Recycling In The Garden

People are becoming more aware of the environment and their impact on it. Over the past decades we have become an increasingly consumerist based society. From a world in which recycling was common, single use became the norm. This throwaway society is unsustainable. Sustainable gardening results in the creation of an environmentally friendly area in which natural predators thrive and soils are naturally replenished. Discover innovative and simple ways of recycling everything from water to materials in the garden. Practical examples show recycling in action turning unwanted items into useful features such as bottle edging, footpaths made from tyres, garden forks into table lamps, broken pottery to mosaics and tree roots into lush garden stumperies. Recycling, reusing and upcycling in the garden can make a difference helping you save money by using less water, making your own compost, choosing energy efficient equipment and by giving everyday items a totally new function. Instead of a throwaway society, we are increasingly looking at ways of reducing our use of increasingly scarce resources, turning plastic into paths, using solar energy and conserving water. Natural recycling of plant material and sustainable gardening is increasingly popular. This book helps search for creative ideas that can conserve resources, and save you money. Water is no longer cheap, so the book suggests many ways that you can re-use water and get free rainwater. The book helps you with places you may not think of looking for free and cheap material, such as reclamation yards, factories, restaurants and hospitals. Let your imagination run free without needing much skill and without breaking the bank.

This is not your grandmother's gardening book. You Grow Girl is a hip, humorous how-to for crafty gals everywhere who are discovering a passion for gardening but lack the know-how to turn their dreams of homegrown tomatoes and fresh-cut flowers into a reality. Gayla Trail, creator of YouGrowGirl.com, provides guidance for both beginning and intermediate gardeners with engaging tips, projects, and recipes -- whether you have access to a small backyard or merely to a fire escape. You Grow Girl eliminates the intimidation factor and reveals how easy and enjoyable it can be to cultivate plants and flowers even when resources and space are limited. Divided into accessible sections like Plan, Plant, and Grow, You Grow Girl takes readers through the entire gardening experience: Preparing soil Nurturing seedlings Fending off critters Reaping the bounty Readying plants for winter Preparing for the seasons ahead Gayla also includes a wealth of ingenious and creative projects, such as: Transforming your garden's harvest into lush bath and beauty products Converting household junk into canny containers Growing and bagging herbal tea Concocting homemade pest repellents ...and much, much more. Witty, wise, and as practical as it is stylish, You Grow Girl is guaranteed to show you how to get your garden on. All you need is a windowsill and a dream!

In No-Waste Composting, you’ll discover the hows and whys of composting and find over a dozen practical step-by-step plans for building both indoor and outdoor composting systems that require a minimal amount of space. “I don’t have enough space to compost.” “I don’t know what’s safe to compost and what isn’t.” “I live in the city, so I don’t think I can compost.” “Indoor composting systems are smelly.” “I don’t have a garden, so I don’t need to compost.” If any of these is your excuse for not composting, then this is the book for you! Small-space composting has never been easier, more efficient, and more eco-friendly. Composting keeps millions of tons of waste out of landfills and creates carbon-sequestering, nutrient-dense compost that can be used to help fuel plant growth (including houseplants!) and build soil health. Build a DIY worm-composting system for a cupboard or garage Craft a layered, under-the-sink composting system from terra cotta pots Construct a simple outdoor compost bin from repurposed wooden pallets Use upcycled wire fencing to build a mobile composting system on the driveway Learn how to compost larger sticks and branches to build new food and flower gardens Upcycle a plastic bucket to make an indoor compost fermenting system Plus, you’ll find plans to keep cat and dog waste out of the landfill by using a groundbreaking (and safe) DIY composting system. And if you don’t garden, author and composting professional Michelle Balz offers plenty of other ways you can utilize the wonderful, crumbly compost you create. Whether you’re just starting your no-waste journey or you’re a seasoned recycling and repurposing pro, No-Waste Composting is an invaluable tool to have at your side. This book is part of the Cool Springs Press No-Waste Gardening series, which also includes No-Waste Kitchen Gardening and No-Waste Organic Gardening.

This resource presents hands-on know-how and understanding of integrated, closed-loop gardening from waste delivering real sustainability. The text includes a safety check list and instructions for calculating one's own positive garden carbon footprint.

Revamp, recycle, and rejuvenate your old containers into some stunning feature pieces for your yard! Learn how to become more eco-friendly and make the most of old mugs, oil cans, plastic bottles, and so much more with Gardening with Junk! Delve into gardening with the first section, Getting Started, which is devoted to teaching you the basics and explaining how to choose the right container and the right plant for your space. It’s easy to get carried away by your own enthusiasm but Getting Started will show you how to condense your creative thoughts into gorgeous and cohesive projects. The second section, Planted Junk, will demonstrate how to utilize all sorts of great materials, from ceramics, stone, and glass, to wood, wicker, metal, and plastic. Learn how to make the most of any container, whether they are beer cans, wicker baskets, quirky ceramics, and so much more! The final section, Plant Directory, provides a comprehensive list of flowers and plants so that you can find what best suits you and your newly converted pots! This section also provides useful addresses that will help you on your way to a fabulously upcycled garden. Written by horticultural expert Adam Caplin, and complete with stunning photography by Francesca Yorke, Gardening with Junk is a must-have for any green-fingered enthusiast with an interest in recycling and the environment.

"An update of the best-selling Recycle your garden, which not only explores how composting works and outlines the multiple benefits for your garden but it also shows how to build a foolproof heap and maintain it well. From ash to algae, human hair to shredded newspaper, this bookshows how the materials used for composting can go much further than kitchen and green waste. A comprehensive listing of all compostible materials and their various values is included. Other features include sections on biodynamic composting methods and ingredients, composts for different climates, maintaining a thriving worm colony and the many ways to use the rich, crumbly organic matter your compost will produce."--Provided by publisher.

The garden gnomes all live happily together in their toadstool houses near the pond in Pauline Green's garden. They are simply fanatical about recycling. Nothing is wasted if it can be reused or made into something beautiful. This is the story of how they came to live with Pauline and Neddy the goat, furnishing their new homes using bits and pieces humans throw away and living in harmony with the natural world. In 'At the Allotment' the fruits and vegetables are boasting about their merits. Each one thinks himself better in some way than all the others. Sunny the Scarecrow and Pete the Pixie have to keep the peace as best they can.