Three Easy Ways to Recycle in your Garden

This is my first new post in some time, this is due to a mix of writers block and I have just started a new apprenticeship, so I apologise for the delay in new content, I will get back into the flow of things now though.
It will be  somewhat short post but it contains three (and a half) quick and easy tips to recycle in your garden but I intend to follow it up with more recycling tips throughout the year. Click onto the title or "read more..." to find out my three (and a half) easy tips on recycling in your garden!

1. Plastic Bottle Birdfeeder

Recently, whilst on a walk I spotted an array of plastic bottles hung in a tree in a nearby garden, at first I was curious but upon closer inspection these turned out to be plastic bottles turned bird feeders using an attachment for where the lid would be, "How nifty" I thought to myself.

There are three advantages that immediately come to mind when I think of these plastic bottle bird feeders.

Initially, the thought of adding one more use to a plastic bottle came to mind, this saves putting it straight into the recycling bin and gives it one more use.
Secondly, this single use bird feeder is much easier to maintain, once it's empty you can just put the bottle in the recycling and get another one ready, typically with multi-use bird feeders you have to clean them to prevent the buildup of disease. With the plastic bottle method you only have to clean the screw on feeder part.
(In terms of cleaning this, I would reccomend diluted chloroxylenol and rinse twice with water afterwards)
Finally, the price is a good selling point, six of these bottle top bird feeder caps will set you back only £4.99 (at time of writing) whereas many seedfeeders can run in price up to £20.

All round, these bottle top bird feeders are a very accessible way to feed the birds. Perfect for avid environmentalists (recycling aspect), perfect for anybody who may have a physical impairment as cleaning won't be such a task, and perfect for anybody working to a budget due to how cheap these feeders are.

I purchased these attachments here, they are also available on Amazon but if you purchase from this link, you will support a much more deserving business.

I would also like to add that whilst I am linking to a specific business, I receive no money for the clicks, I link to them because I feel that all purchases you make should come from an at home business, this supports smaller businesses rather than huge companies like Amazon.

2. Recycle your Compost

Very poorly pictured: this is compost that used to be in other potted plants, specifically my Ulmus parvifolia and Pinus sylvestris Bonsai's

Yes, I have just said a phrase which for many a gardener (and compost salesmen) is a taboo and yes there are issues with this, but done correctly will save you money and conserve what compost you have.

The source for all of this pre used compost will be from disused plant pots, any soild from houseplants that you have repotted or trimmed the roots on and even from pet habitats, like my tarantula's home.

Scrumpy - my Honduran Curly-Haired Tarantula

Cute pets and root trimmings aside, there can be issues with recycling your compost. Namely, the lack of nutrients, this issue can be overcome by adding organic matter and adding synthetic fertilizers, (tailor the nutrients to the plant you want to grow).  Another issue with reusing compost is the potential for disease and pests, my reccomendation is to not use compost that has been exposed to any form of blight.

In the long run though, reusing compost can save you money, time and even reduce the plastic used in compost bags that you purchase.

3. Reuse Stock Plantpots

Stock plant pots are the pots that come with any pre grown plants that you purchase, these pots can also be found in skips and sometimes (unfortunately) as litter. Another good tip is to ask Landscapers and Gardeners if they have any of these pots lying around because once they fill a flowerbed they likely have no need for these pots.
My advice for if you get a few of these pots is to give them a nice rinse under the hose (preferably over a drain) to wash off any potential pathogens.

These small plantpots are brilliant to use for seedlings and are a great starter pot to sow into. This saves you money and will reduce plastic use.

I hope that this post was informative and helpful to you and I hope you can put these tips into practice in your own garden and hopefully save money whilst recycling.

I definitely had fun writing this list so expect more garden recycling tips soon, in the meantime keep an eye on this website and visit the facebook page to keep updated.

Also, if you have any good tips on recycling in your garden then please let me know, either in a comment or e-mail me at: jackap641@gmail.com

Written by Jack Phillpotts