Growing food and recycling trash into garden tools
More people are interested in growing their own food, said Yvonne Savio, manager of the University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program.
"There is so much more interest in gardening now because of the economy and issues with obesity and diabetes," she said.
But gardening, Savio noted, is also about being creative and imaginative in reusing what you have. So on Sunday, Savio will discuss how throwaway items can be reused as tools in the garden. In the photo above, a window screen provides light shade for tomatoes in the hot, midday sun.
Savio's presentation is part of the Milagro Allegro Comunity Garden's Organic Sundays, basic horticulture classes held on the third Sunday of every month. "The demand is very high for organic gardening education," Milagro Allegro master gardener Milli Macen-Moore said. "Our social consciousness has shifted as far as people eating healthier. A lot of people want to change the way they eat."
The next class will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at the garden, 115 S. Ave. 56 in the Highland Park neighborhood of northeast L.A. The suggested donation is $10, but Macen-Moore said no one will be turned away. Bring a plastic gallon jug and an egg carton, and Macen-Moore will demonstrate how to start seeds.
To see how some Los Angeles community gardens have used household junk in the garden, keep reading ...
This compost bin was made with old bed springs.
A claw-foot tub was turned into an ornamental shade garden.
Aluminum roasting pans were recycled into seed-starting trays.
In a sloped garden space, two plastic containers create a double ring around a tomato plant, which was started indoors and transplanted. The ring channels the water straight down, encouraging the roots to move into the native soil.
-- Lisa Boone
Photos: Yvonne Savio
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Nice. Gotta use some of these ideas. Really like the plastic bottles with the tomato plant. The decorative tub looks pretty sweet too. My balcony garden is made from nearly all reused materials.
Posted by: Mike Lieberman | 02/17/2011 at 07:52 AM
Wonderful share gardens look unique with recycled items not all needs to be new to start growing #FreshFood : ) Annie
Posted by: Annie Haven/Authentic Haven Brand | 02/17/2011 at 07:58 AM
Hope everyone will join us and find out how creative you can be in reusing items you generally throw away! See my "Recycling..." article and lots more photos on our website under Gardening Articles!
Posted by: Yvonne Savio | 02/17/2011 at 04:52 PM
Turned windows from a home being torn down into cold frames and a solar dryer, used screen doors for greenhouse, and white metal shelving for seed starting shelves. Use free pallets for compost bins, used 'dixie cups' for seed starting pots, bread ties or ties from products on cardboard backers for securing vines and tomatoes to supports, old fish tank gravel into soil amendments(prevents clumping), unused silver CD's into flashing bird deterrents, popsicle sticks into row markers or just about any quart-sized white plastic container cut into vertical strips, and old carpet pieces into 1 1/2ft wide strips as walking path covers in the garden(keeps out weeds, passes water, keeps soil cool).
Posted by: krispycritter | 02/18/2011 at 08:51 AM
I just love the use of the old bed springs to make a compost bin. How creative!
Posted by: Bettina Gatti | 02/18/2011 at 09:56 AM
This is great!
Posted by: Rhett | 02/18/2011 at 11:12 AM