as a mulch.‘Chelsea Repurposed’ by Cityscapes (top) – a show garden using a crushed concrete and sand mulch. Above is a mulch made from bricks, stones and rubble picked out of the earth from elsewhere in the Walworth Garden. See here for more about the Walworth Garden’s recycled landscaping.If you have a garden in a town or a new-build development, you’ll probably have lots of bits of broken concrete, broken bricks, pebbles or rocks in your earth. You’ll have to pick them out before you can clear it for planting. Instead of taking them to landfills, you can use them as mulch.You can also use this kind of mulch as a basis for dry planting or a gravel garden.At Great Comp Garden in Kent, the owner had to dig lots of ragstone out of the ground to clear it for borders. He found so much that he decided to build ‘ruins’ with it in the garden.He also mounded the ground in one place up to build a ‘ruin’ on top of it. He used discarded washing machines and pieces of old agricultural equipment to get the volume of the mound before covering it all with soil. See more about how he did it in Garden Ruins & Follies.Make the most of what you’ve already gotThere’s an increasing interest in making the most of what you’ve got. If your yard is completely covered in concrete or pavers, then take some of it up to allow more planting. You can make it look more attractive by setting a pattern of brick or stone into it rather than replacing the whole area.Top: Leftover brick, stone and pebbles used to make a pattern. Above: this garden owner filled cracks in the concrete paving with patchwork patterns of tile, brick, stone and pebble rather than replacing the concrete completely.You may also be able to re-use landscape materials discarded from another garden. Tell your landscapers you’d like to use recycled materials if you can. They will usually know of a local depot or they may be able to sell or give you materials from another job.What are the best recycled materials for a garden?The best recycled materials for a garden will be anything that is already in your backyard or which can be transported  easily from nearby.But if you don’t have any second-hand materials nearby, then there is no single ‘best material.’Recycled wood, stone and brick mixed together. Old beams, pallet wood, railway sleepers and scaffolding boards are combined with different bricks in this show garden by Simon Cowell. The recycled materials give it a lovely textured feel.If your aim is to be more eco-friendly, then Oli Haden, head gardener and CEO of the Walworth Garden in London, says that there are two important questions to ask. This applies to both new and recycled materials.The first question is ‘how are you going to fix it into the garden?’ If you’re going to use concrete, then your recycled garden will be less sustainable and eco-friendly.Secondly, how long will it last? Materials that need replacing quickly are expensive – because it costs to replace them.’ The two materials which will need replacing soonest are artificial grass and softwood decking, so if you’re planning in staying somewhere for a long time, avoid those two.Oli says that recycled stone is the best material because it lasts for centuries and doesn’t have to be set into concrete.  However, Oli says you will have to fit the pavers together as closely as possible and add a boundary to hold them in place. This could be wood sleepers or a steel band.Read more about eco-friendly landscaping here. Recycled garden art and decorYou can re-purpose so many things as garden art and decor. Some of them may not last long, but if they were going to be thrown away anyway, you’re giving them another use before you eventually discard them.The garden shows in the UK now feature an increasing number of recycled garden ideas. See recycled RHS Chelsea and some of the show gardens in this RHS Hampton Court round-up.Plumbing pipes and tanks re-purposed for the garden. Top show Mike Long’s show garden featuring re-purposed concrete water ducts (the wide circular pipe), copper piping and taps used in a water feature. Above is Naomi Slade’s show garden featuring old water tanks re-used as ponds/water features. Both such great examples of ‘from trash to treasure!’Top shows broken terracotta pots fitted together and planted up with succulents. (These are called fairy gardens in some places.) Succulents have shallow roots so are happier than most plants in this kind of arrangement. Above is rusted petrol (gas) pump on a show garden by Gardena. Almost anything can be re-used or recycled if you like how it looks!Top: Broken china and shells collected from the beach used as mosaic garden decor and (above) industrial equipment re-purposed as a moongate arbour seat in Pip Probert’s Viewers Garden at BBC Gardeners World LiveRecycled garden border edgingRecycled garden border edging ideas include using strips of old corrugated iron, recycled bricks and scaffolding boards.You can also use wicker for a rustic look, but be aware that it won’t last long.Garden border edging using painted car tyres in Spain and wine bottle edging in Jo Rutherford’s garden on a budget.In the photo above, gardener Jo Rutherford collected wine bottles. She sank them into the earth so that they were approximately half buried. Many people have suggested that these could freeze and break in winter. So far they haven’t, but Jo is based in Whitstable, a coastal town with mild winters.Car tyre edging also has its issues. Car tyres slowly leach chemicals over a number of years. They’re not advised for vegetable growing, although the process is very slow.If you’re using wooden sleepers or scaffolding boards, try to avoid those that are treated with tar or creosote. They’ll look darker than untreated wood. Tar and creosote also leach chemicals into the soil, although if they are old, it may already have worn off.Some sleepers and scaffolding boards are tanalised, which is considered safe for use in gardens.From trash to treasure – pots and plantersPlants will grow in any kind of container.Plants will grow in anything – the top shows two pots hanging from some old plumbing pipes and the photo above is a rusted dustpan turned upside down for cyclamen.So there are only two things you need to know about re-purposing things as pots and planters.Firstly, you must have drainage. If water sits at the bottom of a pot, the roots of the plant will rot. You can drill holes in wood and metal, but china and stone are more problematic.Secondly, most plants need room for their roots to grow. The size of the pot you need depends on the plant – for example, succulents can grow in very shallow containers.However, larger plants need a pot that’s at least roughly half the height of the fully grown plant.In terms of width, go for a pot that is just an inch or so wider than the root ball. If the plant is still young, you may have to re-pot it several times as it grows.Make sure your re-purposed pots will survive your wintersAnd in terms of outdoor planters, you need to choose a material that will survive your winters.This chest of drawers is planted up as a fun item by garden designer Mark Lane (top). The picture above shows old olive tins used as planters – note how the whole plant is just a bit bigger than the size of the tin.Beyond that, you can use almost anything for a planter. Garden designer and BBC Gardeners World presenter Frances Tophill says she has used an old washing machine drum in the past.People have used drawers (although wood will rot quickly), agricultural troughs, old laundry bins and food tins, watering cans that no longer hold water, rusted wheelbarrows and all kinds of industrial equipment such as oak casks from distilleries to water tanks.From office to backyard? Re-purposing indoor furnitureWhen you’re looking for second-hand furniture, don’t forget to check sales of old office furniture or shop-fittings. Very often these will be made of durable materials that will last outside, such as metal.Look at shop and office equipment as well as indoor furniture, provided that it’s made of waterproof material. The top photos show a widely available style of dining or cafe chair in metal, so it can used outside. The table and mannequin in the photo above were both bought from a shop that was shutting down.Composting – the ultimate recyclingThe more you can recycle and compost the waste material from your kitchen and garden, the better. You’ll be returning nutrients to the earth and saving on trips to the dump. And you will save some – although not all – of the costs of buying new mulch.However, you do need some space to compost unless you are using, for example, a Hotbin, which breaks down waste material fast.The essential thing to know is that there is fast compost and there is easy compost. Unless you are using something like a Hotbin, there is no fast, easy compost.With easy compost you need at least three bin areas. Add vegetable and fruit kitchen scraps, but not meat, fish or cooked food. Add clippings and pruning from the garden. If you cut them up, they will biodegrade faster.With fast compost, you may need more bin areas. You need to pay attention to the mix of ‘brown’ and ‘green’ elements. You will turn the compost at least once a week. It’s not difficult but it does need management.Fast compost breaks down over a few months, so it should give you more compost. Easy compost can take a year to eighteen months. I do easy compost (see here) and speed it up with a compost accelerator such as Garotta or Envii. (note, these are affiliate links, see disclosure)Compost breaks down, so a huge pile of garden clippings turns into quite a small layer of mulch. This means that very few gardens ever make enough compost to completely cover their garden beds. But at least you’ll save some money on it!Pin to remember recycled garden ideasAnd do join us. Sign up here for a free weekly email with more gardening tips, ideas and inspiration. Source link

[tumibaba]

