Hello Fellow Gardeners,

Today we’re going to complete our Going Green series with part three of Going Green in the Garden. If you are interested in previous recycling/gardening articles please check out these links…

New Recycling Ideas

Going Green in the Garden Part 1 and Part 2

Now let’s get started!

Old Coffee Cans

Keep an old coffee can around the kitchen! This little container is the perfect size to collect a day or two worth of kitchen scraps like egg shells, fruit peels, and wilted veggies! Once full, simply empty it into your compost bin along with other common items you’d find around the house like newspapers and shredded junk mail! In a few months you’ll have wonderful vitamin rich compost to use in your garden from items you would have otherwise thrown away! Best of all, the coffee can lid helps keep nasty smells to a minimum and won’t attract pesky critters to your home. Hmmm, an old coffee can…convenient and helps make cleanup a breeze!

And don’t throw away those old coffee grounds either! Throw them in your compost bin along with everything else, or mix them in with the soil in your houseplants! Just like you, your plants like a little jolt of caffeine to help give them a boost!

Ashes

Who doesn’t like a nice warm fire to sit next to this time of year? Unfortunately a wood fire creates ashes that are messy and can cause stains on your carpet. However, here’s a new use for old ashes that may just make them rise in your esteem! Save the completely cooled ashes outside, in a metal garbage can for next Spring, then sprinkle around your plants! The ashes will give your plants (like Lupines) a nitrogen and potassium boost, helping make them happy and healthy!

Always use caution when handling and storing ashes! Don’t forget to wear a mask to protect yourself from inhaling small particles, and store away from buildings! In other words, use good old common sense!

Old Spice Containers

I love using spices when I cook, so much so that I found myself having a lot of the little empty containers lying around! I knew there had to be some use for them, but I didn’t find it until I was struggling planting small seeds in soil. Then it hit me!

I put my seeds in the empty container, snapped on the lid, and voila! I had a homemade seed container that with a little shake distributed my seeds perfectly—no mess and no stress!

Keep all your empty spice containers, and in the fall when you collect seeds from your garden, simply label the container and place the seeds inside! Next Spring they’re ready to go!

Have a great recycling idea that can help make someones life a little easier and help save the planet? Don’t keep it to yourself! Share it with the world in the comments section below!

Stay tuned for more tips, tricks, ideas, and inspiration on cold climate gardening from the Daily Weeder!

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

With all the white fluffy stuff outside its hard to remember our beautiful colorful gardens! Well, to help thaw out your gardeners heart, I decided to bring a little Spring to the Daily Weeder! I am happy to share with you some nice bright sunny pictures of my gardens before they looked like this…

Asiatic Lilies add beautiful bright color to my backyard garden!

This blue bearded iris is one of my pride and joys, and these deep red tulips are so charming!

Some Malva peek out through my front gate…

My frog ornament, who’ve I’ve affectionately named Rodney, fishes happily in the Lamium…

My absolute favorite rose in the world– the Nicole rose!

We bid you all farewell with a lovely overview of my French rose garden…

I hope you’ve enjoyed your journey back to Spring! Unfortunately we must return to cold January days and snow, snow and more snow. Sniff. Don’t worry Spring is on its way…only three more months till fun n’ the sun begins again!

Stay tuned for more tips, tricks, ideas, and inspiration on cold climate gardening, courtesy of the Daily Weeder!

Happy Gardening,
Marie Suzanne

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

Recently, I came across a wonderful article written by Rita Pelczar, entitled Solving the Container Conundrum. Featured in The American Gardener magazine’s January/February 2008 issue, a publication offered by the American Horticultural Society, the article is a real eye opener!

Did you know that, “according to a 2004 estimate by Penn State University’s College of Agricultural Science, each year 320 million pounds of plastic are used to produce nursery pots, cell packs, and flats.” Wow.

Luckily the article offers some great ideas for the gardener on how you can help the environment by reusing and recycling your plastic containers!

The Tips!

This may seem rather obvious, but simply washing and reusing the plastic items you use while gardening will go a long way in keeping plastic that can take hundreds of years to decompose out of our landfills.

Taking a trip to a nursery anytime soon? “Take old flats or cardboard boxes to the nursery to carry home new plants rather than using a new flat.” These not only will help keep your car clean, but will also allow the nursery owner to use the flats elsewhere instead of ordering new ones.

Another great tip is to “donate excess containers to schools or other organizations.” Call around to see who is interested first, and if nobody bites, mention how great a program to teach kids how to garden would be!

The Daily Weeder has been emphasizing reusing household items in your garden, but here is a new idea (courtesy of “Solving the Container Conundrum”) to help you save money and the environment as well! You can reuse containers such as those used for butter, yogurt, cottage cheese, and other food items by simply washing and adding a few drainage holes in the bottom.

Also, you know buying in bulk can really save you money, but you probably didn’t realize that it also saved the environment from unnecessary plastic bags as well! Instead of buying your compost and mulch by the bag, order a truck load of it! If you can’t use all of it, try going in with a garden buddy and splitting the costs as well as the load.

If you receive the American Gardener magazine, I highly recommend reading “The Container Conundrum.” Even if you are not interested in recycling, the magazine itself offers interesting gardening information and lovely inspirational garden photos!

Want more recycling tips? Check out some of the Daily Weeder’s previous articles…

Going Green in the Garden Part 1 and Part 2

Save the Environment and Save Money Part 1 and Part 2

Stay tuned for a hint of spring! Our next article will fight your winter blahs with a look back at my garden while it was still green!

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne