Despite snow falling as recently as last week, the first flowers of spring have been blooming for more than a month. It is usually a sure bet where the tulips, daffodils and other early comers will emerge in the neighborhood. Though front yard flower beds are sure to change from year to year venture a glance down the alley when taking out the trash to see how the backyard gardens are shaping up. These more private spaces serve as palettes to express creativity percolating over the fall and winter. Recyclable items and sustainable materials and methods are increasingly finding their way into this hobby.
A successful garden (vegetable, flower or a combination) requires planning then dedication during the growing season. If you already recycle, consider what could be set aside over a number of weeks for the spring. These items could likely save money by replacing what would have been purchased for the same function.
After selecting and obtaining the seeds on the 2021 list, the next step is how and where to start them. Plant in the garden too early and a late freeze may quash the initial effort. Wait too late and some crops may not have enough time to mature. Grow lights in our entryway have played an important role in germinating a portion of our seeds inside weeks ahead. Both paperboard egg cartons and toilet paper tubes fit the bill for decomposable bedding plant placement. Put soil directly into the cartons while cutting slitting and folding the tabs into a button on the tubes. Paper cups with holes in the bottom for drainage, such as disposable coffee cups, may be desirable for larger plants. Both the cups and tubes will break down in the garden soil and protect sensitive roots during the transplant process.
Whether for bedding plants started ahead or in the garden itself, quality soil benefits plants. Compost can be produced year round at home and incorporated into the native soil. Fertilizer can also be sustainably sourced from options such as manure to cut costs and avoid chemicals. I plan to rototill the contributions provided by our two rabbits into our beds for better cultivation. If the only rabbits you have are the ones trying to eat the vegetables, consider finding an area rabbit owner. According to the Michigan State University Extension website, rabbit manure is dry, has less smell than other manure, breaks down quickly and is a good source of nitrogen ( 2 pct), phosphorus (1 pct) and potassium (1 pct). It can also “supercharge a compost pile” and “create earthworm heaven.”
During the initial days and weeks outside, protection can offer a leg up for new or fragile seedlings. Cut the bottoms off milk jugs or 5-gallon water jugs to create “cloches” that serve as mini greenhouses while keeping pests such as slugs away.
Save popsicle sticks or even cutlery to mark rows. Names of plants can be stamped on extra silverware for a more unique look.
A gardener’s imagination is the only limit on other ways to reuse recyclable or common household items in the yard. Think of ways to hold a plant and soil, decorate and landscape. See how to bury glass bottles to line pathways or flowerbeds at log.gardenloversclub.com. Another website showed a wall packed with old water and soda bottles arranged horizontally with a range of plants growing from them. Two-liter bottles work for two-stage planters with the top cut off and inverted with the plant and soil and the bottom as the water source. Pallets offer versatile building materials, and are easy to obtain if you know where to ask, for everything from raised beds to vertical shelf gardens.
Maybe this would be a good time to fill clothes that would have been donated at the thrift store with plastic bags for a scarecrow. Part of the fun is trying something new every year while growing your favorite flowers and veggies.