February 1st, 2025 Posted In: Garden Style & Living Recycled garden furniture, landscaping and planters can save you money.And they always add character and individuality to your garden or backyard.Plus it’s the most sustainable way of living. Even if your recycled garden isn’t cheaper than buying new, it’s still a better use of world resources.Recycling can look contemporary – or it can create a rustic garden charm. And it’s at the heart of cottage garden style, now sometimes called ‘cottagecore’.But finding the right recycled garden materials, furniture or pots isn’t always easy. By definition, these are not things you can just buy from a named retailer, who will deliver to your door in days.So this post will help unlock the secrets of creating a beautiful but practical recycled garden.Where can I find lovely vintage or recycled garden furniture and pots?Probably the biggest complaint I hear about buying vintage and recycled goods is people saying ‘I can never find what I’m looking for.’When you buy new, you go into a shop or online and search for a ‘garden bench’. You’ll see several garden benches in the store. And lots of garden benches will pop up online. There’s a good chance that you’ll see one you like. You order it and it’ll be delivered to your home.But if you go into a salvage yard or charity/thrift shop looking for a garden bench, you’re unlikely to find it the first time you go. Even if you go to the big online auction houses, such as eBay and Gumtree, you won’t find your perfect garden bench just by looking up ‘bench’ a couple of times.Get to know classic and vintage garden furniture styles. You’ll find out what you do and don’t like, and be able to spot bargains more quickly. Top is a metal bench at Doddington Place Gardens and above is a ‘Lutyens’ bench at Gravetye Manor Hotel.When I searched online for ‘garden bench’, there were one or two beautiful vintage ones – but they were expensive. And the cheap ones were not especially nice.However, if I were to repeat that search regularly, I’d have a better chance of finding what I’m looking for.Buying vintage and recycled garden furniture and pots is a long game.  All the top second-hand shoppers I know go into their local thrift or charity shops on a regular basis. They visit architectural salvage yards just to see what’s new.So identify online auctions that deliver to your area. Set up an alert for the item you want. Start with Gumtree, eBay and PreLoved.Then look for local architectural salvage yards or exchange sites.Look up charities near you that sell second-hand furniture. These include Habitat ReStore, which operates in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Asia. And the Salvation Army operates in 133 countries and has some larger centres selling second-hand furniture. In Europe and the UK,  there is Emmaus. Plus there are always local charities near you.Don’t forget to factor in the costs of transporting items. You may not be able to fit anything large or heavy into an ordinary car.And don’t forget to donate unwanted items to a charity if you’re clearing a house or garden. Some charities provide free pick-up if you are donating items.The insider secrets on finding the best recycled garden itemsThe most important thing is to ‘get your eye in.’ That means getting to know what sort of things you like and what you could do with them.Instead of looking for a particular item, such as a garden bench, start thinking about what you could turn something into.And step one of ‘getting your eye in’ is to look at as many recycled, upcycled and vintage items as possible. The more you see, either in videos or posts like these or in real life, the more you’ll be able to see what you could do with them.Four different ways of upcycling garden pots and planters. clockwise from top left: an old cooking pot re-used; food tins, painted and with the labels stripped off; old dustbins and garbage cans used as larger planters and equipment from a distillery re-purposed as garden planters.  All have a rustic garden charm and would work in cottage gardens.Professional thrifting tipsVisit the thrift shops, second-hand fairs and salvage yards as often as you can.If it’s a fair or a market, get there early. Before it opens if you can.My mother had a second-hand stall in the Portobello Road in the 1970s and 80s. She said that the professionals – the dealers – always arrived before the market was open to help her unpack! They always got the best bargains.Be systematic. Start at one end of the room, yard or row of stalls and go slowly along. Then move methodically back up the row on the other side. Don’t dart about.Let people know you’re up for taking things they don’t want away. Sometimes you’ll see items left in the street or in front gardens. Always ask before taking anything – even if it has been discarded in a skip.Once people know you are interested in second-hand, they’ll often get in touch. Kathy Pickering’s rustic cottage garden is full of ‘finds’ discarded from friends’ gardens.And before you throw anything away, think about what it could be used for. Kathy has used the springs and frame of an old mattress as a trellis.Kathy Pickering turned this sofa frame into a trellis for climbing plants (top) and designer Amanda Grimes designed this recycled show garden for RHS Hampton Court, using flagstones and scaffolding boards to make benches.How to Landscape with Recycled MaterialsWe are all getting much more interested in using recycled landscape materials.Several show gardens have recently featured crushed hardcore or rubble used as a mulch.‘Chelsea Repurposed’ by Cityscapes (top) – a show garden using a crushed concrete and sand mulch. Above is a mulch made from bricks, stones and rubble picked out of the earth from elsewhere in the Walworth Garden. See here for more about the Walworth Garden’s recycled landscaping.If you have a garden in a town or a new-build development, you’ll probably have lots of bits of broken concrete, broken bricks, pebbles or rocks in your earth. You’ll have to pick them out before you can clear it for planting. Instead of taking them to landfills, you can use them as mulch.You can also use this kind of mulch as a basis for dry planting or a gravel garden.At Great Comp Garden in Kent, the owner had to dig lots of ragstone out of the ground to clear it for borders. He found so much that he decided to build ‘ruins’ with it in the garden.He also mounded the ground in one place up to build a ‘ruin’ on top of it. He used discarded washing machines and pieces of old agricultural equipment to get the volume of the mound before covering it all with soil. See more about how he did it in Garden Ruins & Follies.Make the most of what you’ve already gotThere’s an increasing interest in making the most of what you’ve got. If your yard is completely covered in concrete or pavers, then take some of it up to allow more planting. You can make it look more attractive by setting a pattern of brick or stone into it rather than replacing the whole area.Top: Leftover brick, stone and pebbles used to make a pattern. Above: this garden owner filled cracks in the concrete paving with patchwork patterns of tile, brick, stone and pebble rather than replacing the concrete completely.You may also be able to re-use landscape materials discarded from another garden. Tell your landscapers you’d like to use recycled materials if you can. They will usually know of a local depot or they may be able to sell or give you materials from another job.What are the best recycled materials for a garden?The best recycled materials for a garden will be anything that is already in your backyard or which can be transported  easily from nearby.But if you don’t have any second-hand materials nearby, then there is no single ‘best material.’Recycled wood, stone and brick mixed together. Old beams, pallet wood, railway sleepers and scaffolding boards are combined with different bricks in this show garden by Simon Cowell. The recycled materials give it a lovely textured feel.If your aim is to be more eco-friendly, then Oli Haden, head gardener and CEO of the Walworth Garden in London, says that there are two important questions to ask. This applies to both new and recycled materials.The first question is ‘how are you going to fix it into the garden?’ If you’re going to use concrete, then your recycled garden will be less sustainable and eco-friendly.Secondly, how long will it last? Materials that need replacing quickly are expensive – because it costs to replace them.’ The two materials which will need replacing soonest are artificial grass and softwood decking, so if you’re planning in staying somewhere for a long time, avoid those two.Oli says that recycled stone is the best material because it lasts for centuries and doesn’t have to be set into concrete.  However, Oli says you will have to fit the pavers together as closely as possible and add a boundary to hold them in place. This could be wood sleepers or a steel band.Read more about eco-friendly landscaping here. Recycled garden art and decorYou can re-purpose so many things as garden art and decor. Some of them may not last long, but if they were going to be thrown away anyway, you’re giving them another use before you eventually discard them.The garden shows in the UK now feature an increasing number of recycled garden ideas. See recycled RHS Chelsea and some of the show gardens in this RHS Hampton Court round-up.Plumbing pipes and tanks re-purposed for the garden. Top show Mike Long’s show garden featuring re-purposed concrete water ducts (the wide circular pipe), copper piping and taps used in a water feature. Above is Naomi Slade’s show garden featuring old water tanks re-used as ponds/water features. Both such great examples of ‘from trash to treasure!’Top shows broken terracotta pots fitted together and planted up with succulents. (These are called fairy gardens in some places.) Succulents have shallow roots so are happier than most plants in this kind of arrangement. Above is rusted petrol (gas) pump on a show garden by Gardena. Almost anything can be re-used or recycled if you like how it looks!Top: Broken china and shells collected from the beach used as mosaic garden decor and (above) industrial equipment re-purposed as a moongate arbour seat in Pip Probert’s Viewers Garden at BBC Gardeners World LiveRecycled garden border edgingRecycled garden border edging ideas include using strips of old corrugated iron, recycled bricks and scaffolding boards.You can also use wicker for a rustic look, but be aware that it won’t last long.Garden border edging using painted car tyres in Spain and wine bottle edging in Jo Rutherford’s garden on a budget.In the photo above, gardener Jo Rutherford collected wine bottles. She sank them into the earth so that they were approximately half buried. Many people have suggested that these could freeze and break in winter. So far they haven’t, but Jo is based in Whitstable, a coastal town with mild winters.Car tyre edging also has its issues. Car tyres slowly leach chemicals over a number of years. They’re not advised for vegetable growing, although the process is very slow.If you’re using wooden sleepers or scaffolding boards, try to avoid those that are treated with tar or creosote. They’ll look darker than untreated wood. Tar and creosote also leach chemicals into the soil, although if they are old, it may already have worn off.Some sleepers and scaffolding boards are tanalised, which is considered safe for use in gardens.From trash to treasure – pots and plantersPlants will grow in any kind of container.Plants will grow in anything – the top shows two pots hanging from some old plumbing pipes and the photo above is a rusted dustpan turned upside down for cyclamen.So there are only two things you need to know about re-purposing things as pots and planters.Firstly, you must have drainage. If water sits at the bottom of a pot, the roots of the plant will rot. You can drill holes in wood and metal, but china and stone are more problematic.Secondly, most plants need room for their roots to grow. The size of the pot you need depends on the plant – for example, succulents can grow in very shallow containers.However, larger plants need a pot that’s at least roughly half the height of the fully grown plant.In terms of width, go for a pot that is just an inch or so wider than the root ball. If the plant is still young, you may have to re-pot it several times as it grows.Make sure your re-purposed pots will survive your wintersAnd in terms of outdoor planters, you need to choose a material that will survive your winters.This chest of drawers is planted up as a fun item by garden designer Mark Lane (top). The picture above shows old olive tins used as planters – note how the whole plant is just a bit bigger than the size of the tin.Beyond that, you can use almost anything for a planter. Garden designer and BBC Gardeners World presenter Frances Tophill says she has used an old washing machine drum in the past.People have used drawers (although wood will rot quickly), agricultural troughs, old laundry bins and food tins, watering cans that no longer hold water, rusted wheelbarrows and all kinds of industrial equipment such as oak casks from distilleries to water tanks.From office to backyard? Re-purposing indoor furnitureWhen you’re looking for second-hand furniture, don’t forget to check sales of old office furniture or shop-fittings. Very often these will be made of durable materials that will last outside, such as metal.Look at shop and office equipment as well as indoor furniture, provided that it’s made of waterproof material. The top photos show a widely available style of dining or cafe chair in metal, so it can used outside. The table and mannequin in the photo above were both bought from a shop that was shutting down.Composting – the ultimate recyclingThe more you can recycle and compost the waste material from your kitchen and garden, the better. You’ll be returning nutrients to the earth and saving on trips to the dump. And you will save some – although not all – of the costs of buying new mulch.However, you do need some space to compost unless you are using, for example, a Hotbin, which breaks down waste material fast.The essential thing to know is that there is fast compost and there is easy compost. Unless you are using something like a Hotbin, there is no fast, easy compost.With easy compost you need at least three bin areas. Add vegetable and fruit kitchen scraps, but not meat, fish or cooked food. Add clippings and pruning from the garden. If you cut them up, they will biodegrade faster.With fast compost, you may need more bin areas. You need to pay attention to the mix of ‘brown’ and ‘green’ elements. You will turn the compost at least once a week. It’s not difficult but it does need management.Fast compost breaks down over a few months, so it should give you more compost. Easy compost can take a year to eighteen months. I do easy compost (see here) and speed it up with a compost accelerator such as Garotta or Envii. (note, these are affiliate links, see disclosure)Compost breaks down, so a huge pile of garden clippings turns into quite a small layer of mulch. This means that very few gardens ever make enough compost to completely cover their garden beds. But at least you’ll save some money on it!Pin to remember recycled garden ideasAnd do join us. Sign up here for a free weekly email with more gardening tips, ideas and inspiration. Source link

[romaleen]

