for those of you with yards...

[goodaim]

Spring has finally sprung around here in West Michigan, so my thoughts have turned to sprucing up our (alas, too-small) yard.

I was just wondering what folks have found in thrift shops and have reused as garden/patio/yard decor - whether it be something quirky to be used as a planter, a funky scarecrow, or whatever. I'm always on the lookout for ways to dress up my yard without the usual stuff from the garden centers.

Based on an idea from a Mary Englebreit magazine, last year I made plant markers for some perennials out of old knitting needles, beads and wooden spools (knitting needles and spools from thrift stores). With a coat of varnish for weatherproofing, the markers made it fine through a winter of 120" snow!

Of course, feel free to post the great garden-related finds you've had - tools, pots, etc.

goodaim

[ctumma]

Your garden markers sound really interesting. Could you tell me the issue the instructions were in? Thanks

[goodaim]

Hi ctumma and thanks for asking! The ME issue is an old one - I'd just kept the article, saw no date on it, but noticed that an ad on a back page of the article had an offer that expired in April 2000.

However, I looked online and found a link for the original project:

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_design_other/article/0,,HGTV_3566_1397005,00.html

I adpated the last project, using a wooden spool instead of plain wooden beads - easier to make, plus I already had the spools. I just wrote the name of each plant on a spool with a Sharpie marker. So that the spools wouldn't slip down on the knitting needles, I slipped decorative wooden beads (from an old necklace) underneath the spools on the needles and glued them in place. (For design symmetry, I also put a matching bead on the needle before I put the spool on, but this is optional).

Not the snazziest-looking plant markers to hit a garden, but at least they're different, were easy to make, and used things I had thrifted.

goodaim

[ctumma]

Hi goodaim,
    Wow, thank you very much for taking the time to post the link for the markers. I like them all. I volunteer in my church memorial garden and think we might we able to use one of the ideas for the plants. Will keep my eyes out for materials to use as I browse my favorite haunts.

[goodaim]

Glad to help! Volunteering to help in the memorial garden is a wonderful thing to do. If you do make some plant markers, it'll be fun to hear what you made and what materials you used!

goodaim

[Sprocket]

I picked a marble bathroom sink with faucet for free at the Habitat for Humanity Resale Store and I made a fountain out of it for my back yard.  I used some posts from an old wooden swingset and built a shade shelter next to my pool...I love re-using something...even if it is more work than just buying something new.

-Sprock