In your garden, using repurposed old items as garden art will add whims and interest. And, a great way to recycle!

Actually anything under the sun will do, just use your limitless imagination. You can make your garden serve as an extension of the inside of your house.

    Old Ladders and Scrap Lumber

Make a potting station by laying the lumber between the rungs of the open ladder, creating shelves on which to lay pots, tools and bags of soil. To make the potting station stable, stack the lumber on the lower rungs.

Old wooden Cord Spools

Mount on the wall for a hose wrap, three placed in a circle gives the hose a resting groove. Apply polyurethane on it, and you can utilize it as a small table.

Lumber

Great for larger scale protection of garden rows during a frost.

PVC/Metal  Pipes

Trellises can be constructed by using used PVC pipes giving vines a place to climb thus,  allowing garden soil to be utilized more productively.

Provide pots for growing in small spaces or sources of drip irrigation for traditional gardens. In early spring, garden plants need protection from frost. Materials used to protect the flower and vegetable plants are referred to as garden cloches. Pop bottles, milk jugs, ice cream buckets and other plastic containers make ideal to make a cloche.

The plastic needs to be clear to allow sunlight to shine though, while keeping frost off. Simply cut the tops off large 2-liter pop bottles or milk jugs. Turn the plastic containers over and gently tap the open end into the ground to protect individual garden plants.

The bigger plastic  containers and bottles can be used for container gardening. Simply cut the tops off the milk jugs and plastic 2-liter soda bottles then fill the them with dirt and use them to grow a garden.

Wood, Piping, or Metal Rods for the Garden

Wood, pipes and metal rods are ideal repurposed items for constructing larger protection from frost. Use the items to construct large frames. Cover these frames with clear sheets of repurposed plastic to protect entire rows of garden plants at one time.

Another way to repurpose wood, pipes or metal rods is to use them to create a trellis. Vines, such as squash, cucumbers, and melons, need something to climb to conserve valuable garden space.

Cardboard and Paper

Repurposing cardboard for the garden is helpful when weeds get out of hand. Cardboard makes an excellent weed block.

Break down cardboard boxes and use garden staples to tack the cardboard down in rows to create walking paths through the garden rows.

Lighter cardboard or paper bags can be used for blocking weeds and can be used around plants as long as the roots are able to receive a sufficient amount of water.

Shredded paper can be used this as mulch. Paper works well as mulch and because it is biodegradable, it eventually breaks down and becomes part of the soil.

Brown paper bags tend to be more visually appealing as mulch than white paper. When mulching with paper wet it down immediately to prevent it from blowing away.