February 1st, 2025 Posted In: Garden Style & Living Recycled garden furniture, landscaping and planters can save you money.And they always add character and individuality to your garden or backyard.Plus it’s the most sustainable way of living. Even if your recycled garden isn’t cheaper than buying new, it’s still a better use of world resources.Recycling can look contemporary – or it can create a rustic garden charm. And it’s at the heart of cottage garden style, now sometimes called ‘cottagecore’.But finding the right recycled garden materials, furniture or pots isn’t always easy. By definition, these are not things you can just buy from a named retailer, who will deliver to your door in days.So this post will help unlock the secrets of creating a beautiful but practical recycled garden.Where can I find lovely vintage or recycled garden furniture and pots?Probably the biggest complaint I hear about buying vintage and recycled goods is people saying ‘I can never find what I’m looking for.’When you buy new, you go into a shop or online and search for a ‘garden bench’. You’ll see several garden benches in the store. And lots of garden benches will pop up online. There’s a good chance that you’ll see one you like. You order it and it’ll be delivered to your home.But if you go into a salvage yard or charity/thrift shop looking for a garden bench, you’re unlikely to find it the first time you go. Even if you go to the big online auction houses, such as eBay and Gumtree, you won’t find your perfect garden bench just by looking up ‘bench’ a couple of times.Get to know classic and vintage garden furniture styles. You’ll find out what you do and don’t like, and be able to spot bargains more quickly. Top is a metal bench at Doddington Place Gardens and above is a ‘Lutyens’ bench at Gravetye Manor Hotel.When I searched online for ‘garden bench’, there were one or two beautiful vintage ones – but they were expensive. And the cheap ones were not especially nice.However, if I were to repeat that search regularly, I’d have a better chance of finding what I’m looking for.Buying vintage and recycled garden furniture and pots is a long game.  All the top second-hand shoppers I know go into their local thrift or charity shops on a regular basis. They visit architectural salvage yards just to see what’s new.So identify online auctions that deliver to your area. Set up an alert for the item you want. Start with Gumtree, eBay and PreLoved.Then look for local architectural salvage yards or exchange sites.Look up charities near you that sell second-hand furniture. These include Habitat ReStore, which operates in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Asia. And the Salvation Army operates in 133 countries and has some larger centres selling second-hand furniture. In Europe and the UK,  there is Emmaus. Plus there are always local charities near you.Don’t forget to factor in the costs of transporting items. You may not be able to fit anything large or heavy into an ordinary car.And don’t forget to donate unwanted items to a charity if you’re clearing a house or garden. Some charities provide free pick-up if you are donating items.The insider secrets on finding the best recycled garden itemsThe most important thing is to ‘get your eye in.’ That means getting to know what sort of things you like and what you could do with them.Instead of looking for a particular item, such as a garden bench, start thinking about what you could turn something into.And step one of ‘getting your eye in’ is to look at as many recycled, upcycled and vintage items as possible. The more you see, either in videos or posts like these or in real life, the more you’ll be able to see what you could do with them.Four different ways of upcycling garden pots and planters. clockwise from top left: an old cooking pot re-used; food tins, painted and with the labels stripped off; old dustbins and garbage cans used as larger planters and equipment from a distillery re-purposed as garden planters.  All have a rustic garden charm and would work in cottage gardens.Professional thrifting tipsVisit the thrift shops, second-hand fairs and salvage yards as often as you can.If it’s a fair or a market, get there early. Before it opens if you can.My mother had a second-hand stall in the Portobello Road in the 1970s and 80s. She said that the professionals – the dealers – always arrived before the market was open to help her unpack! They always got the best bargains.Be systematic. Start at one end of the room, yard or row of stalls and go slowly along. Then move methodically back up the row on the other side. Don’t dart about.Let people know you’re up for taking things they don’t want away. Sometimes you’ll see items left in the street or in front gardens. Always ask before taking anything – even if it has been discarded in a skip.Once people know you are interested in second-hand, they’ll often get in touch. Kathy Pickering’s rustic cottage garden is full of ‘finds’ discarded from friends’ gardens.And before you throw anything away, think about what it could be used for. Kathy has used the springs and frame of an old mattress as a trellis.Kathy Pickering turned this sofa frame into a trellis for climbing plants (top) and designer Amanda Grimes designed this recycled show garden for RHS Hampton Court, using flagstones and scaffolding boards to make benches.How to Landscape with Recycled MaterialsWe are all getting much more interested in using recycled landscape materials.Several show gardens have recently featured crushed hardcore or rubble used as a mulch.‘Chelsea Repurposed’ by Cityscapes (top) – a show garden using a crushed concrete and sand mulch. Above is a mulch made from bricks, stones and rubble picked out of the earth from elsewhere in the Walworth Garden. See here for more about the Walworth Garden’s recycled landscaping.If you have a garden in a town or a new-build development, you’ll probably have lots of bits of broken concrete, broken bricks, pebbles or rocks in your earth. You’ll have to pick them out before you can clear it for planting. Instead of taking them to landfills, you can use them as mulch.You can also use this kind of mulch as a basis for dry planting or a gravel garden.At Great Comp Garden in Kent, the owner had to dig lots of ragstone out of the ground to clear it for borders. He found so much that he decided to build ‘ruins’ with it in the garden.He also mounded the ground in one place up to build a ‘ruin’ on top of it. He used discarded washing machines and pieces of old agricultural equipment to get the volume of the mound before covering it all with soil. See more about how he did it in Garden Ruins & Follies.Make the most of what you’ve already gotThere’s an increasing interest in making the most of what you’ve got. If your yard is completely covered in concrete or pavers, then take some of it up to allow more planting. You can make it look more attractive by setting a pattern of brick or stone into it rather than replacing the whole area.Top: Leftover brick, stone and pebbles used to make a pattern. Above: this garden owner filled cracks in the concrete paving with patchwork patterns of tile, brick, stone and pebble rather than replacing the concrete completely.You may also be able to re-use landscape materials discarded from another garden. Tell your landscapers you’d like to use recycled materials if you can. They will usually know of a local depot or they may be able to sell or give you materials from another job.What are the best recycled materials for a garden?The best recycled materials for a garden will be anything that is already in your backyard or which can be transported  easily from nearby.But if you don’t have any second-hand materials nearby, then there is no single ‘best material.’Recycled wood, stone and brick mixed together. Old beams, pallet wood, railway sleepers and scaffolding boards are combined with different bricks in this show garden by Simon Cowell. The recycled materials give it a lovely textured feel.If your aim is to be more eco-friendly, then Oli Haden, head gardener and CEO of the Walworth Garden in London, says that there are two important questions to ask. This applies to both new and recycled materials.The first question is ‘how are you going to fix it into the garden?’ If you’re going to use concrete, then your recycled garden will be less sustainable and eco-friendly.Secondly, how long will it last? Materials that need replacing quickly are expensive – because it costs to replace them.’ The two materials which will need replacing soonest are artificial grass and softwood decking, so if you’re planning in staying somewhere for a long time, avoid those two.Oli says that recycled stone is the best material because it lasts for centuries and doesn’t have to be set into concrete.  However, Oli says you will have to fit the pavers together as closely as possible and add a boundary to hold them in place. This could be wood sleepers or a steel band.Read more about eco-friendly landscaping here. Recycled garden art and decorYou can re-purpose so many things as garden art and decor. Some of them may not last long, but if they were going to be thrown away anyway, you’re giving them another use before you eventually discard them.The garden shows in the UK now feature an increasing number of recycled garden ideas. See recycled RHS Chelsea and some of the show gardens in this RHS Hampton Court round-up.Plumbing pipes and tanks re-purposed for the garden. Top show Mike Long’s show garden featuring re-purposed concrete water ducts (the wide circular pipe), copper piping and taps used in a water feature. Above is Naomi Slade’s show garden featuring old water tanks re-used as ponds/water features. Both such great examples of ‘from trash to treasure!’Top shows broken terracotta pots fitted together and planted up with succulents. (These are called fairy gardens in some places.) Succulents have shallow roots so are happier than most plants in this kind of arrangement. Above is rusted petrol (gas) pump on a show garden by Gardena. Almost anything can be re-used or recycled if you like how it looks!Top: Broken china and shells collected from the beach used as mosaic garden decor and (above) industrial equipment re-purposed as a moongate arbour seat in Pip Probert’s Viewers Garden at BBC Gardeners World LiveRecycled garden border edgingRecycled garden border edging ideas include using strips of old corrugated iron, recycled bricks and scaffolding boards.You can also use wicker for a rustic look, but be aware that it won’t last long.Garden border edging using painted car tyres in Spain and wine bottle edging in Jo Rutherford’s garden on a budget.In the photo above, gardener Jo Rutherford collected wine bottles. She sank them into the earth so that they were approximately half buried. Many people have suggested that these could freeze and break in winter. So far they haven’t, but Jo is based in Whitstable, a coastal town with mild winters.Car tyre edging also has its issues. Car tyres slowly leach chemicals over a number of years. They’re not advised for vegetable growing, although the process is very slow.If you’re using wooden sleepers or scaffolding boards, try to avoid those that are treated with tar or creosote. They’ll look darker than untreated wood. Tar and creosote also leach chemicals into the soil, although if they are old, it may already have worn off.Some sleepers and scaffolding boards are tanalised, which is considered safe for use in gardens.From trash to treasure – pots and plantersPlants will grow in any kind of container.Plants will grow in anything – the top shows two pots hanging from some old plumbing pipes and the photo above is a rusted dustpan turned upside down for cyclamen.So there are only two things you need to know about re-purposing things as pots and planters.Firstly, you must have drainage. If water sits at the bottom of a pot, the roots of the plant will rot. You can drill holes in wood and metal, but china and stone are more problematic.Secondly, most plants need room for their roots to grow. The size of the pot you need depends on the plant – for example, succulents can grow in very shallow containers.However, larger plants need a pot that’s at least roughly half the height of the fully grown plant.In terms of width, go for a pot that is just an inch or so wider than the root ball. If the plant is still young, you may have to re-pot it several times as it grows.Make sure your re-purposed pots will survive your wintersAnd in terms of outdoor planters, you need to choose a material that will survive your winters.This chest of drawers is planted up as a fun item by garden designer Mark Lane (top). The picture above shows old olive tins used as planters – note how the whole plant is just a bit bigger than the size of the tin.Beyond that, you can use almost anything for a planter. Garden designer and BBC Gardeners World presenter Frances Tophill says she has used an old washing machine drum in the past.People have used drawers (although wood will rot quickly), agricultural troughs, old laundry bins and food tins, watering cans that no longer hold water, rusted wheelbarrows and all kinds of industrial equipment such as oak casks from distilleries to water tanks.From office to backyard? Re-purposing indoor furnitureWhen you’re looking for second-hand furniture, don’t forget to check sales of old office furniture or shop-fittings. Very often these will be made of durable materials that will last outside, such as metal.Look at shop and office equipment as well as indoor furniture, provided that it’s made of waterproof material. The top photos show a widely available style of dining or cafe chair in metal, so it can used outside. The table and mannequin in the photo above were both bought from a shop that was shutting down.Composting – the ultimate recyclingThe more you can recycle and compost the waste material from your kitchen and garden, the better. You’ll be returning nutrients to the earth and saving on trips to the dump. And you will save some – although not all – of the costs of buying new mulch.However, you do need some space to compost unless you are using, for example, a Hotbin, which breaks down waste material fast.The essential thing to know is that there is fast compost and there is easy compost. Unless you are using something like a Hotbin, there is no fast, easy compost.With easy compost you need at least three bin areas. Add vegetable and fruit kitchen scraps, but not meat, fish or cooked food. Add clippings and pruning from the garden. If you cut them up, they will biodegrade faster.With fast compost, you may need more bin areas. You need to pay attention to the mix of ‘brown’ and ‘green’ elements. You will turn the compost at least once a week. It’s not difficult but it does need management.Fast compost breaks down over a few months, so it should give you more compost. Easy compost can take a year to eighteen months. I do easy compost (see here) and speed it up with a compost accelerator such as Garotta or Envii. (note, these are affiliate links, see disclosure)Compost breaks down, so a huge pile of garden clippings turns into quite a small layer of mulch. This means that very few gardens ever make enough compost to completely cover their garden beds. But at least you’ll save some money on it!Pin to remember recycled garden ideasAnd do join us. Sign up here for a free weekly email with more gardening tips, ideas and inspiration. Source link

[monaleen101]

February 1st, 2025 Posted In: Garden Style & Living Recycled garden furniture, landscaping and planters can save you money.And they always add character and individuality to your garden or backyard.Plus it’s the most sustainable way of living. Even if your recycled garden isn’t cheaper than buying new, it’s still a better use of world resources.Recycling can look contemporary – or it can create a rustic garden charm. And it’s at the heart of cottage garden style, now sometimes called ‘cottagecore’.But finding the right recycled garden materials, furniture or pots isn’t always easy. By definition, these are not things you can just buy from a named retailer, who will deliver to your door in days.So this post will help unlock the secrets of creating a beautiful but practical recycled garden.Where can I find lovely vintage or recycled garden furniture and pots?Probably the biggest complaint I hear about buying vintage and recycled goods is people saying ‘I can never find what I’m looking for.’When you buy new, you go into a shop or online and search for a ‘garden bench’. You’ll see several garden benches in the store. And lots of garden benches will pop up online. There’s a good chance that you’ll see one you like. You order it and it’ll be delivered to your home.But if you go into a salvage yard or charity/thrift shop looking for a garden bench, you’re unlikely to find it the first time you go. Even if you go to the big online auction houses, such as eBay and Gumtree, you won’t find your perfect garden bench just by looking up ‘bench’ a couple of times.Get to know classic and vintage garden furniture styles. You’ll find out what you do and don’t like, and be able to spot bargains more quickly. Top is a metal bench at Doddington Place Gardens and above is a ‘Lutyens’ bench at Gravetye Manor Hotel.When I searched online for ‘garden bench’, there were one or two beautiful vintage ones – but they were expensive. And the cheap ones were not especially nice.However, if I were to repeat that search regularly, I’d have a better chance of finding what I’m looking for.Buying vintage and recycled garden furniture and pots is a long game.  All the top second-hand shoppers I know go into their local thrift or charity shops on a regular basis. They visit architectural salvage yards just to see what’s new.So identify online auctions that deliver to your area. Set up an alert for the item you want. Start with Gumtree, eBay and PreLoved.Then look for local architectural salvage yards or exchange sites.Look up charities near you that sell second-hand furniture. These include Habitat ReStore, which operates in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Asia. And the Salvation Army operates in 133 countries and has some larger centres selling second-hand furniture. In Europe and the UK,  there is Emmaus. Plus there are always local charities near you.Don’t forget to factor in the costs of transporting items. You may not be able to fit anything large or heavy into an ordinary car.And don’t forget to donate unwanted items to a charity if you’re clearing a house or garden. Some charities provide free pick-up if you are donating items.The insider secrets on finding the best recycled garden itemsThe most important thing is to ‘get your eye in.’ That means getting to know what sort of things you like and what you could do with them.Instead of looking for a particular item, such as a garden bench, start thinking about what you could turn something into.And step one of ‘getting your eye in’ is to look at as many recycled, upcycled and vintage items as possible. The more you see, either in videos or posts like these or in real life, the more you’ll be able to see what you could do with them.Four different ways of upcycling garden pots and planters. clockwise from top left: an old cooking pot re-used; food tins, painted and with the labels stripped off; old dustbins and garbage cans used as larger planters and equipment from a distillery re-purposed as garden planters.  All have a rustic garden charm and would work in cottage gardens.Professional thrifting tipsVisit the thrift shops, second-hand fairs and salvage yards as often as you can.If it’s a fair or a market, get there early. Before it opens if you can.My mother had a second-hand stall in the Portobello Road in the 1970s and 80s. She said that the professionals – the dealers – always arrived before the market was open to help her unpack! They always got the best bargains.Be systematic. Start at one end of the room, yard or row of stalls and go slowly along. Then move methodically back up the row on the other side. Don’t dart about.Let people know you’re up for taking things they don’t want away. Sometimes you’ll see items left in the street or in front gardens. Always ask before taking anything – even if it has been discarded in a skip.Once people know you are interested in second-hand, they’ll often get in touch. Kathy Pickering’s rustic cottage garden is full of ‘finds’ discarded from friends’ gardens.And before you throw anything away, think about what it could be used for. Kathy has used the springs and frame of an old mattress as a trellis.Kathy Pickering turned this sofa frame into a trellis for climbing plants (top) and designer Amanda Grimes designed this recycled show garden for RHS Hampton Court, using flagstones and scaffolding boards to make benches.How to Landscape with Recycled MaterialsWe are all getting much more interested in using recycled landscape materials.Several show gardens have recently featured crushed hardcore or rubble used as a mulch.‘Chelsea Repurposed’ by Cityscapes (top) – a show garden using a crushed concrete and sand mulch. Above is a mulch made from bricks, stones and rubble picked out of the earth from elsewhere in the Walworth Garden. See here for more about the Walworth Garden’s recycled landscaping.If you have a garden in a town or a new-build development, you’ll probably have lots of bits of broken concrete, broken bricks, pebbles or rocks in your earth. You’ll have to pick them out before you can clear it for planting. Instead of taking them to landfills, you can use them as mulch.You can also use this kind of mulch as a basis for dry planting or a gravel garden.At Great Comp Garden in Kent, the owner had to dig lots of ragstone out of the ground to clear it for borders. He found so much that he decided to build ‘ruins’ with it in the garden.He also mounded the ground in one place up to build a ‘ruin’ on top of it. He used discarded washing machines and pieces of old agricultural equipment to get the volume of the mound before covering it all with soil. See more about how he did it in Garden Ruins & Follies.Make the most of what you’ve already gotThere’s an increasing interest in making the most of what you’ve got. If your yard is completely covered in concrete or pavers, then take some of it up to allow more planting. You can make it look more attractive by setting a pattern of brick or stone into it rather than replacing the whole area.Top: Leftover brick, stone and pebbles used to make a pattern. Above: this garden owner filled cracks in the concrete paving with patchwork patterns of tile, brick, stone and pebble rather than replacing the concrete completely.You may also be able to re-use landscape materials discarded from another garden. Tell your landscapers you’d like to use recycled materials if you can. They will usually know of a local depot or they may be able to sell or give you materials from another job.What are the best recycled materials for a garden?The best recycled materials for a garden will be anything that is already in your backyard or which can be transported  easily from nearby.But if you don’t have any second-hand materials nearby, then there is no single ‘best material.’Recycled wood, stone and brick mixed together. Old beams, pallet wood, railway sleepers and scaffolding boards are combined with different bricks in this show garden by Simon Cowell. The recycled materials give it a lovely textured feel.If your aim is to be more eco-friendly, then Oli Haden, head gardener and CEO of the Walworth Garden in London, says that there are two important questions to ask. This applies to both new and recycled materials.The first question is ‘how are you going to fix it into the garden?’ If you’re going to use concrete, then your recycled garden will be less sustainable and eco-friendly.Secondly, how long will it last? Materials that need replacing quickly are expensive – because it costs to replace them.’ The two materials which will need replacing soonest are artificial grass and softwood decking, so if you’re planning in staying somewhere for a long time, avoid those two.Oli says that recycled stone is the best material because it lasts for centuries and doesn’t have to be set into concrete.  However, Oli says you will have to fit the pavers together as closely as possible and add a boundary to hold them in place. This could be wood sleepers or a steel band.Read more about eco-friendly landscaping here. Recycled garden art and decorYou can re-purpose so many things as garden art and decor. Some of them may not last long, but if they were going to be thrown away anyway, you’re giving them another use before you eventually discard them.The garden shows in the UK now feature an increasing number of recycled garden ideas. See recycled RHS Chelsea and some of the show gardens in this RHS Hampton Court round-up.Plumbing pipes and tanks re-purposed for the garden. Top show Mike Long’s show garden featuring re-purposed concrete water ducts (the wide circular pipe), copper piping and taps used in a water feature. Above is Naomi Slade’s show garden featuring old water tanks re-used as ponds/water features. Both such great examples of ‘from trash to treasure!’Top shows broken terracotta pots fitted together and planted up with succulents. (These are called fairy gardens in some places.) Succulents have shallow roots so are happier than most plants in this kind of arrangement. Above is rusted petrol (gas) pump on a show garden by Gardena. Almost anything can be re-used or recycled if you like how it looks!Top: Broken china and shells collected from the beach used as mosaic garden decor and (above) industrial equipment re-purposed as a moongate arbour seat in Pip Probert’s Viewers Garden at BBC Gardeners World LiveRecycled garden border edgingRecycled garden border edging ideas include using strips of old corrugated iron, recycled bricks and scaffolding boards.You can also use wicker for a rustic look, but be aware that it won’t last long.Garden border edging using painted car tyres in Spain and wine bottle edging in Jo Rutherford’s garden on a budget.In the photo above, gardener Jo Rutherford collected wine bottles. She sank them into the earth so that they were approximately half buried. Many people have suggested that these could freeze and break in winter. So far they haven’t, but Jo is based in Whitstable, a coastal town with mild winters.Car tyre edging also has its issues. Car tyres slowly leach chemicals over a number of years. They’re not advised for vegetable growing, although the process is very slow.If you’re using wooden sleepers or scaffolding boards, try to avoid those that are treated with tar or creosote. They’ll look darker than untreated wood. Tar and creosote also leach chemicals into the soil, although if they are old, it may already have worn off.Some sleepers and scaffolding boards are tanalised, which is considered safe for use in gardens.From trash to treasure – pots and plantersPlants will grow in any kind of container.Plants will grow in anything – the top shows two pots hanging from some old plumbing pipes and the photo above is a rusted dustpan turned upside down for cyclamen.So there are only two things you need to know about re-purposing things as pots and planters.Firstly, you must have drainage. If water sits at the bottom of a pot, the roots of the plant will rot. You can drill holes in wood and metal, but china and stone are more problematic.Secondly, most plants need room for their roots to grow. The size of the pot you need depends on the plant – for example, succulents can grow in very shallow containers.However, larger plants need a pot that’s at least roughly half the height of the fully grown plant.In terms of width, go for a pot that is just an inch or so wider than the root ball. If the plant is still young, you may have to re-pot it several times as it grows.Make sure your re-purposed pots will survive your wintersAnd in terms of outdoor planters, you need to choose a material that will survive your winters.This chest of drawers is planted up as a fun item by garden designer Mark Lane (top). The picture above shows old olive tins used as planters – note how the whole plant is just a bit bigger than the size of the tin.Beyond that, you can use almost anything for a planter. Garden designer and BBC Gardeners World presenter Frances Tophill says she has used an old washing machine drum in the past.People have used drawers (although wood will rot quickly), agricultural troughs, old laundry bins and food tins, watering cans that no longer hold water, rusted wheelbarrows and all kinds of industrial equipment such as oak casks from distilleries to water tanks.From office to backyard? Re-purposing indoor furnitureWhen you’re looking for second-hand furniture, don’t forget to check sales of old office furniture or shop-fittings. Very often these will be made of durable materials that will last outside, such as metal.Look at shop and office equipment as well as indoor furniture, provided that it’s made of waterproof material. The top photos show a widely available style of dining or cafe chair in metal, so it can used outside. The table and mannequin in the photo above were both bought from a shop that was shutting down.Composting – the ultimate recyclingThe more you can recycle and compost the waste material from your kitchen and garden, the better. You’ll be returning nutrients to the earth and saving on trips to the dump. And you will save some – although not all – of the costs of buying new mulch.However, you do need some space to compost unless you are using, for example, a Hotbin, which breaks down waste material fast.The essential thing to know is that there is fast compost and there is easy compost. Unless you are using something like a Hotbin, there is no fast, easy compost.With easy compost you need at least three bin areas. Add vegetable and fruit kitchen scraps, but not meat, fish or cooked food. Add clippings and pruning from the garden. If you cut them up, they will biodegrade faster.With fast compost, you may need more bin areas. You need to pay attention to the mix of ‘brown’ and ‘green’ elements. You will turn the compost at least once a week. It’s not difficult but it does need management.Fast compost breaks down over a few months, so it should give you more compost. Easy compost can take a year to eighteen months. I do easy compost (see here) and speed it up with a compost accelerator such as Garotta or Envii. (note, these are affiliate links, see disclosure)Compost breaks down, so a huge pile of garden clippings turns into quite a small layer of mulch. This means that very few gardens ever make enough compost to completely cover their garden beds. But at least you’ll save some money on it!Pin to remember recycled garden ideasAnd do join us. Sign up here for a free weekly email with more gardening tips, ideas and inspiration. Source link

