Garden Pic Wednesday: Shabby Chic Gardening

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 We had a nice visit with family over Easter and now that we're home, yard work galore awaits!
Today I was planting things: 4 O'clock seeds & Zinnia seeds saved from last year and some Stargazer lily bulbs I purchased. Also moved several Red Salvia volunteer seedlings to locations in the front bed.
The Salvia re-seeded abundantly  and I have more yet to move.

Recycled Ventilated Shelves for A Decorative Mini-Garden Fence:
I've had about a half-dozen old ventilated shelves of varying lengths sitting in my garage for years just waiting for me to decide what to use them for. Since we have a problem with our neighbors landscaping crew randomly blowing all the pine needles, sticks and pine cones from his yard into mine as their method of clean up, I decided those old shelves would work perfectly as a mini-garden fence! Since, I need something narrow enough to keep the yard rubbish from getting blown through it.
So, I got these in yesterday. It's just 3 shelf sections so far. I've got a couple more yet to use.

We did inform our neighbor, who apparently told his landscape company, since they've been more conscientious since then. Still, the blow radius on a leaf-blower isn't delicate and this mini-fence will help! 

Recycled Bell Pepper
This Bell Pepper plant wintered over and then, when it started showing fresh growth this spring, I just trimmed off the old branches and let it go right on ahead.
I use thin strips of old flat bed sheets for tying up tomatoes, peppers,  blackberries or anything that needs tying up!
This upside down milk carton you see is for deep watering the roots. You just cut off the bottom of any size plastic milk carton and bury the spout downwards, so it's solidly in the ground. I like plastic milk cartons have their thin plastic is very easy to cut.
I also drop in a Tablespoon of granulated fertilizer down into the jug periodically during the growing season, so the roots get nourishment with the water. This worked especially well with my bush squash last year!


That's it for today--just a few interesting ideas for recycling old ventilated shelves, milk cartons & bed sheets for garden use!

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