Reusing and Recycling in the Garden

Spring is here! (Although you couldn't tell it yesterday when it was snowing.) It's time to be gardening. I've been doing a little, but I hope to do more. I did get my tomato and pepper plants put in last week. I had to cover them up before the snow came, but they all survived. I use plastic milk jugs that have had their bottoms cut off to protect them. The plants are small enough that these work perfectly. I had these left from last year and will store them in case I need them next year. If they get crushed or ruined I can recycle them. I read about cutting them into strips to use as plant labels, but I haven't actually done it. I usually just plant my seeds, try to remember what I put where, and get a surprise when they sprout.

I use livestock panels to support my tomato plants. I've been using them for years and will be able to use them for years to come. I also use them for cucumbers, beans, and peas. I've also used cane poles that I cut beside the road to our property. I've used pantyhose with runs in them to tie the tomato plants to the panels, but I don't wear pantyhose much anymore so I usually use plain ol' twine.

I read about using egg shells to start seeds that dislike transplanting. I haven't tried this - I toss all my egg shells into my "compost bucket" - but I love the idea. I've used the peat pellets, but they didn't decompose as quickly as I expected. When you get ready to transplant your seedlings, you crush the egg shell a little (so the roots can grow), then plant the whole thing. What I don't know is how you water the seeds and seedlings while they're in the shells without drowning the little fellas.

Of course composting is a great way to recycle kitchen scraps. I keep a "compost bucket" on the counter by the sink. It's just a plastic bowl with a lid. I throw apple cores, egg shells, orange peels, etc. into the bowl, then dump the contents on my compost pile when it starts to get full.

How do you reuse and recycle in your garden?

Finding a New Purpose

One of my relatives sent me some quilting goodies a few weeks ago - books, patterns, fabric, rotary cutter, cutting rulers, etc. Among these items was a bag she made. In this bag were fabric and directions for making 3 more. Last week I finally hid out in my "sewing room" and played. Now I'm on a sewing kick.

I looked through my fabric stash to see what I might find. This stash includes a bag of clothes that my post-baby body will never fit in again that I kept because I liked the fabric. I have 2 wrap skirts begging to be reincarnated as quilts or bags. I found a skirt that I transformed into a purse (I had already altered it from a jumper to a skirt). I've got enough fabric left to make another purse.

I have plans to convert a denim maternity dress and red and white checked shirt into a dress for Olivia. I browsed the internet the other day in search of a pattern to make a dress I can just slip over her head. I didn't find what I had in mind, but I came across a great tutorial for making a toddler dress from an adult button-up shirt. I swung by Goodwill today and picked up a shirt just to try this because I thought it was so cute.











Another thing I'd like to do is sew a toddler dress from a pillowcase. That is, if I had an extra pillowcase that was pretty. My extra pillowcases are just plain white. But you can use some fabric cut the size of a pillowcase as a starting point.

So many things to do, so little time!