[iamownerofme]

February 1st, 2025 Posted In: Garden Style & Living Recycled garden furniture, landscaping and planters can save you money.And they always add character and individuality to your garden or backyard.Plus it’s the most sustainable way of living. Even if your recycled garden isn’t cheaper than buying new, it’s still a better use of world resources.Recycling can look contemporary – or it can create a rustic garden charm. And it’s at the heart of cottage garden style, now sometimes called ‘cottagecore’.But finding the right recycled garden materials, furniture or pots isn’t always easy. By definition, these are not things you can just buy from a named retailer, who will deliver to your door in days.So this post will help unlock the secrets of creating a beautiful but practical recycled garden.Where can I find lovely vintage or recycled garden furniture and pots?Probably the biggest complaint I hear about buying vintage and recycled goods is people saying ‘I can never find what I’m looking for.’When you buy new, you go into a shop or online and search for a ‘garden bench’. You’ll see several garden benches in the store. And lots of garden benches will pop up online. There’s a good chance that you’ll see one you like. You order it and it’ll be delivered to your home.But if you go into a salvage yard or charity/thrift shop looking for a garden bench, you’re unlikely to find it the first time you go. Even if you go to the big online auction houses, such as eBay and Gumtree, you won’t find your perfect garden bench just by looking up ‘bench’ a couple of times.Get to know classic and vintage garden furniture styles. You’ll find out what you do and don’t like, and be able to spot bargains more quickly. Top is a metal bench at Doddington Place Gardens and above is a ‘Lutyens’ bench at Gravetye Manor Hotel.When I searched online for ‘garden bench’, there were one or two beautiful vintage ones – but they were expensive. And the cheap ones were not especially nice.However, if I were to repeat that search regularly, I’d have a better chance of finding what I’m looking for.Buying vintage and recycled garden furniture and pots is a long game.  All the top second-hand shoppers I know go into their local thrift or charity shops on a regular basis. They visit architectural salvage yards just to see what’s new.So identify online auctions that deliver to your area. Set up an alert for the item you want. Start with Gumtree, eBay and PreLoved.Then look for local architectural salvage yards or exchange sites.Look up charities near you that sell second-hand furniture. These include Habitat ReStore, which operates in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Asia. And the Salvation Army operates in 133 countries and has some larger centres selling second-hand furniture. In Europe and the UK,  there is Emmaus. Plus there are always local charities near you.Don’t forget to factor in the costs of transporting items. You may not be able to fit anything large or heavy into an ordinary car.And don’t forget to donate unwanted items to a charity if you’re clearing a house or garden. Some charities provide free pick-up if you are donating items.The insider secrets on finding the best recycled garden itemsThe most important thing is to ‘get your eye in.’ That means getting to know what sort of things you like and what you could do with them.Instead of looking for a particular item, such as a garden bench, start thinking about what you could turn something into.And step one of ‘getting your eye in’ is to look at as many recycled, upcycled and vintage items as possible. The more you see, either in videos or posts like these or in real life, the more you’ll be able to see what you could do with them.Four different ways of upcycling garden pots and planters. clockwise from top left: an old cooking pot re-used; food tins, painted and with the labels stripped off; old dustbins and garbage cans used as larger planters and equipment from a distillery re-purposed as garden planters.  All have a rustic garden charm and would work in cottage gardens.Professional thrifting tipsVisit the thrift shops, second-hand fairs and salvage yards as often as you can.If it’s a fair or a market, get there early. Before it opens if you can.My mother had a second-hand stall in the Portobello Road in the 1970s and 80s. She said that the professionals – the dealers – always arrived before the market was open to help her unpack! They always got the best bargains.Be systematic. Start at one end of the room, yard or row of stalls and go slowly along. Then move methodically back up the row on the other side. Don’t dart about.Let people know you’re up for taking things they don’t want away. Sometimes you’ll see items left in the street or in front gardens. Always ask before taking anything – even if it has been discarded in a skip.Once people know you are interested in second-hand, they’ll often get in touch. Kathy Pickering’s rustic cottage garden is full of ‘finds’ discarded from friends’ gardens.And before you throw anything away, think about what it could be used for. Kathy has used the springs and frame of an old mattress as a trellis.Kathy Pickering turned this sofa frame into a trellis for climbing plants (top) and designer Amanda Grimes designed this recycled show garden for RHS Hampton Court, using flagstones and scaffolding boards to make benches.How to Landscape with Recycled MaterialsWe are all getting much more interested in using recycled landscape materials.Several show gardens have recently featured crushed hardcore or rubble used as a mulch.‘Chelsea Repurposed’ by Cityscapes (top) – a show garden using a crushed concrete and sand mulch. Above is a mulch made from bricks, stones and rubble picked out of the earth from elsewhere in the Walworth Garden. See here for more about the Walworth Garden’s recycled landscaping.If you have a garden in a town or a new-build development, you’ll probably have lots of bits of broken concrete, broken bricks, pebbles or rocks in your earth. You’ll have to pick them out before you can clear it for planting. Instead of taking them to landfills, you can use them as mulch.You can also use this kind of mulch as a basis for dry planting or a gravel garden.At Great Comp Garden in Kent, the owner had to dig lots of ragstone out of the ground to clear it for borders. He found so much that he decided to build ‘ruins’ with it in the garden.He also mounded the ground in one place up to build a ‘ruin’ on top of it. He used discarded washing machines and pieces of old agricultural equipment to get the volume of the mound before covering it all with soil. See more about how he did it in Garden Ruins & Follies.Make the most of what you’ve already gotThere’s an increasing interest in making the most of what you’ve got. If your yard is completely covered in concrete or pavers, then take some of it up to allow more planting. You can make it look more attractive by setting a pattern of brick or stone into it rather than replacing the whole area.Top: Leftover brick, stone and pebbles used to make a pattern. Above: this garden owner filled cracks in the concrete paving with patchwork patterns of tile, brick, stone and pebble rather than replacing the concrete completely.You may also be able to re-use landscape materials discarded from another garden. Tell your landscapers you’d like to use recycled materials if you can. They will usually know of a local depot or they may be able to sell or give you materials from another job.What are the best recycled materials for a garden?The best recycled materials for a garden will be anything that is already in your backyard or which can be transported  easily from nearby.But if you don’t have any second-hand materials nearby, then there is no single ‘best material.’Recycled wood, stone and brick mixed together. Old beams, pallet wood, railway sleepers and scaffolding boards are combined with different bricks in this show garden by Simon Cowell. The recycled materials give it a lovely textured feel.If your aim is to be more eco-friendly, then Oli Haden, head gardener and CEO of the Walworth Garden in London, says that there are two important questions to ask. This applies to both new and recycled materials.The first question is ‘how are you going to fix it into the garden?’ If you’re going to use concrete, then your recycled garden will be less sustainable and eco-friendly.Secondly, how long will it last? Materials that need replacing quickly are expensive – because it costs to replace them.’ The two materials which will need replacing soonest are artificial grass and softwood decking, so if you’re planning in staying somewhere for a long time, avoid those two.Oli says that recycled stone is the best material because it lasts for centuries and doesn’t have to be set into concrete.  However, Oli says you will have to fit the pavers together as closely as possible and add a boundary to hold them in place. This could be wood sleepers or a steel band.Read more about eco-friendly landscaping here. Recycled garden art and decorYou can re-purpose so many things as garden art and decor. Some of them may not last long, but if they were going to be thrown away anyway, you’re giving them another use before you eventually discard them.The garden shows in the UK now feature an increasing number of recycled garden ideas. See recycled RHS Chelsea and some of the show gardens in this RHS Hampton Court round-up.Plumbing pipes and tanks re-purposed for the garden. Top show Mike Long’s show garden featuring re-purposed concrete water ducts (the wide circular pipe), copper piping and taps used in a water feature. Above is Naomi Slade’s show garden featuring old water tanks re-used as ponds/water features. Both such great examples of ‘from trash to treasure!’Top shows broken terracotta pots fitted together and planted up with succulents. (These are called fairy gardens in some places.) Succulents have shallow roots so are happier than most plants in this kind of arrangement. Above is rusted petrol (gas) pump on a show garden by Gardena. Almost anything can be re-used or recycled if you like how it looks!Top: Broken china and shells collected from the beach used as mosaic garden decor and (above) industrial equipment re-purposed as a moongate arbour seat in Pip Probert’s Viewers Garden at BBC Gardeners World LiveRecycled garden border edgingRecycled garden border edging ideas include using strips of old corrugated iron, recycled bricks and scaffolding boards.You can also use wicker for a rustic look, but be aware that it won’t last long.Garden border edging using painted car tyres in Spain and wine bottle edging in Jo Rutherford’s garden on a budget.In the photo above, gardener Jo Rutherford collected wine bottles. She sank them into the earth so that they were approximately half buried. Many people have suggested that these could freeze and break in winter. So far they haven’t, but Jo is based in Whitstable, a coastal town with mild winters.Car tyre edging also has its issues. Car tyres slowly leach chemicals over a number of years. They’re not advised for vegetable growing, although the process is very slow.If you’re using wooden sleepers or scaffolding boards, try to avoid those that are treated with tar or creosote. They’ll look darker than untreated wood. Tar and creosote also leach chemicals into the soil, although if they are old, it may already have worn off.Some sleepers and scaffolding boards are tanalised, which is considered safe for use in gardens.From trash to treasure – pots and plantersPlants will grow in any kind of container.Plants will grow in anything – the top shows two pots hanging from some old plumbing pipes and the photo above is a rusted dustpan turned upside down for cyclamen.So there are only two things you need to know about re-purposing things as pots and planters.Firstly, you must have drainage. If water sits at the bottom of a pot, the roots of the plant will rot. You can drill holes in wood and metal, but china and stone are more problematic.Secondly, most plants need room for their roots to grow. The size of the pot you need depends on the plant – for example, succulents can grow in very shallow containers.However, larger plants need a pot that’s at least roughly half the height of the fully grown plant.In terms of width, go for a pot that is just an inch or so wider than the root ball. If the plant is still young, you may have to re-pot it several times as it grows.Make sure your re-purposed pots will survive your wintersAnd in terms of outdoor planters, you need to choose a material that will survive your winters.This chest of drawers is planted up as a fun item by garden designer Mark Lane (top). The picture above shows old olive tins used as planters – note how the whole plant is just a bit bigger than the size of the tin.Beyond that, you can use almost anything for a planter. Garden designer and BBC Gardeners World presenter Frances Tophill says she has used an old washing machine drum in the past.People have used drawers (although wood will rot quickly), agricultural troughs, old laundry bins and food tins, watering cans that no longer hold water, rusted wheelbarrows and all kinds of industrial equipment such as oak casks from distilleries to water tanks.From office to backyard? Re-purposing indoor furnitureWhen you’re looking for second-hand furniture, don’t forget to check sales of old office furniture or shop-fittings. Very often these will be made of durable materials that will last outside, such as metal.Look at shop and office equipment as well as indoor furniture, provided that it’s made of waterproof material. The top photos show a widely available style of dining or cafe chair in metal, so it can used outside. The table and mannequin in the photo above were both bought from a shop that was shutting down.Composting – the ultimate recyclingThe more you can recycle and compost the waste material from your kitchen and garden, the better. You’ll be returning nutrients to the earth and saving on trips to the dump. And you will save some – although not all – of the costs of buying new mulch.However, you do need some space to compost unless you are using, for example, a Hotbin, which breaks down waste material fast.The essential thing to know is that there is fast compost and there is easy compost. Unless you are using something like a Hotbin, there is no fast, easy compost.With easy compost you need at least three bin areas. Add vegetable and fruit kitchen scraps, but not meat, fish or cooked food. Add clippings and pruning from the garden. If you cut them up, they will biodegrade faster.With fast compost, you may need more bin areas. You need to pay attention to the mix of ‘brown’ and ‘green’ elements. You will turn the compost at least once a week. It’s not difficult but it does need management.Fast compost breaks down over a few months, so it should give you more compost. Easy compost can take a year to eighteen months. I do easy compost (see here) and speed it up with a compost accelerator such as Garotta or Envii. (note, these are affiliate links, see disclosure)Compost breaks down, so a huge pile of garden clippings turns into quite a small layer of mulch. This means that very few gardens ever make enough compost to completely cover their garden beds. But at least you’ll save some money on it!Pin to remember recycled garden ideasAnd do join us. Sign up here for a free weekly email with more gardening tips, ideas and inspiration. Source link

