'Upcycling' Water?

This might sound like a ludicrous notion, but in reality all water is 'upcycled' or recycled. It all goes back to the three part system I learned in grade school. Water is always in one part of the water cycle or the other, it is either part of a body of water on the ground, evaporating/ed and floating above our heads as clouds, or falling to the ground as a type as precipitation.

This is not quite as complicated. Here I am speaking only about reusing rainwater on a small scale. Rainwater can be collected and redistributed to your garden very simply. Instead of letting rainwater run from the gutters into the street and into the city storm water system, it can be gathered in rain barrels and used when most needed. 

Here are some places for learning about how to make your own rain barrels:

How to Build a Rainwater Collection System

Simple Rain Barrel Plans

As you can see from the plans a spout is attached to the base to attach a hose and make watering easy.

Another fun water use for the garden:

A bird bath!

Happy Gardening!

Nikki

This 'N That Creations

Composting: The Ultimate Upcycle

What could be better than using free stuff to get better stuff? Nothing of course. That is what composting is all about. You take the free nitrogen and carbon that grows from the ground or falls from the sky and turn it into a medium that your new plants can use to become stronger, produce more flowers/fruit, and create a great place to relax.


First off a confession: I am a lazy composter. I throw my stuff in my pile and let the magic of nature do it's thing. This means that my compost takes 2-3 times longer than anyone else using a hot composting method. But I will get into more details below and point you in the direction of some great resources as I go along.


The basics:


To start off you will need a place to put a compost pile, materials to construct a composting box, and plant clippings. My compost box is constructed from 4 T-posts, coated garden fencing mesh and zip ties. Other composting boxes can be made from upcycled pallets or other materials, but see paragraph 2, plus I didn't find these plans until just now.


You can also buy compost bins like this one, but beware the plastic bins, they can get so hot your plants will produce a foul smelling plant juice. Unlike wood or wire mesh composters they don't get the needed air circulation.


As for what to add to the compost bin once you build it you need a mix of both green plant clippings (e.g. grass) and brown plant clippings (e.g. fall leaves), adding these will give you the appropriate mix of carbon (brown) and nitrogen (green) that you need to promote growth in your garden. Unfortunately, they tend to be available at different times of the year.


Composting:


There are two types of compost which I am going to touch on here: Hot composting and cold composting. 


Hot composting can only take place if you have the required balance of nitrogen, carbon, water and air. To accomplish this you need to add alternating layers of brown and green plant materials. I would suggest each layer be approximately 4 inches thick. You also need to make sure to water your compost. Don't let it get soggy, but don't let it dry out either. The last is air. About once a week you need to turn your compost pile to add in air. See I am tired just thinking about it, but you get good compost in 2-3 months. FYI, it is normal for this type of compost to steam.


Cold composting on the other hand is much simpler. Build compost box, add plant clippings, wait 6-9 months. 


For more information, I recommend checking out Composting 101.


Good stuff to add:


Green:
Grass clippings, food waste (vegetables), coffee grounds, garden waste.


Brown:
Fall leaves, hair or pet fur, fruit, shredded newspaper or cardboard, peanut shells.


Stuff to watch out for: 


If you decide to add fruit or vegetables to your compost make sure to bury them at least 6 inches from any side of your bin to deter rodents.


Don't add meat, pet droppings, or anything with oil in it. It will sour the batch.


Don't put diseased plants or weeds in your bin, it probably won't be hot enough to kill either of them.


But wait you say, when and how can I use my compost?

This is a great question. Once you have created a pile, you need to let it 'cook' for awhile, either actively or passively managing it. Once you have determined there must be compost in the pile, I recommend sifting it through a 1/4 inch mesh screen to remove any large pieces of vegetation (to go back into the compost pile). Then place around plants or till into your garden plot.


Pretty upcycled stuff to decorate your garden with while you are waiting for the compost:

As always hoping your garden is a little greener,


Nikki
This 'n That Creations

Weekly Giveaway: Good Memories Cafe!

