![]() ![]() The heat absorbed by the bricks keeps the greenhouse warmer longer.? -?Ian, Pennsylvaniaġ6. This whole area is then covered with another larger hoop house through winter. The beds are surrounded on both sides and down the center by a 2-foot-wide brick walkway. I conserve solar heat by enclosing my two parallel raised beds with hoop-style covers in spring and fall. Thanks to working from home and eating from the garden, I can go a couple of weeks without turning on a car.? -?Phil, Pennsylvaniaġ5. I no longer drive to the gym or turn on exercise equipment as a couple of hours of “aerobic gardening” a day keep me in good shape. A bucket underneath saves the water (and nutrients from the soil) so we can put it back on the garden.? -?Jeannemarie, Marylandġ4. My husband got a laundry sink at a yard sale that we hook a hose to for cleaning vegetables outside. I make small ditches between my plant rows to funnel water right to the plants, and I have a cistern under my house that catches much of the rainwater my barrels can’t.? -?Pat, Missouriġ3. After you start looking around, it’s all you see.? -?Cam, Coloradoġ2. ![]() Lately I’ve been using downed pine cones. It could be store-bought mulch, dead plant materials, chipped up pieces of trees, etc. I’ve come to discover that mulching heavily is a water-saving essential. When I know we’re in danger of a frost, I take old bean poles and jab them into the ends of my beds, throw old sheets over them, use stones or bricks to hold down the edges, and voilà! I have a makeshift tent in my garden.? -?Liz, Ohio Saving Water and Conserving Energyġ1. For a cold frame in late winter, we prop old windows against straw bales. My plant tags are twigs with a shaved-off area to write on.? -?Michelle, New Yorkġ0. I make all my garden fencing with scrap wood and build my veggie trellises and arbors with fallen branches and saplings.? -?Irene, New Jerseyĩ. Old pantyhose are my friends: They make garden ties, and I use them to “bag” cantaloupes growing on trellises so the melons have extra support.? -?Donna, North CarolinaĨ. I was given some heavy-duty metal “for sale” sign frames, and I placed them in my raised beds to support bed covers in early spring.? -?Kat, Californiaħ. This prevents cutworms from making a meal of my transplants.? -?S., CaliforniaĦ. When they’re ready to transplant, I simply remove the bottom inch or so of each cup and plant directly in the ground. I recycle drink cups to grow tomatoes from seed. I gather pieces of concrete to use as stepping stones in my garden.? -?Susan, Virginiaĥ. Instead of purchasing expensive weed-blocking landscape cloth, I use free old tarps from my local lumber store that they used to cover wood during shipping.? -?David, UtahĤ. I make row covers out of tomato cages, old rebar I got free, and used blankets I got at the local thrift store.? -?Cathy, Floridaģ. The combo of the slightly abrasive bag and the soap scrubs off garden dirt.? -?Irene, WashingtonĢ. I rubber-band the bag so it’s tight and hang it next to the hose. I use an old plastic mesh bag to round up leftover slivers of soap. (To contribute tips to future articles, join our Editorial Advisory Groups.) Reusing and Recycling Materials in the Gardenġ. Here are their best tips, broken down by category, many of which will not only help you garden more sustainably, but will save you money, too! We hope you’ll try these creative ideas in your garden and pass the tips along to your friends and neighbors. To find out what’s going on in sustainable gardens across the United States and Canada, we surveyed the thousands of members of MOTHER’s Garden Advisory Group. From water and energy conservation to waste reduction and smart seed-sourcing, there are infinite ways we can make our practices more sustainable. But sustainable gardening goes beyond just using organic methods. Organic, chemical-free methods are inherently more sustainable - for human health, wildlife, the soil and the water supply - than non-organic techniques. ![]() After all, growing your own food is a huge step toward leading a sustainable lifestyle. Most gardeners have sustainability on their minds. Home Organization News, Blog, & Articles.Energy Efficiency News, Blog, & Articles. ![]()
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