[shelyold]

February 1st, 2025 Posted In: Garden Style & Living Recycled garden furniture, landscaping and planters can save you money.And they always add character and individuality to your garden or backyard.Plus it’s the most sustainable way of living. Even if your recycled garden isn’t cheaper than buying new, it’s still a better use of world resources.Recycling can look contemporary – or it can create a rustic garden charm. And it’s at the heart of cottage garden style, now sometimes called ‘cottagecore’.But finding the right recycled garden materials, furniture or pots isn’t always easy. By definition, these are not things you can just buy from a named retailer, who will deliver to your door in days.So this post will help unlock the secrets of creating a beautiful but practical recycled garden.Where can I find lovely vintage or recycled garden furniture and pots?Probably the biggest complaint I hear about buying vintage and recycled goods is people saying ‘I can never find what I’m looking for.’When you buy new, you go into a shop or online and search for a ‘garden bench’. You’ll see several garden benches in the store. And lots of garden benches will pop up online. There’s a good chance that you’ll see one you like. You order it and it’ll be delivered to your home.But if you go into a salvage yard or charity/thrift shop looking for a garden bench, you’re unlikely to find it the first time you go. Even if you go to the big online auction houses, such as eBay and Gumtree, you won’t find your perfect garden bench just by looking up ‘bench’ a couple of times.Get to know classic and vintage garden furniture styles. You’ll find out what you do and don’t like, and be able to spot bargains more quickly. Top is a metal bench at Doddington Place Gardens and above is a ‘Lutyens’ bench at Gravetye Manor Hotel.When I searched online for ‘garden bench’, there were one or two beautiful vintage ones – but they were expensive. And the cheap ones were not especially nice.However, if I were to repeat that search regularly, I’d have a better chance of finding what I’m looking for.Buying vintage and recycled garden furniture and pots is a long game.  All the top second-hand shoppers I know go into their local thrift or charity shops on a regular basis. They visit architectural salvage yards just to see what’s new.So identify online auctions that deliver to your area. Set up an alert for the item you want. Start with Gumtree, eBay and PreLoved.Then look for local architectural salvage yards or exchange sites.Look up charities near you that sell second-hand furniture. These include Habitat ReStore, which operates in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Asia. And the Salvation Army operates in 133 countries and has some larger centres selling second-hand furniture. In Europe and the UK,  there is Emmaus. Plus there are always local charities near you.Don’t forget to factor in the costs of transporting items. You may not be able to fit anything large or heavy into an ordinary car.And don’t forget to donate unwanted items to a charity if you’re clearing a house or garden. Some charities provide free pick-up if you are donating items.The insider secrets on finding the best recycled garden itemsThe most important thing is to ‘get your eye in.’ That means getting to know what sort of things you like and what you could do with them.Instead of looking for a particular item, such as a garden bench, start thinking about what you could turn something into.And step one of ‘getting your eye in’ is to look at as many recycled, upcycled and vintage items as possible. The more you see, either in videos or posts like these or in real life, the more you’ll be able to see what you could do with them.Four different ways of upcycling garden pots and planters. clockwise from top left: an old cooking pot re-used; food tins, painted and with the labels stripped off; old dustbins and garbage cans used as larger planters and equipment from a distillery re-purposed as garden planters.  All have a rustic garden charm and would work in cottage gardens.Professional thrifting tipsVisit the thrift shops, second-hand fairs and salvage yards as often as you can.If it’s a fair or a market, get there early. Before it opens if you can.My mother had a second-hand stall in the Portobello Road in the 1970s and 80s. She said that the professionals – the dealers – always arrived before the market was open to help her unpack! They always got the best bargains.Be systematic. Start at one end of the room, yard or row of stalls and go slowly along. Then move methodically back up the row on the other side. Don’t dart about.Let people know you’re up for taking things they don’t want away. Sometimes you’ll see items left in the street or in front gardens. Always ask before taking anything – even if it has been discarded in a skip.Once people know you are interested in second-hand, they’ll often get in touch. Kathy Pickering’s rustic cottage garden is full of ‘finds’ discarded from friends’ gardens.And before you throw anything away, think about what it could be used for. Kathy has used the springs and frame of an old mattress as a trellis.Kathy Pickering turned this sofa frame into a trellis for climbing plants (top) and designer Amanda Grimes designed this recycled show garden for RHS Hampton Court, using flagstones and scaffolding boards to make benches.How to Landscape with Recycled MaterialsWe are all getting much more interested in using recycled landscape materials.Several show gardens have recently featured crushed hardcore or rubble used as a mulch.‘Chelsea Repurposed’ by Cityscapes (top) – a show garden using a crushed concrete and sand mulch. Above is a mulch made from bricks, stones and rubble picked out of the earth from elsewhere in the Walworth Garden. See here for more about the Walworth Garden’s recycled landscaping.If you have a garden in a town or a new-build development, you’ll probably have lots of bits of broken concrete, broken bricks, pebbles or rocks in your earth. You’ll have to pick them out before you can clear it for planting. Instead of taking them to landfills, you can use them as mulch.You can also use this kind of mulch as a basis for dry planting or a gravel garden.At Great Comp Garden in Kent, the owner had to dig lots of ragstone out of the ground to clear it for borders. He found so much that he decided to build ‘ruins’ with it in the garden.He also mounded the ground in one place up to build a ‘ruin’ on top of it. He used discarded washing machines and pieces of old agricultural equipment to get the volume of the mound before covering it all with soil. See more about how he did it in Garden Ruins & Follies.Make the most of what you’ve already gotThere’s an increasing interest in making the most of what you’ve got. If your yard is completely covered in concrete or pavers, then take some of it up to allow more planting. You can make it look more attractive by setting a pattern of brick or stone into it rather than replacing the whole area.Top: Leftover brick, stone and pebbles used to make a pattern. Above: this garden owner filled cracks in the concrete paving with patchwork patterns of tile, brick, stone and pebble rather than replacing the concrete completely.You may also be able to re-use landscape materials discarded from another garden. Tell your landscapers you’d like to use recycled materials if you can. They will usually know of a local depot or they may be able to sell or give you materials from another job.What are the best recycled materials for a garden?The best recycled materials for a garden will be anything that is already in your backyard or which can be transported  easily from nearby.But if you don’t have any second-hand materials nearby, then there is no single ‘best material.’Recycled wood, stone and brick mixed together. Old beams, pallet wood, railway sleepers and scaffolding boards are combined with different bricks in this show garden by Simon Cowell. The recycled materials give it a lovely textured feel.If your aim is to be more eco-friendly, then Oli Haden, head gardener and CEO of the Walworth Garden in London, says that there are two important questions to ask. This applies to both new and recycled materials.The first question is ‘how are you going to fix it into the garden?’ If you’re going to use concrete, then your recycled garden will be less sustainable and eco-friendly.Secondly, how long will it last? Materials that need replacing quickly are expensive – because it costs to replace them.’ The two materials which will need replacing soonest are artificial grass and softwood decking, so if you’re planning in staying somewhere for a long time, avoid those two.Oli says that recycled stone is the best material because it lasts for centuries and doesn’t have to be set into concrete.  However, Oli says you will have to fit the pavers together as closely as possible and add a boundary to hold them in place. This could be wood sleepers or a steel band.Read more about eco-friendly landscaping here. Recycled garden art and decorYou can re-purpose so many things as garden art and decor. Some of them may not last long, but if they were going to be thrown away anyway, you’re giving them another use before you eventually discard them.The garden shows in the UK now feature an increasing number of recycled garden ideas. See recycled RHS Chelsea and some of the show gardens in this RHS Hampton Court round-up.Plumbing pipes and tanks re-purposed for the garden. Top show Mike Long’s show garden featuring re-purposed concrete water ducts (the wide circular pipe), copper piping and taps used in a water feature. Above is Naomi Slade’s show garden featuring old water tanks re-used as ponds/water features. Both such great examples of ‘from trash to treasure!’Top shows broken terracotta pots fitted together and planted up with succulents. (These are called fairy gardens in some places.) Succulents have shallow roots so are happier than most plants in this kind of arrangement. Above is rusted petrol (gas) pump on a show garden by Gardena. Almost anything can be re-used or recycled if you like how it looks!Top: Broken china and shells collected from the beach used as mosaic garden decor and (above) industrial equipment re-purposed as a moongate arbour seat in Pip Probert’s Viewers Garden at BBC Gardeners World LiveRecycled garden border edgingRecycled garden border edging ideas include using strips of old corrugated iron, recycled bricks and scaffolding boards.You can also use wicker for a rustic look, but be aware that it won’t last long.Garden border edging using painted car tyres in Spain and wine bottle edging in Jo Rutherford’s garden on a budget.In the photo above, gardener Jo Rutherford collected wine bottles. She sank them into the earth so that they were approximately half buried. Many people have suggested that these could freeze and break in winter. So far they haven’t, but Jo is based in Whitstable, a coastal town with mild winters.Car tyre edging also has its issues. Car tyres slowly leach chemicals over a number of years. They’re not advised for vegetable growing, although the process is very slow.If you’re using wooden sleepers or scaffolding boards, try to avoid those that are treated with tar or creosote. They’ll look darker than untreated wood. Tar and creosote also leach chemicals into the soil, although if they are old, it may already have worn off.Some sleepers and scaffolding boards are tanalised, which is considered safe for use in gardens.From trash to treasure – pots and plantersPlants will grow in any kind of container.Plants will grow in anything – the top shows two pots hanging from some old plumbing pipes and the photo above is a rusted dustpan turned upside down for cyclamen.So there are only two things you need to know about re-purposing things as pots and planters.Firstly, you must have drainage. If water sits at the bottom of a pot, the roots of the plant will rot. You can drill holes in wood and metal, but china and stone are more problematic.Secondly, most plants need room for their roots to grow. The size of the pot you need depends on the plant – for example, succulents can grow in very shallow containers.However, larger plants need a pot that’s at least roughly half the height of the fully grown plant.In terms of width, go for a pot that is just an inch or so wider than the root ball. If the plant is still young, you may have to re-pot it several times as it grows.Make sure your re-purposed pots will survive your wintersAnd in terms of outdoor planters, you need to choose a material that will survive your winters.This chest of drawers is planted up as a fun item by garden designer Mark Lane (top). The picture above shows old olive tins used as planters – note how the whole plant is just a bit bigger than the size of the tin.Beyond that, you can use almost anything for a planter. Garden designer and BBC Gardeners World presenter Frances Tophill says she has used an old washing machine drum in the past.People have used drawers (although wood will rot quickly), agricultural troughs, old laundry bins and food tins, watering cans that no longer hold water, rusted wheelbarrows and all kinds of industrial equipment such as oak casks from distilleries to water tanks.From office to backyard? Re-purposing indoor furnitureWhen you’re looking for second-hand furniture, don’t forget to check sales of old office furniture or shop-fittings. Very often these will be made of durable materials that will last outside, such as metal.Look at shop and office equipment as well as indoor furniture, provided that it’s made of waterproof material. The top photos show a widely available style of dining or cafe chair in metal, so it can used outside. The table and mannequin in the photo above were both bought from a shop that was shutting down.Composting – the ultimate recyclingThe more you can recycle and compost the waste material from your kitchen and garden, the better. You’ll be returning nutrients to the earth and saving on trips to the dump. And you will save some – although not all – of the costs of buying new mulch.However, you do need some space to compost unless you are using, for example, a Hotbin, which breaks down waste material fast.The essential thing to know is that there is fast compost and there is easy compost. Unless you are using something like a Hotbin, there is no fast, easy compost.With easy compost you need at least three bin areas. Add vegetable and fruit kitchen scraps, but not meat, fish or cooked food. Add clippings and pruning from the garden. If you cut them up, they will biodegrade faster.With fast compost, you may need more bin areas. You need to pay attention to the mix of ‘brown’ and ‘green’ elements. You will turn the compost at least once a week. It’s not difficult but it does need management.Fast compost breaks down over a few months, so it should give you more compost. Easy compost can take a year to eighteen months. I do easy compost (see here) and speed it up with a compost accelerator such as Garotta or Envii. (note, these are affiliate links, see disclosure)Compost breaks down, so a huge pile of garden clippings turns into quite a small layer of mulch. This means that very few gardens ever make enough compost to completely cover their garden beds. But at least you’ll save some money on it!Pin to remember recycled garden ideasAnd do join us. Sign up here for a free weekly email with more gardening tips, ideas and inspiration. Source link