Due to technical difficulties, this week's post was delayed until today. We apologize and thank you for your patience!

Congrats to Jacqueline, our 49th entry in last week's Giveaway from Boozy Baubles! We had lots of entries for her beautifully upcycled translucent earrings made from a vintage lavender plate and are so happy you participated, and another thanks to Cheri, too, for sponsoring the giveaway!

This week's giveaway is another example of the creative upcycling re-uses for vintage glass! Elizabeth from Vintage Glass Totems and Good Memories Cafe has created this mini totem for your garden out of a bud vase, vintage sea blue colored ashtray and an old glass percolator top! It would make a whimsical addition to your summer garden as you can see~

And here's another look~

Aside from her Vintage Garden Totem shop, Elizabeth also sells vintage and handmade "Good Memories" in her other Etsy shop. She's always wanted her own shop, a studio where she can share her "memories" and so she left the corporate world to find her creative niche!

You can also visit Elizabeth's blogspot~ "A place where 'stuff' becomes a good memory". Regular features like 'Wordless Wednesday' and 'Sunday Sayings' offer a glimpse into her creative inspirations and thoughts anyone can enjoy...

By perseverance the snail reached the ark.

                                                                                           by Charles H. Spurgeon

Ready to enter our Giveaway?

First you must be a follower of Love 2 Upcycle to enter~ not a follower? Just look to the right and click on the 'Follow' button!

Then you can submit up to 4 entries, each must be entered HERE in a separate comment.

1. Browse and Favorite Vintage Totem Shop or Good Memories Cafe and tell us here which shop item was your favorite.

2. Become a follower of her blog~ Good Memories Cafe or follow her on Twitter!

3.  Like Elizabeth's page: Good Memories Cafe on Facebook!

4. 'Tweet' or 'Like' this Giveaway using our Like or Tweet button or Share a link to our Giveaway on your Facebook fan page.

Deadline to enter is Wednesday, July 27th at midnight.

The WINNER will be randomly drawn and announced with our next giveaway~ Thursday, July 28th.

Good Luck!
 

Would you like to Sponsor a Giveaway on Love 2 Upcycle? You don't have to be a member of Upcyclers to be a sponsor, all Etsy sellers of upcycled or eco-friendly products are welcome! But of course, we'd love for you to join the team!

Love 2 DIY on the Weekend: Gardening~ Upcycled Style!

An Upcycled Herb Garden... Anywhere

This is my favorite time of the year!  If I could be in the garden all day, I would be.  I've added two flower gardens to my yard, decked out the patio and have quite the vegetable garden growing in the field behind the house.  There's not a lot of room left to do much more, but I found a way and thought I'd share it with readers.   Yep, that's it over there on the left side of the page.  I love how rustic it looks and that I can put it anywhere.


Head over to Upcycled Stuff  to see how to do this project yourself!







Be sure to check out Upcyclers member, Upcycled Stuff on Etsy, too, where she turns yesterday's trash into tomorrow's upcycled treasures; unique one of a kind jewelry, art and accessories that are all environmentally friendly! Upcycled Stuff will donate 10% of all shop sales to the Jane Goodall Institute for their continued work to conserve chimpanzees and their habitat.

Monday's Makeover!

Mary, Mary, quite contrary~ How does Your garden grow? With the first official full day of Spring in bloom, it's time to finally head outdoors and enjoy the sunshine. But what if your space isn't so inviting...Neither were these, until a little makeover magic took place~





From MyHomeIdeas.com, this "Peaceful" space was featured in their Amazing Home Makeover Series~

And here's an upcycling DIY makeover project from Studio G~

If you really feel like taking on a DIY doozie~ try upcycling some pallets into an outdoor seating area! Upcycling guru, Wendy Tremayne will walk you through it in her tutorial~

Have a great idea for a garden makeover or upcycling project? Share it with us here or check out our Facebook page and share there!