Recycling, Reusing, and Upcycling Ideas for Your Garden and Water Features
When you're up to your elbows in soil, have dirt under your nails, and are surrounded by blooming plants and greenery, you can't help but feel connected with nature. Gardening is a great hobby for nature-lovers and those looking to relax and spend more time outdoors. It is also a healthy way to stay active, similar to the ideas in our blog on burning extra calories while gardening. You can cut down on your waste and eco-footprint in the garden by trying to reduce and recycle whenever possible. Upcycling is a way to get creative in the garden and challenge yourself to think outside of the box. Adding a small pond, fountain, or container water feature can also enhance the peaceful atmosphere while you reuse and repurpose.
How to Extend the Life of Your Garden Tools and Water Feature Supplies
You can reduce waste in the garden by buying high-quality tools, planters, or water feature supplies and taking good care of them so you can keep them for a long time. If you have extras or want to replace a tool, you can donate the old one as long as it is in working condition to a thrift store like Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
Tip: Plastic planters are not recyclable by your standard curbside pickup. You can recycle them at Lowes in the garden center through their garden pot recycling program.
What is Upcycling in Gardening and Water Features?
Upcycling is creatively reusing an item and giving it a new purpose. Instead of throwing something away and having it become waste, you can give it new life. It is an artistic twist on reusing and a popular eco-friendly practice for gardens and backyard spaces with ponds or fountains. If you enjoy creative projects like this, you will also love making your own DIY plant labels.
DIY Upcycled Planters, Bird Feeders, and Mini Water Features
Will it hold soil or water? If so, you can turn it into a DIY planter, bird feeder, or even a container water feature with a little creativity. The more outlandish, the better.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
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Colander – Easy DIY hanging basket
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Washing tub – Seal it and create a mini pond with the help of a pump
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Basins – Great for container water gardens
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Wheel barrel
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Tea tin
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Tire
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Teapots and teacups
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Paint or coffee cans – Paint the outside for an artistic flair
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Plastic bottles
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Boots
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Toy trucks
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Plastic buckets – Cut a hole in the bottom and turn upside down for a hanging planter
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Upside down lightbulb – Fill with water or soil and hang
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Broken pot – Create a DIY fairy garden
Tip: You can give planters an upgrade with a smartpond Container Fountain Kit. In just a few minutes, you can transform your planter into a beautiful water feature.
Household Items You Can Reuse Items Around the House in the Garden or Pond Area
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Feather pillows – On a dry day, open up the pillows and place piles of feathers outdoors. Birds and wildlife will enjoy using them to build nests.
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Clothes – Turn extra clothes into a DIY scarecrow.
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Paper cups – Paper takeaway coffee cups make easy biodegradable pots for seedlings.
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Toilet paper and paper towel rolls – Fold the bottom and use them to start seeds.
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Egg cartons – Poke small holes, add soil, and place a seed. Perfect for seed starting indoors.
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Plastic milk jugs – Turn into watering cans or frost protectors for plants near ponds.
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Plastic bottles – Create self-watering pots for seedlings.
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Cereal boxes – Shred them and add to your mulch to reduce weeds, similar to the tips in what to do with wet leaves.
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Glass bottles – Use as upcycled edging in your garden or around water features.
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Spoons – Bend and attach to the wall as creative hangers for mason jars.
Easy Compost Tips for a Healthier Garden
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Bury banana peels in the soil of your rose bushes to add potassium.
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Eggshells are high in calcium and help make the soil more alkaline, which is beneficial for plants like melons, peppers, lavender, and lilacs.
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Used tea or coffee grinds make the soil more acidic, perfect for blueberries, cucumbers, onions, azaleas, and hydrangeas. Try sprinkling them around plants near your water feature for extra growth.
Make Your Garden More Eco-Friendly
There are many ways to get crafty in the garden and reduce your waste. Recycling and reusing are two essential practices for an eco-friendlier garden. Upcycling is a fun and creative way to cut down on waste and repurpose everyday items. When you need to get rid of something, take the time to see if it can be recycled, reused, or donated before throwing it away. With the addition of a pond, fountain, or container water garden, your backyard can become a personal oasis that connects you with nature and sustainability.