[bagiyaa]

The Timeless Charm of Ceramic Pots for Your Plant

Ceramic pots have long been a favorite choice for plant lovers, adding a touch of elegance and durability to any space. Whether you're decorating your home or setting up a garden, ceramic planters offer the perfect blend of style and functionality.

Why Choose Ceramic Plant Pots? Unlike plastic or metal pots, ceramic plant pots are known for their breathability, which helps regulate moisture levels and promotes healthy plant growth. Their weight also provides stability, preventing your plants from tipping over easily.

Finding the Perfect Ceramic Pots Online Shopping for ceramic pots online has never been easier. You can explore a wide variety of designs, from modern minimalistic styles to intricate hand-painted ones. Whether you need small pots for succulents or big ceramic pots online for large indoor plants, there's something for every plant parent.

Styling Your Space with Ceramic Planters Using ceramic planters can instantly elevate your indoor and outdoor aesthetics. Pair neutral-colored pots with lush green foliage for a contemporary look, or go for vibrant ceramic designs to create a statement piece.

Where to Buy Big Ceramic Pots Online? If you're looking for big ceramic pots online, consider reputable garden stores or specialty decor websites that offer high-quality, durable options. Ensure they have proper drainage holes to keep your plants healthy.

From succulents to towering palms, ceramic plant pots are a timeless addition to any home or garden. Explore the best ceramic pots online today and give your plants the stylish home they deserve!

[iammeandmy]

February 1st, 2025 Posted In: Garden Style & Living Recycled garden furniture, landscaping and planters can save you money.And they always add character and individuality to your garden or backyard.Plus it’s the most sustainable way of living. Even if your recycled garden isn’t cheaper than buying new, it’s still a better use of world resources.Recycling can look contemporary – or it can create a rustic garden charm. And it’s at the heart of cottage garden style, now sometimes called ‘cottagecore’.But finding the right recycled garden materials, furniture or pots isn’t always easy. By definition, these are not things you can just buy from a named retailer, who will deliver to your door in days.So this post will help unlock the secrets of creating a beautiful but practical recycled garden.Where can I find lovely vintage or recycled garden furniture and pots?Probably the biggest complaint I hear about buying vintage and recycled goods is people saying ‘I can never find what I’m looking for.’When you buy new, you go into a shop or online and search for a ‘garden bench’. You’ll see several garden benches in the store. And lots of garden benches will pop up online. There’s a good chance that you’ll see one you like. You order it and it’ll be delivered to your home.But if you go into a salvage yard or charity/thrift shop looking for a garden bench, you’re unlikely to find it the first time you go. Even if you go to the big online auction houses, such as eBay and Gumtree, you won’t find your perfect garden bench just by looking up ‘bench’ a couple of times.Get to know classic and vintage garden furniture styles. You’ll find out what you do and don’t like, and be able to spot bargains more quickly. Top is a metal bench at Doddington Place Gardens and above is a ‘Lutyens’ bench at Gravetye Manor Hotel.When I searched online for ‘garden bench’, there were one or two beautiful vintage ones – but they were expensive. And the cheap ones were not especially nice.However, if I were to repeat that search regularly, I’d have a better chance of finding what I’m looking for.Buying vintage and recycled garden furniture and pots is a long game.  All the top second-hand shoppers I know go into their local thrift or charity shops on a regular basis. They visit architectural salvage yards just to see what’s new.So identify online auctions that deliver to your area. Set up an alert for the item you want. Start with Gumtree, eBay and PreLoved.Then look for local architectural salvage yards or exchange sites.Look up charities near you that sell second-hand furniture. These include Habitat ReStore, which operates in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Asia. And the Salvation Army operates in 133 countries and has some larger centres selling second-hand furniture. In Europe and the UK,  there is Emmaus. Plus there are always local charities near you.Don’t forget to factor in the costs of transporting items. You may not be able to fit anything large or heavy into an ordinary car.And don’t forget to donate unwanted items to a charity if you’re clearing a house or garden. Some charities provide free pick-up if you are donating items.The insider secrets on finding the best recycled garden itemsThe most important thing is to ‘get your eye in.’ That means getting to know what sort of things you like and what you could do with them.Instead of looking for a particular item, such as a garden bench, start thinking about what you could turn something into.And step one of ‘getting your eye in’ is to look at as many recycled, upcycled and vintage items as possible. The more you see, either in videos or posts like these or in real life, the more you’ll be able to see what you could do with them.Four different ways of upcycling garden pots and planters. clockwise from top left: an old cooking pot re-used; food tins, painted and with the labels stripped off; old dustbins and garbage cans used as larger planters and equipment from a distillery re-purposed as garden planters.  All have a rustic garden charm and would work in cottage gardens.Professional thrifting tipsVisit the thrift shops, second-hand fairs and salvage yards as often as you can.If it’s a fair or a market, get there early. Before it opens if you can.My mother had a second-hand stall in the Portobello Road in the 1970s and 80s. She said that the professionals – the dealers – always arrived before the market was open to help her unpack! They always got the best bargains.Be systematic. Start at one end of the room, yard or row of stalls and go slowly along. Then move methodically back up the row on the other side. Don’t dart about.Let people know you’re up for taking things they don’t want away. Sometimes you’ll see items left in the street or in front gardens. Always ask before taking anything – even if it has been discarded in a skip.Once people know you are interested in second-hand, they’ll often get in touch. Kathy Pickering’s rustic cottage garden is full of ‘finds’ discarded from friends’ gardens.And before you throw anything away, think about what it could be used for. Kathy has used the springs and frame of an old mattress as a trellis.Kathy Pickering turned this sofa frame into a trellis for climbing plants (top) and designer Amanda Grimes designed this recycled show garden for RHS Hampton Court, using flagstones and scaffolding boards to make benches.How to Landscape with Recycled MaterialsWe are all getting much more interested in using recycled landscape materials.Several show gardens have recently featured crushed hardcore or rubble used as a mulch.‘Chelsea Repurposed’ by Cityscapes (top) – a show garden using a crushed concrete and sand mulch. Above is a mulch made from bricks, stones and rubble picked out of the earth from elsewhere in the Walworth Garden. See here for more about the Walworth Garden’s recycled landscaping.If you have a garden in a town or a new-build development, you’ll probably have lots of bits of broken concrete, broken bricks, pebbles or rocks in your earth. You’ll have to pick them out before you can clear it for planting. Instead of taking them to landfills, you can use them as mulch.You can also use this kind of mulch as a basis for dry planting or a gravel garden.At Great Comp Garden in Kent, the owner had to dig lots of ragstone out of the ground to clear it for borders. He found so much that he decided to build ‘ruins’ with it in the garden.He also mounded the ground in one place up to build a ‘ruin’ on top of it. He used discarded washing machines and pieces of old agricultural equipment to get the volume of the mound before covering it all with soil. See more about how he did it in Garden Ruins & Follies.Make the most of what you’ve already gotThere’s an increasing interest in making the most of what you’ve got. If your yard is completely covered in concrete or pavers, then take some of it up to allow more planting. You can make it look more attractive by setting a pattern of brick or stone into it rather than replacing the whole area.Top: Leftover brick, stone and pebbles used to make a pattern. Above: this garden owner filled cracks in the concrete paving with patchwork patterns of tile, brick, stone and pebble rather than replacing the concrete completely.You may also be able to re-use landscape materials discarded from another garden. Tell your landscapers you’d like to use recycled materials if you can. They will usually know of a local depot or they may be able to sell or give you materials from another job.What are the best recycled materials for a garden?The best recycled materials for a garden will be anything that is already in your backyard or which can be transported  easily from nearby.But if you don’t have any second-hand materials nearby, then there is no single ‘best material.’Recycled wood, stone and brick mixed together. Old beams, pallet wood, railway sleepers and scaffolding boards are combined with different bricks in this show garden by Simon Cowell. The recycled materials give it a lovely textured feel.If your aim is to be more eco-friendly, then Oli Haden, head gardener and CEO of the Walworth Garden in London, says that there are two important questions to ask. This applies to both new and recycled materials.The first question is ‘how are you going to fix it into the garden?’ If you’re going to use concrete, then your recycled garden will be less sustainable and eco-friendly.Secondly, how long will it last? Materials that need replacing quickly are expensive – because it costs to replace them.’ The two materials which will need replacing soonest are artificial grass and softwood decking, so if you’re planning in staying somewhere for a long time, avoid those two.Oli says that recycled stone is the best material because it lasts for centuries and doesn’t have to be set into concrete.  However, Oli says you will have to fit the pavers together as closely as possible and add a boundary to hold them in place. This could be wood sleepers or a steel band.Read more about eco-friendly landscaping here. Recycled garden art and decorYou can re-purpose so many things as garden art and decor. Some of them may not last long, but if they were going to be thrown away anyway, you’re giving them another use before you eventually discard them.The garden shows in the UK now feature an increasing number of recycled garden ideas. See recycled RHS Chelsea and some of the show gardens in this RHS Hampton Court round-up.Plumbing pipes and tanks re-purposed for the garden. Top show Mike Long’s show garden featuring re-purposed concrete water ducts (the wide circular pipe), copper piping and taps used in a water feature. Above is Naomi Slade’s show garden featuring old water tanks re-used as ponds/water features. Both such great examples of ‘from trash to treasure!’Top shows broken terracotta pots fitted together and planted up with succulents. (These are called fairy gardens in some places.) Succulents have shallow roots so are happier than most plants in this kind of arrangement. Above is rusted petrol (gas) pump on a show garden by Gardena. Almost anything can be re-used or recycled if you like how it looks!Top: Broken china and shells collected from the beach used as mosaic garden decor and (above) industrial equipment re-purposed as a moongate arbour seat in Pip Probert’s Viewers Garden at BBC Gardeners World LiveRecycled garden border edgingRecycled garden border edging ideas include using strips of old corrugated iron, recycled bricks and scaffolding boards.You can also use wicker for a rustic look, but be aware that it won’t last long.Garden border edging using painted car tyres in Spain and wine bottle edging in Jo Rutherford’s garden on a budget.In the photo above, gardener Jo Rutherford collected wine bottles. She sank them into the earth so that they were approximately half buried. Many people have suggested that these could freeze and break in winter. So far they haven’t, but Jo is based in Whitstable, a coastal town with mild winters.Car tyre edging also has its issues. Car tyres slowly leach chemicals over a number of years. They’re not advised for vegetable growing, although the process is very slow.If you’re using wooden sleepers or scaffolding boards, try to avoid those that are treated with tar or creosote. They’ll look darker than untreated wood. Tar and creosote also leach chemicals into the soil, although if they are old, it may already have worn off.Some sleepers and scaffolding boards are tanalised, which is considered safe for use in gardens.From trash to treasure – pots and plantersPlants will grow in any kind of container.Plants will grow in anything – the top shows two pots hanging from some old plumbing pipes and the photo above is a rusted dustpan turned upside down for cyclamen.So there are only two things you need to know about re-purposing things as pots and planters.Firstly, you must have drainage. If water sits at the bottom of a pot, the roots of the plant will rot. You can drill holes in wood and metal, but china and stone are more problematic.Secondly, most plants need room for their roots to grow. The size of the pot you need depends on the plant – for example, succulents can grow in very shallow containers.However, larger plants need a pot that’s at least roughly half the height of the fully grown plant.In terms of width, go for a pot that is just an inch or so wider than the root ball. If the plant is still young, you may have to re-pot it several times as it grows.Make sure your re-purposed pots will survive your wintersAnd in terms of outdoor planters, you need to choose a material that will survive your winters.This chest of drawers is planted up as a fun item by garden designer Mark Lane (top). The picture above shows old olive tins used as planters – note how the whole plant is just a bit bigger than the size of the tin.Beyond that, you can use almost anything for a planter. Garden designer and BBC Gardeners World presenter Frances Tophill says she has used an old washing machine drum in the past.People have used drawers (although wood will rot quickly), agricultural troughs, old laundry bins and food tins, watering cans that no longer hold water, rusted wheelbarrows and all kinds of industrial equipment such as oak casks from distilleries to water tanks.From office to backyard? Re-purposing indoor furnitureWhen you’re looking for second-hand furniture, don’t forget to check sales of old office furniture or shop-fittings. Very often these will be made of durable materials that will last outside, such as metal.Look at shop and office equipment as well as indoor furniture, provided that it’s made of waterproof material. The top photos show a widely available style of dining or cafe chair in metal, so it can used outside. The table and mannequin in the photo above were both bought from a shop that was shutting down.Composting – the ultimate recyclingThe more you can recycle and compost the waste material from your kitchen and garden, the better. You’ll be returning nutrients to the earth and saving on trips to the dump. And you will save some – although not all – of the costs of buying new mulch.However, you do need some space to compost unless you are using, for example, a Hotbin, which breaks down waste material fast.The essential thing to know is that there is fast compost and there is easy compost. Unless you are using something like a Hotbin, there is no fast, easy compost.With easy compost you need at least three bin areas. Add vegetable and fruit kitchen scraps, but not meat, fish or cooked food. Add clippings and pruning from the garden. If you cut them up, they will biodegrade faster.With fast compost, you may need more bin areas. You need to pay attention to the mix of ‘brown’ and ‘green’ elements. You will turn the compost at least once a week. It’s not difficult but it does need management.Fast compost breaks down over a few months, so it should give you more compost. Easy compost can take a year to eighteen months. I do easy compost (see here) and speed it up with a compost accelerator such as Garotta or Envii. (note, these are affiliate links, see disclosure)Compost breaks down, so a huge pile of garden clippings turns into quite a small layer of mulch. This means that very few gardens ever make enough compost to completely cover their garden beds. But at least you’ll save some money on it!Pin to remember recycled garden ideasAnd do join us. Sign up here for a free weekly email with more gardening tips, ideas and inspiration. Source link

[januishstory]

February 1st, 2025 Posted In: Garden Style & Living Recycled garden furniture, landscaping and planters can save you money.And they always add character and individuality to your garden or backyard.Plus it’s the most sustainable way of living. Even if your recycled garden isn’t cheaper than buying new, it’s still a better use of world resources.Recycling can look contemporary – or it can create a rustic garden charm. And it’s at the heart of cottage garden style, now sometimes called ‘cottagecore’.But finding the right recycled garden materials, furniture or pots isn’t always easy. By definition, these are not things you can just buy from a named retailer, who will deliver to your door in days.So this post will help unlock the secrets of creating a beautiful but practical recycled garden.Where can I find lovely vintage or recycled garden furniture and pots?Probably the biggest complaint I hear about buying vintage and recycled goods is people saying ‘I can never find what I’m looking for.’When you buy new, you go into a shop or online and search for a ‘garden bench’. You’ll see several garden benches in the store. And lots of garden benches will pop up online. There’s a good chance that you’ll see one you like. You order it and it’ll be delivered to your home.But if you go into a salvage yard or charity/thrift shop looking for a garden bench, you’re unlikely to find it the first time you go. Even if you go to the big online auction houses, such as eBay and Gumtree, you won’t find your perfect garden bench just by looking up ‘bench’ a couple of times.Get to know classic and vintage garden furniture styles. You’ll find out what you do and don’t like, and be able to spot bargains more quickly. Top is a metal bench at Doddington Place Gardens and above is a ‘Lutyens’ bench at Gravetye Manor Hotel.When I searched online for ‘garden bench’, there were one or two beautiful vintage ones – but they were expensive. And the cheap ones were not especially nice.However, if I were to repeat that search regularly, I’d have a better chance of finding what I’m looking for.Buying vintage and recycled garden furniture and pots is a long game.  All the top second-hand shoppers I know go into their local thrift or charity shops on a regular basis. They visit architectural salvage yards just to see what’s new.So identify online auctions that deliver to your area. Set up an alert for the item you want. Start with Gumtree, eBay and PreLoved.Then look for local architectural salvage yards or exchange sites.Look up charities near you that sell second-hand furniture. These include Habitat ReStore, which operates in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Asia. And the Salvation Army operates in 133 countries and has some larger centres selling second-hand furniture. In Europe and the UK,  there is Emmaus. Plus there are always local charities near you.Don’t forget to factor in the costs of transporting items. You may not be able to fit anything large or heavy into an ordinary car.And don’t forget to donate unwanted items to a charity if you’re clearing a house or garden. Some charities provide free pick-up if you are donating items.The insider secrets on finding the best recycled garden itemsThe most important thing is to ‘get your eye in.’ That means getting to know what sort of things you like and what you could do with them.Instead of looking for a particular item, such as a garden bench, start thinking about what you could turn something into.And step one of ‘getting your eye in’ is to look at as many recycled, upcycled and vintage items as possible. The more you see, either in videos or posts like these or in real life, the more you’ll be able to see what you could do with them.Four different ways of upcycling garden pots and planters. clockwise from top left: an old cooking pot re-used; food tins, painted and with the labels stripped off; old dustbins and garbage cans used as larger planters and equipment from a distillery re-purposed as garden planters.  All have a rustic garden charm and would work in cottage gardens.Professional thrifting tipsVisit the thrift shops, second-hand fairs and salvage yards as often as you can.If it’s a fair or a market, get there early. Before it opens if you can.My mother had a second-hand stall in the Portobello Road in the 1970s and 80s. She said that the professionals – the dealers – always arrived before the market was open to help her unpack! They always got the best bargains.Be systematic. Start at one end of the room, yard or row of stalls and go slowly along. Then move methodically back up the row on the other side. Don’t dart about.Let people know you’re up for taking things they don’t want away. Sometimes you’ll see items left in the street or in front gardens. Always ask before taking anything – even if it has been discarded in a skip.Once people know you are interested in second-hand, they’ll often get in touch. Kathy Pickering’s rustic cottage garden is full of ‘finds’ discarded from friends’ gardens.And before you throw anything away, think about what it could be used for. Kathy has used the springs and frame of an old mattress as a trellis.Kathy Pickering turned this sofa frame into a trellis for climbing plants (top) and designer Amanda Grimes designed this recycled show garden for RHS Hampton Court, using flagstones and scaffolding boards to make benches.How to Landscape with Recycled MaterialsWe are all getting much more interested in using recycled landscape materials.Several show gardens have recently featured crushed hardcore or rubble used as a mulch.‘Chelsea Repurposed’ by Cityscapes (top) – a show garden using a crushed concrete and sand mulch. Above is a mulch made from bricks, stones and rubble picked out of the earth from elsewhere in the Walworth Garden. See here for more about the Walworth Garden’s recycled landscaping.If you have a garden in a town or a new-build development, you’ll probably have lots of bits of broken concrete, broken bricks, pebbles or rocks in your earth. You’ll have to pick them out before you can clear it for planting. Instead of taking them to landfills, you can use them as mulch.You can also use this kind of mulch as a basis for dry planting or a gravel garden.At Great Comp Garden in Kent, the owner had to dig lots of ragstone out of the ground to clear it for borders. He found so much that he decided to build ‘ruins’ with it in the garden.He also mounded the ground in one place up to build a ‘ruin’ on top of it. He used discarded washing machines and pieces of old agricultural equipment to get the volume of the mound before covering it all with soil. See more about how he did it in Garden Ruins & Follies.Make the most of what you’ve already gotThere’s an increasing interest in making the most of what you’ve got. If your yard is completely covered in concrete or pavers, then take some of it up to allow more planting. You can make it look more attractive by setting a pattern of brick or stone into it rather than replacing the whole area.Top: Leftover brick, stone and pebbles used to make a pattern. Above: this garden owner filled cracks in the concrete paving with patchwork patterns of tile, brick, stone and pebble rather than replacing the concrete completely.You may also be able to re-use landscape materials discarded from another garden. Tell your landscapers you’d like to use recycled materials if you can. They will usually know of a local depot or they may be able to sell or give you materials from another job.What are the best recycled materials for a garden?The best recycled materials for a garden will be anything that is already in your backyard or which can be transported  easily from nearby.But if you don’t have any second-hand materials nearby, then there is no single ‘best material.’Recycled wood, stone and brick mixed together. Old beams, pallet wood, railway sleepers and scaffolding boards are combined with different bricks in this show garden by Simon Cowell. The recycled materials give it a lovely textured feel.If your aim is to be more eco-friendly, then Oli Haden, head gardener and CEO of the Walworth Garden in London, says that there are two important questions to ask. This applies to both new and recycled materials.The first question is ‘how are you going to fix it into the garden?’ If you’re going to use concrete, then your recycled garden will be less sustainable and eco-friendly.Secondly, how long will it last? Materials that need replacing quickly are expensive – because it costs to replace them.’ The two materials which will need replacing soonest are artificial grass and softwood decking, so if you’re planning in staying somewhere for a long time, avoid those two.Oli says that recycled stone is the best material because it lasts for centuries and doesn’t have to be set into concrete.  However, Oli says you will have to fit the pavers together as closely as possible and add a boundary to hold them in place. This could be wood sleepers or a steel band.Read more about eco-friendly landscaping here. Recycled garden art and decorYou can re-purpose so many things as garden art and decor. Some of them may not last long, but if they were going to be thrown away anyway, you’re giving them another use before you eventually discard them.The garden shows in the UK now feature an increasing number of recycled garden ideas. See recycled RHS Chelsea and some of the show gardens in this RHS Hampton Court round-up.Plumbing pipes and tanks re-purposed for the garden. Top show Mike Long’s show garden featuring re-purposed concrete water ducts (the wide circular pipe), copper piping and taps used in a water feature. Above is Naomi Slade’s show garden featuring old water tanks re-used as ponds/water features. Both such great examples of ‘from trash to treasure!’Top shows broken terracotta pots fitted together and planted up with succulents. (These are called fairy gardens in some places.) Succulents have shallow roots so are happier than most plants in this kind of arrangement. Above is rusted petrol (gas) pump on a show garden by Gardena. Almost anything can be re-used or recycled if you like how it looks!Top: Broken china and shells collected from the beach used as mosaic garden decor and (above) industrial equipment re-purposed as a moongate arbour seat in Pip Probert’s Viewers Garden at BBC Gardeners World LiveRecycled garden border edgingRecycled garden border edging ideas include using strips of old corrugated iron, recycled bricks and scaffolding boards.You can also use wicker for a rustic look, but be aware that it won’t last long.Garden border edging using painted car tyres in Spain and wine bottle edging in Jo Rutherford’s garden on a budget.In the photo above, gardener Jo Rutherford collected wine bottles. She sank them into the earth so that they were approximately half buried. Many people have suggested that these could freeze and break in winter. So far they haven’t, but Jo is based in Whitstable, a coastal town with mild winters.Car tyre edging also has its issues. Car tyres slowly leach chemicals over a number of years. They’re not advised for vegetable growing, although the process is very slow.If you’re using wooden sleepers or scaffolding boards, try to avoid those that are treated with tar or creosote. They’ll look darker than untreated wood. Tar and creosote also leach chemicals into the soil, although if they are old, it may already have worn off.Some sleepers and scaffolding boards are tanalised, which is considered safe for use in gardens.From trash to treasure – pots and plantersPlants will grow in any kind of container.Plants will grow in anything – the top shows two pots hanging from some old plumbing pipes and the photo above is a rusted dustpan turned upside down for cyclamen.So there are only two things you need to know about re-purposing things as pots and planters.Firstly, you must have drainage. If water sits at the bottom of a pot, the roots of the plant will rot. You can drill holes in wood and metal, but china and stone are more problematic.Secondly, most plants need room for their roots to grow. The size of the pot you need depends on the plant – for example, succulents can grow in very shallow containers.However, larger plants need a pot that’s at least roughly half the height of the fully grown plant.In terms of width, go for a pot that is just an inch or so wider than the root ball. If the plant is still young, you may have to re-pot it several times as it grows.Make sure your re-purposed pots will survive your wintersAnd in terms of outdoor planters, you need to choose a material that will survive your winters.This chest of drawers is planted up as a fun item by garden designer Mark Lane (top). The picture above shows old olive tins used as planters – note how the whole plant is just a bit bigger than the size of the tin.Beyond that, you can use almost anything for a planter. Garden designer and BBC Gardeners World presenter Frances Tophill says she has used an old washing machine drum in the past.People have used drawers (although wood will rot quickly), agricultural troughs, old laundry bins and food tins, watering cans that no longer hold water, rusted wheelbarrows and all kinds of industrial equipment such as oak casks from distilleries to water tanks.From office to backyard? Re-purposing indoor furnitureWhen you’re looking for second-hand furniture, don’t forget to check sales of old office furniture or shop-fittings. Very often these will be made of durable materials that will last outside, such as metal.Look at shop and office equipment as well as indoor furniture, provided that it’s made of waterproof material. The top photos show a widely available style of dining or cafe chair in metal, so it can used outside. The table and mannequin in the photo above were both bought from a shop that was shutting down.Composting – the ultimate recyclingThe more you can recycle and compost the waste material from your kitchen and garden, the better. You’ll be returning nutrients to the earth and saving on trips to the dump. And you will save some – although not all – of the costs of buying new mulch.However, you do need some space to compost unless you are using, for example, a Hotbin, which breaks down waste material fast.The essential thing to know is that there is fast compost and there is easy compost. Unless you are using something like a Hotbin, there is no fast, easy compost.With easy compost you need at least three bin areas. Add vegetable and fruit kitchen scraps, but not meat, fish or cooked food. Add clippings and pruning from the garden. If you cut them up, they will biodegrade faster.With fast compost, you may need more bin areas. You need to pay attention to the mix of ‘brown’ and ‘green’ elements. You will turn the compost at least once a week. It’s not difficult but it does need management.Fast compost breaks down over a few months, so it should give you more compost. Easy compost can take a year to eighteen months. I do easy compost (see here) and speed it up with a compost accelerator such as Garotta or Envii. (note, these are affiliate links, see disclosure)Compost breaks down, so a huge pile of garden clippings turns into quite a small layer of mulch. This means that very few gardens ever make enough compost to completely cover their garden beds. But at least you’ll save some money on it!Pin to remember recycled garden ideasAnd do join us. Sign up here for a free weekly email with more gardening tips, ideas and inspiration. Source link

