Category: gardening

Is your garden looking a little sad or tired?

Even if you have a great collection of perennials and annuals that give your garden style and color, it might still be lacking a certain something.

You might feel inclined to pack in some more perennials and annuals, but take a pause and read on. There’s something else you can do. And it’s much easier.

This job calls for garden accessories!

Garden Accessories Give Your Backyard Real Personality

And you don’t even need to spend a lot of time or money to do this. Just try out any or all five of our suggestions below to give your garden a little (or a lot of) extra zip!

The Joy of Succulents

You can create small bucket planters, wreaths, shadow box wall hangings, even entire walls with succulents. It’s plant artwork.

And they’re the perfect “material” for these projects because they grow slowly and have low water requirements. They come in a wide variety of colors and textures so you can mix them to create amazing and impressive patterns.

Unlike some of the showier annuals, you won’t need to spend a fortune on these plants either. Head to the nursery or your local farmer’s market and you’ll see how affordable they are.

Flea Market Finds

Of course, you can find actual garden furniture and the sort at flea markets. And that might well be your thing. There’s something delightful about an old school patio set straight out of the 1950s.

But if you’re up for stretching your imagination, and your dollar, you can transform unconventional pieces into something amazing. Grab your trusty gardening tools and turn that old metal cooler into a planter. Or perhaps flip over that dilapidated wire crib frame and throw on some pillows to create a makeshift outdoor couch.

The possibilities are endless.

Totem Birdhouses/Birdbaths

Give your garden an additional splash of color without adding any more plants.

Building a totem birdhouse or birdbath isn’t tough. Just pour through your cupboards or your local thrift store and gather up various household dishes and glassware. Pick shapes and colors you find appealing.

Then, using a long-lasting and durable adhesive, stack them to build your own unique totems. Place cups and saucers at the top to give birds a place to bathe.

If you choose, you can even mount a small birdhouse up there too – giving the birds a house with a view and a pool!

Vertical Gardening

Just like with that wall of succulents, you can also experiment with vertical gardening.

Incorporating vertical structures like arbors, arches, pergolas and gazebos can give the sensation of an outdoor garden room. They’ll also add height and depth.

And vertical vegetable gardens are all the rage these days. Aside from the many benefits – plants receive more sun, harvesting is easier, less potential for rot, safety from critters – they can be really beautiful too.

Garden Art

There is so much garden art to be found at art fairs these days.

You’ve seen it – whimsical flowers made from clay, animals sculpted from scrap metal parts, wind chimes of colored glass and beads, etc. A few of these small simple pieces can add huge personality to your backyard.

Or if you’re the crafty type, you could even make your own art with recycled water bottles. It’s really easy!

So Go Ahead and Jumpstart Your Garden’s Wow Factor

You’ll love the results and have a garden you’ll be proud to show.

And keep an eye out for future advice right here on thrifty gardening tips. If you have any garden accessories or tips of your own you’d like to share, feel free to comment below!

Did you know that 1 in 3 US households is now growing its own food and that a study in 2012 revealed that 164 million of us enjoy gardening in our spare time?

There are so many keen amateur gardeners these days that it’s super easy to find cheap gardening tools.

Here are 4 cheap gardening tools that you need to own to make life easy.

Gloves

Never underestimate the power of a good pair of gloves. Although it’s a hazard you expect to encounter gardening, getting a well-placed thorn or itchy rash from pulling up the wrong plant is never pleasant.

A good pair of gloves can be fairly pricey, but not always – especially if you take advantage of a great deal.

Keep an eye out for a pair which has good protection along the palm and all the way up the fingers. If the back is made of a softer material, don’t worry too much (unless it looks really flimsy). A bit more stretch in the back side will keep your hands moving freely.

A trowel

You need a trowel. They’re helpful for seeding, weeding, planting and so much more.

Trowels are cheap gardening tools in general – you don’t need anything too fancy and the prices don’t really go up over time. This key tool shouldn’t cost you more than a few bucks.

You can get thin trowels for digging into plastic or resin flower pot arrangements in the yard, or wider trowels for when you’re just working directly in the earth.

Forks and spades

Alright, this is really two cheap gardening tools, but they go together like cheese and wine.

They’re both for digging with but serve different purposes. A spade is for digging big, deep holes you might want to plant a tree in.

A fork is used for loosening and turning over earth, to prepare it for seed sowing.

I recommend you grab metal tools, not plastic – as these will break. But don’t worry, they’re still a very affordable item. You should be able to grab both for well under $50.

I appreciate that might sound like a lot, but these things don’t break easily. They should last you for years and years. Think of it as an investment for all those delicious vegetables you’ll be growing in the yard.

Loppers

Loppers are razor sharp cutting tools that are used to prune back trees and dense bushes. If your garden is in need of some drastic cuts, these may well be your best option, short of more expensive electric tools.

Also consider their smaller cousins, the secateurs (also known as ‘pruners’), which are dead handy to have around the place.

These are easier to use on smaller plants such as overgrown runner beans or roses.

Green fingers itching for cheap gardening tools?

Any dedicated gardener reading this will be raring to get back to the garden by now.

Just remember that when you’ve got hold of your tools, you’re wasting money if you don’t look after them. Store them away safely out of sight, and keep them as dry as possible to prevent rust on metal parts.

I’ve got more DIY tips on your garden waiting for you later. But in the meantime, get those green fingers back to the garden and grow, grow, grow.

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Recycled Water Bottle Garden Art!

Do you have any empty soda pop bottles at home? If so, you can make this recycled Water Bottle Garden art! My kids would love making this craft, because they’d see their project outside all summer. Want to make this art with your children too? If so, here are the needed supplies:

• Empty Plastic Water Bottles
• Colorful Permanent Markers
• Scissors

For additional directions on how to make this recycled water bottle garden art, be sure to visit the Creative Green Living Webpage! Let us know how your DIY craft turned out, we’d love to know in the comments below.