Building a garden in the sunshine using recycled bottles
I may not be much of a green thumb but I find pottering around in the garden therapeutic for the soul. My daughters love it too.
Today we decided to finish off our glass bottle garden edging in our courtyard.
The sun dazzled and the glass sparkled. We added the last few bottles to complete the wall. This garden edge has been a work in progress for a few months. We have added to it gradually, as we get more bottles. It has been a delightful project, not to mention a lot of fun drinking the beer and wine!
My daughters love to be outside. We count rocks, learn about plants and get our hands dirty. I love how they can see repurposing of glass bottles in action. I hope by sharing my love for up-cycling with them from an early age, it will instil an appreciation for using existing resources in innovative ways. I want them to understand that objects can have many uses, not just the original one.
We did a bit of weeding and I planted out a handful of spring blooms that the girls picked out for me at a car boot market earlier in the morning.
The front courtyard garden is small and I mostly plant succulents – sweet, low maintenance and frost resistent. This space gets the early sun, making it the perfect haven on a chilly winter morning. We had a heavy frost this morning, but the day is clear and crisp. Brilliant blue skies. Definitely not the sort of day you spend inside.
Until next time, I hope you can enjoy some warm rays of sunshine too.
xx Isabella
P.S - That garden tool set in the photographs is one of my favourite possessions. My husband bought it for me for Christmas last year. It was an unusual gift as I am not an avid gardener, but I love it so much. Each tool is handcrafted in Melbourne, Australia. They are fashioned by hand using recycled and new copper, bronze and timber. These tools are so well built, I bet my great grand children will still be able to use them. Gorgeous well made garden tools that last a lifetime, connecting hand to earth is not something you see that often anymore. I feel privileged to have a set.
What a delightful article! This deviates from my usual gardening posts, but check out my latest post none-the-less: https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@brownsgreens/why-folk-music-never-dies-words-from-band-leader-of-smith-house
great article @brownsgreens. Got my up vote. I love folk music. My favourite Australian folky band - The Waifs, moved to America a few years back now. It is interesting hearing the folk/country influence The States has had on their style.
This is a Neat Idea
I never Would Of Thought Of This, Thanks For Putting This On Steemit
Keep On Posting!
Thanks @anns. I am a bit of an up-cycling addict, so no doubt there will be more posts. I love making things. I run a Recycled Gallery shop that focuses on local made products made with reclaimed materials. But even though I do this sort of thing for a living - nothing beats a project for your own home and for the pure enjoyment of it. It is a cool idea. I am thinking of doing the front garden bed the same but with more blue glass in it.
Great idea, would like to do something like this outside our kitchen window. But will have to source them from around the place, would take us too long otherwise!
That would look beautiful. Our local nano brewery only sells beer in tall bottles, so that was handy for the garden. Just go to your local pub, bottles get thrown out by the dozen. However.... there is something fun about drinking the wine then planting the bottle :)
I'm into Alkoomi Reisling at the moment, but I have to be careful or I get headaches. Bet I could source a heap from the in-laws.
At the moment I've been using the old Jarrah studs from our house as edging. I want to create a garden to plant some of those heritage flowers you sent a while back, just not sure where to do it.
That is a nice way to preserve the history of your home. Picking a spot is hard, those flowers are probably all annuals anyway, so pick your spot, based on the type of plant you want in there on a longer term. Somewhere sunny!
Looks like you do have a green thumb! And of course,
Maybe I do. Most of my plants seem to die, but that may just be the severe frost and me not watering them :)
You could jazz it up a bit and use glass telephone pole insulators. Highly collectible too :)
ooohhh they look interesting. I love the colours! I need more blue glass in my bottle wall. Next time.
Maybe sprinkle in some Japanese glass fishing floats and think of the beauty! Both available on ebay for a price :)
Great idea and excellent way to get your kids involved to help make something beautiful.
Thanks. I have wanted to make this for ages, so it is lovely to have it finished. I want to put some LED strip lights behind it, so at night it glows through the coloured glass with a beautiful ambience. My girls LOVE it too.
Great idea! And nice pictures :)
hi @bridgetbunchy. thanks for the inspiring post!
You are most welcome @neddykelly. Thanks for dropping by.
Truly inspiring. From now, we will be collecting some colourful glass bottles, especially these which are not accepted by reverse vending machines. Getting ready for next season garden design :) Upcycling is a way to go.
https://steemit.com/gardening/@greenwayoflife/productive-bed-turn-a-cowshit-and-old-window-into-food