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,

Today we’re going to continue our look at innovative ideas for recycling in the garden. If you are interested in previous articles of a similar nature check out:

Going Green in the Garden Part 1

Save the Environment and Save Money Part 1 and Part 2.

The ideas presented in these articles can help you reuse everyday items you find around the house in your garden. You can save time, money, and help the environment, and you may just have a little fun along the way!

Paper Egg Cartons

The paper type egg cartons are a great size for starting seedlings in! Simply fill the twelve individual holes with a little bit of a soil/compost mixture, press your seeds down just below the soil, and keep in a warm (not hot!) well lighted environment. Throw in a little TLC, and water as needed, and in a few weeks or months you can have nice seedlings to transplant outside! Best part is, no need to go through the trouble of un-potting the seedling, simply cut the section of the egg carton that holds your seedling, and plant in your garden as is—the egg carton will naturally decompose providing your plant with nutrients!

Don’t throwaway those egg shells either! Add the egg shells to your compost bin and later give your plants a homemade nutrient boost by mixing in some compost with the soil! For two more great uses for egg shells check out: Save the Environment and Save Money Part 2!

Old Plastic Bags

No, we’re not going bonkers! There is a use for an old plastic bag in your garden! You know all those clay pots you have? Well, you may have noticed you have to water them more often because they have a tendency to dry out pretty quickly. The reason for this is because the clay pot is porous and it absorbs the water, robbing your plant of its much needed drink! A quick fix is to simply provide a barrier between the clay pot and your soil with an old plastic bag! Don’t forget to add a hole in the bottom for drainage! Voila!

Old Nylon Stockings

Got a pair of old nylons lying around the house? Don’t throw them out, you may be surprised just what these little wonders can do in your garden!

Nylons are great to tie your plants up with! The material is light which lets air circulate, while still being strong and getting the job done! Best part is that they last forever!

Turn your rain barrel into a giant cup of tea… for your garden! Simply scoop some fresh manure into a pair of old nylons and let steep in your rain barrel for a few days. Use the manure “tea” to water your garden, giving your flowers a great nutrient boost while still providing much needed water! It’s a one two punch!

These are just a few ideas of how to reuse items in your garden you would otherwise throw away. If you have some tips you would like to share, let the world know in your comments below! You can help make the planet a little greener!

Stay tuned for more great tips, tricks, ideas and inspiration on cold climate gardening! Love our blog—get it delivered in your email by subscribing!

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

Now is the time to protect all the hard work you did in the garden this summer! The weather is turning colder and your roses need a bit of special care, here we will discuss how to protect your beautiful roses from the harsh winter!

Roses That Need Protection

If your garden includes any of the following, they will need winter protection!

Bourbons, Chinas, Grandifloras, Hybrid Teas, Miniatures, Climbing varieties, grafted roses, and any roses that are borderline zones (a rose that is really made for the zone above yours but you gave it a try anyway!).

Beware of the new varieties that are just out on the market! Take special precautions until you know for sure how they react to your climate!

Roses That Don’t Need Protection

Any varieties that are hardy to your zone (in our case zones 3/4)

In general roses on their own roots do not need winter protection because they simply die back to the ground and come back in the Spring.

The Canadian Explorer series (such as John Cabot, William Baffin, and Henry Kelsey), Rugosas, and Shrub roses are very good choices for cold climates (zones 2-5)!

How to Protect Tender Roses During the Winter

Since you stopped pruning, dead-heading, and feeding your roses in late August (like a good gardener!), your roses should be dormant now. You must wait until after the second hard frost (usually between late October to mid November) to prepare them for winter…

Step 1

Remove all the debris such as dead leaves, twigs, weeds and even the old mulch!

Step 2

At the base of your roses, apply composted manure mixed with a bit of alfalfa meal, fish meal, and kelp meal (I like a 2-1-1-1 ratio) along with a small hand full of magnesium sulfate (aka Epsom salt) and super phosphate. Mix it all together and shovel it around your roses about 8-12 inches deep.

This step has the added benefit of nourishing your roses while they are sleeping and it also gives you a head start in the Spring against the weeds!

Step 3

Gather some pine needles, fresh mulch, bark, straw, or wood chips and apply any one to the top and side of your roses. Aim for one foot deep as a minimum.

Do not use maple leaves! Maple leaves form a tight impenetrable barrier that won’t allow rain water to go through. Also they usually house pests! All in all, not a good choice for winter protection!

Other Options

There are other options available to protect your roses during the winter. However, in my experience, the method described above works best (especially since I have 100+ roses!). Other options include…

Rose Cones

Personally, I did not have a great amount of success with the rose cone. For me the mice got a nice home and pretty much ate my whole plants!

Wire Cages

Wire cages are great, but with the amount of roses I have, they simply are not practical for me! However, if you have 10 roses or less this is a viable option!

Upside Down Garbage Cans or Homemade Shelters

Again, a good choice if you have only a few roses (and a helper!). However, make sure to secure these down with tent hooks or some heavy objects so they don’t fly away during high winds!

For More Information…

Check out Ann Hooper’s informative article titled: “Roses: the straight scoop part 6 winter care for your roses - gardening” for a very detailed look at protecting roses in different climates!

Check out this informative video of Gerald Sunderberg demonstrating the “Minnesota Tip” method for Roses! This video will come in handy for any tender roses but especially Hybrid Teas and Climbers.

A Final Word…

As you can see, there are many different methods for protecting your roses during the winter. The trick is to find what works best for you.

As for me, I do not tie my rose canes with twine (to keep them from flopping around in the wind) or cut the canes back to a certain length. I do not spray my roses with dormant oil either. In my zone (3-4) we have a lot of snow (we get more than 4 feet) and so my roses have a nice blanket which gives a lot of protection. Other than that, I like to prune them in the Spring. I cut away all the Winter die back to a healthy green and remove the winter mulch when the chance of frost is gone and finally, I spread the remaining composted manure around the plant.

I don’t find roses particularly hard or expensive to take care of, in fact I believe that all my work is well compensated when I get to enjoy the beautiful scented blooms during the summer months. Here’s dreaming of summer!

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne