Recycled Garden Ideas

Shiny Items

• Keep birds away from fruits and vegetables with items that reflect light. Use twine to hang old CDs, vegetable can lids, frozen juice can lids or aluminum pie plates from a fence or post. Glue small mirrors from a purse or empty powder compact onto a piece of scrap wood with a hole in it and hang them near your garden.

Garden Tools

• Recycle broken and old, rusted garden tools by turning them into garden art. Hang garden tools on the side of a shed or a fence to create an interesting display. Turn broken handles into flag poles for decorative flags, or use them as boot holders so you don't bring dirt from the garden into the house. Slip garden gloves over the end of a handle for a convenient holder or use one as a bucket holder.

Dishes

• Chipped, old dishes can be used as planters for herbs or small flowers. Fill with potting soil and a seed or two for a cute planter. Place saucers under flower pots to catch drainage from watering the plants. Use old tables or racks to hold your new collection of planters to brighten up a patio or corner of the garden. Recycle old dinner plates to create a border around the edge of the garden.

Gates and Railings

• Old gates and railings can be recycled into a trellis for training vines such as peas, beans, tomatoes or ivy. Prop the gate or railing against the house, a fence or side of the shed. For a free standing trellis, hammer the gate or railing into the ground beside the plants and they will train to the new trellis as they grow.

Bricks

• Bricks can create edging and borders around a garden. Collect different bricks to design a pathway that meanders through the garden and makes maintenance easier. Keep a few bricks around to set on the corners of plastic sheeting that you use to cover plants.