[dbeautify2017]

Room Decor Ideas to Elevate Your Home Decoration Game

Decorating your home is more than just arranging furniture and adding a few paintings. It’s about creating an ambiance that reflects your personality and makes your space feel warm, inviting, and stylish. If you're looking for room decor ideas that can elevate your space, you're in the right place! Whether you want a minimalistic look or a cozy, artistic vibe, we have some fantastic suggestions to transform your home.

1. Choose a Theme That Reflects Your Personality

Before diving into specific room decor ideas, it’s essential to decide on a theme. Do you love modern aesthetics, vintage charm, or a bohemian feel? Choosing a theme helps maintain consistency and makes decorating much easier. Once you decide, selecting modern home decor items, color palettes, and furniture becomes a breeze!

2. Elegant Wall Clocks: A Timeless Addition

A well-placed elegant wall clock can serve as both a functional and decorative piece. Whether you opt for a vintage-style clock or a sleek modern design, it can be a focal point in your room. If you’re looking for clocks for sale, consider online stores or boutique shops that offer unique designs.

3. Creative Wall Hanging Decor

Wall decorations can transform plain walls into artistic masterpieces. From DIY wall hanging craft to chic wall hanging decor, there are endless options. Macrame designs, woven tapestries, and framed art are excellent choices to add texture and character to your walls. If you're into DIY projects, MDF board cutouts and customized name plate designs for home can make your entryway stylish and welcoming.

4. Lighting Magic: Use Moon Lamps and More

The right lighting can completely change the ambiance of a room. A moon lamp is a trendy option that gives off a soft, calming glow, perfect for bedrooms and cozy corners. Pendant lights, fairy lights, and stylish lamps can also enhance the overall aesthetic of your space.

5. Functional Yet Stylish Decorative Items

Incorporating decorative items such as vases, sculptures, and mirrors can make a significant impact. Mirrors, in particular, can make a small space look bigger and brighter. For an artistic touch, consider resin figurines, floating shelves, and ceramic pieces to bring elegance and charm to your room.

6. Experiment with Name Plate Designs for Home

Your home’s entrance sets the tone for the entire space. A stylish name plate design for home can make a great first impression. Opt for wooden, metal, or acrylic name plates that match your home’s aesthetic. Personalized name plates with unique fonts and colors can add a custom touch to your entryway.

7. Try Out DIY Wall Hanging Ideas

If you love a bit of creativity, DIY wall hanging ideas can be a fun way to personalize your home. Use fabric scraps, beads, dried flowers, or even recycled materials to craft unique pieces. Hanging planters with greenery can also bring freshness and vibrancy to your room.

8. Incorporate MDF Board for a Chic Look

MDF board is an affordable and versatile material that can be used for creating furniture, accent walls, and decorative panels. You can paint it, carve it, or use it as a backdrop for wall-mounted pieces. Whether you prefer a rustic or modern look, MDF board can be an excellent addition to your decor.

9. Buy From Trusted Platforms

When shopping for home decor, choosing the right platform is crucial. Websites like dbeautify.com offer high-quality decor products that suit different styles and budgets. If you're looking for an easy-to-use e-commerce platform, mystore is a great place to explore a variety of home decor items that cater to your preferences.

10. Personalize Your Space

Your home should reflect your personality, so don’t be afraid to add personal touches. Display your favorite books, travel souvenirs, or handmade crafts to make the space truly yours. Custom artwork, photo frames, and hand-painted designs can also add a unique charm to your home.

Final Thoughts

Decorating your space should be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. With these room decor ideas, you can effortlessly transform your home into a stylish and cozy haven. Whether it's adding an elegant wall clock, experimenting with wall hanging decor, or choosing the perfect modern home decor items, every detail contributes to making your home truly special.

Know More About home beauty hacks

[floraldecorimports22]

Ceramic Pots Buy Online

We offer products that are developed in strict accordance with the current market trends using genuine base material and the latest cutting-edge technology. All our products are highly appreciated by the customers for their qualitative features such as attractive designs, various patterns, Explore our collections, customize your pottery pieces, and produce the pottery in your life. it's a pottery clay used primarily for throwing on the wheel. We suggest testing to find out shade, surface characteristics, and movement prior to making use of it. With various planters to select from, you'll find the right one for your house. Stylish and unique planters are good for any plant lover's residence - manufacturing ceramic pots.

You will have an endless source of new shapes and decors to please your purchasers because we are repeatedly investing in new designs. But your business won’t ever be compromised due to our delivery time. They know they’re not simply shopping for pottery, they’re shopping for cultural heritage and years of historic history. We have been turning clay into pottery because the pre-historic occasions. We specialize in multifaceted finishes like shiny, matte, metallic glazes and varied cement finishes. In this publication, we have found and vetted one of the best wholesale suppliers and manufacturers in your pottery enterprise to simplify the outreach course for you - clay pot manufacturers near me.

The best part about shopping for indoor plants online is we deliver the freshest plants and planters at the lowest prices. Well, you can be lucky to enjoy the green life every day, too. How? By becoming a plant parent. By blessing your homes with indoor plant pots. Time spent in nature time well spent. But in the race for life and the city’s unthoughtful infrastructure, who gets to luxuriate in the laps of nature

Our firm was started with a little step and today, we have become a reputed name in the industry for delivering these exquisite products. Our items are designed by our own in house personnel who have effulgent skills and are competent in executing their profound ideas in the form of our items range. Top-quality Clay High temperature fired ceramic. Handmade item, glazed to give it shiny look. Top-quality clay gives this item more durability, longevity & smooth finish. For more information, please visit our site https://floraldecorimports.com

[tresorie]

Transform Your Living Room with These Essential Decorative Items

The living room is often the heart of the home—a space where family gathers, guests are entertained, and relaxation is key. To make your living room both inviting and stylish, incorporating a mix of decorative items can work wonders. From the elegance of a candle stand for the dining table to the practicality of a home decor clock for the wall, each piece can add its own unique touch. Let’s explore some must-have decorative items that can transform your living room into a haven of comfort and style.

1. Candle Stand for Dining Table

A candle stand for the dining table is a classic choice for adding a touch of sophistication and warmth to your living room. Whether it’s a romantic dinner or a casual gathering, the soft glow of candles can set the mood and create an inviting atmosphere. Choose candle stands that match your room’s aesthetic—sleek metallic ones for a modern look, or ornate designs for a more traditional feel. Placing these on a central table or a sideboard can immediately uplift the ambiance, making your living room feel cozy and elegant.

2. Home Decor Clock for Wall

Clocks are not just functional; they can also be a stunning piece of art. A home decor clock for the wall serves as a perfect blend of utility and style. Large wall clocks can become a statement piece, drawing attention and filling empty wall spaces. From vintage-inspired designs to sleek, contemporary styles, there’s a clock to suit every taste. When selecting a wall clock, consider the color scheme and overall design of your living room to ensure it complements the space.

3. Decorative Vase and Flowers

Nothing breathes life into a room quite like flowers. A decorative vase and flowers can add color, texture, and a natural element to your living room. Choose vases that reflect your style—tall and slender for a modern look, or round and ornate for a classic touch. Fill them with fresh or artificial flowers, depending on your preference and maintenance capabilities. Placing vases on coffee tables, mantelpieces, or even in a corner can create focal points and bring a touch of nature indoors.

4. Buy Planter Online

Incorporating greenery into your living room is a growing trend, and it’s easy to see why. Plants can purify the air, add a natural aesthetic, and promote a sense of calm. When you buy planters online, you can find a wide variety of options to fit any style—from chic minimalist designs to rustic, handcrafted pieces. Place these planters in strategic locations around your living room, such as next to the sofa, beside a bookshelf, or near the windows. Combining different sizes and styles of planters can create an interesting visual dynamic and make your living room feel like an oasis.

Conclusion

Enhancing your living room with these decorative items can make a significant difference in the feel and functionality of the space. Whether it’s the warm glow from a candle stand for the dining table, the timeless charm of a home decor clock for the wall, the vibrant beauty of a decorative vase and flowers, or the natural appeal when you buy a planter online, each piece plays a role in creating a welcoming and stylish environment. By carefully selecting and arranging these items, you can turn your living room into a place that is not only beautiful but also a true reflection of your personal style.