5 upcycling ideas for your garden
Posted by EYR Team on 19th Apr 2022
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Many people think that gardening is expensive, and requires a lot of time and effort to maintain. But it doesn't have to be. The truth is that you don't need loads of money to start gardening. By combining these upcycling ideas with what you already have you can create an exciting garden for any setting!
What is upcycling?
Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or seemingly useless products into new products which have a different use. For example, old tyres can be turned into planters, or even used for imaginative play and turned into a vehicle!
When people upcycle, they are being environmentally conscious and making a difference in their community. Upcycled items have a lot of character and uniqueness to them, making your setting completely unique from all the rest! Here are some ideas to bring upcycling into your garden.
Use pallets as planters
Pallets can be used as planters in a garden. This is a great way to recycle pallets and have them serve another purpose. It's also an inexpensive project. This makes it even more appealing for those with limited funds but big ambitions for their gardens!
Other materials for planters include:
- Upcycled tyres
- Old wellies
- Painted tin cans
Create a minibeast hotel from upcycled materials
Insects live in a variety of habitats. They can be found anywhere from the ground to the sky and even underwater. Insects have adapted to almost every environment there is on earth, but they are not able to survive in all environments equally well. Help them out by creating a minibeast hotel out of upcycled materials!
You could use:
- Old plant pots
- Tin Cans
- Cardboard tubes
- Red brick
Create a rain gauge from a plastic bottle
A rain gauge is a device that measures the amount of rainfall. The most common type is made from a cylindrical, usually transparent plastic container with a graduated scale along the side and an overflow outlet at the top.
Make your own DIY upcycled water gauge by cutting the top off of a liter water bottle. Use a ruler to draw a graduated scale along the side, then wait for the rain to come!
Use recycled materials as markers
Using markers for plants is a great way to keep track of what type of plant you are growing. The marker can be anything from a rock to an old toy!
Here's how to make a plant marker out of a rock:
- Go for a scavenger hunt outside and find some rounded stones or pebbles
- Paint the stones your favourite colour with acrylic paint, then let the paint dry
- Write the name of the plant with chalk on your new marker!
Use an old ladder as a trellis
Pergolas and trellises may be expensive, but you can get great garden results by using an old wooden ladder!
Ladders are the perfect base for climbing or trailing plants, and are an inexpensive and easy way to add additional height to the garden. All you need to do is drill holes in the rungs, place them on top of some sort of support structure, and fill the holes with concrete or something similar that will hold up under pressure.
Do you have any upcycling ideas for the garden? Tag us in your upcycled creations on social media!
