We're big on recycling here.
We also like using what we have or can acquire easily and free cheaply.
Free is best and so we often check out what our neighbors
have lying in their recycle bins.
It just makes sense to use what's available.
Everyone has toilet paper rolls.
We make seedling pots out of them.
When these eggplant are ready for transplanting,
the whole kit and caboodle goes into the ground.
I recently discovered that I can eat yogurt,
so plenty of those containers are around to be reused.
Tin cans and discarded pots allow for more seed starting!
The containers that strawberries come in
act as a mini-greenhouse to aid in germination.
Each night they are closed and the next morning
sometimes wee green ones greet the day!
This white tray was fashioned from a large water jug
(the kind with the spout that sits on the counter).
It was halved (lengthwise) and now it keeps the seedlings organized
and can also be used to fertilize from the bottom
(just add the fertilizer and dunk in the strawberry trays).
These plant markers were made from duct tape and drinking straws.
We showed you how we did it here.
This mini-fence was constructed out of baling twine and
some branches from a bush that was removed from the garden.
Branches work well for lots of things,
including stakes, borders for a planting bed, or trellises.
This plastic coffee container
(acquired from a neighbor's bin)
houses our daily produce scraps.
It's kept in the freezer until it gets emptied into the garden.
We utilize direct composting,
so the contents are buried a few times per week.
When a clay pot breaks, not to worry.
We save the shards to use for drainage in containers.
Sometimes the drainage hole is just a bit too big
and most of the water will run out.
Just adding a piece of a broken pot
keeps the moisture in a bit longer.
We've even used them as bird feeders.
Using what you have on hand is an aspect of homesteading
that comes naturally to us.
We like that just fine.
A Bowl Full of Lemons
