It's Frugal Friday!

I know I have been remiss in my Frugal Friday postings, however, water business before pleasure and I have been keeping busy at the office. So today offered the opportunity to catch up on my blog posts and I am going to take advantage of it.

I know many people think that frugal gardening involves having a lot of junk sitting around in your yard under the auspice of art. But that just isn't the case. I think that frugal gardening is all about re-purposing and recyling things and giving them a new and useful life. And no, I am not talking about toilet planters!

Here's an idea I thought was lovely. Turn an old bird bath or better yet, a two or three tiered fountain, into a planter. Since a bird bath generally isn't very deep, you could set a small planter in the middle of the bird bath and plant some annuals. Then in the bird bath, add soil and plant something like moss, that will provide an carpet of green. If you use a plant in the pot that trails or vines, you will create a lovely, antique, drippy look which goes perfectly in a bird bath.

Use the same method for planting in an old fountain. Check Craigslist, Freecycle, thrift shops and yard sales for fountains that are still beautiful to look at, but perhaps have developed a leak or the owners are just tired of them. I saw one on Craigslist for $10. It had no pump and had 2 tiers. Perfect for planting. These make wonderful, classic additions to a garden. And by using them as a planter instead of a fountain, you will eliminate the need for running electricity and possibly water out to the fountain. This will enable you to locate it any where you like.

If you are lucky enough to find a fountain with two or more tiers, you can make a combination planter and bird bath. Having these types of creative features in your garden also helps provide habitat for wildlife. The birds will appreciate the water to bath in and drink and the cool carpet of moss makes a nice place to stop and rest for a minute.

If you have any ideas on re-purposing an item, feel free to let me know. If you have pictures, feel free to send them in and I will post them here on the blog. Let's see how creative we can get!