VERTICAL GARDEN RECYCLING

[Sheri]

(Example 1) I have a gardener friend that graduated with a degree in Horticulture from Texas A & M. One of his class assignments was to plant a garden on his apartment porch and see how much he could off-set his food bill. He had to carefully follow all his cost for pots, soil and seed and when the plants started to produce he had to follow current market pricing to find the value of the food he was growing. Minus his cost, he supplemented his diet with approximately $700 worth of home-grown food. For a young college student that was a big deal and he helped feed some of his fellow
college students to boot! He told me in a conversation that "If he had more information about "Vertical Gardening" he could have grown a lot more food.

(Example 2) My oldest brother "David" is severely disabled with Cerebral Palsy. For many years he was involved with a school for handicapped people and one of their huge projects was growing a garden. These students had garden volunteers come in and teach them how to build

soil and care for the garden plants. They harvested their fruits and vegetables and then were taken into the school kitchen and taught to cook simple dishes with their harvest. The daily harvest supplied their lunches. I saw a big change in my brother with this project. All the garden tasks were rotated so each student could experience all the aspects of working in the garden and they took it very seriously because finally "Something Needed Them to Survive". Being "Needed" is something many of them had never experienced before.

(Example 3) I'm in my 50's now and I love to garden but it's taking a toll on my body, especially my lower back and knees. I'm thinking on the "Vertical" level now with raised garden beds. I have been researching vertical gardening ideas for some time now and hope that you will find inspiration.

There are so many opportunities to recycle when it comes to vertical gardening!

[Sheri]

Some interesting inspirational videos to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPvgkZhrWUA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yumaDBlLff8&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yra0g5uOXhQ&feature=fvw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vtc6eUa-Hu0&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlQaOsDZuBQ&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddesgTmfAeQ&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5_uDTBKavM&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpM3cb_E_-Y&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51PPGK_DGQs&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scs2SIeIkkM&feature=fvw

[Richard Morgan]

my name is richard and recycling unwanted materials into things for the garden, I have built tunnel houses and glass houses from recycled materials I build raised garden beds and planters from recycled power cable reels and freight pallets. as well as chicken coops from fruit and veg pallet crates.

I have seen pictures of baths toilets and even bras used for planting and once built a strawberry tower out of plastic down pipe.

you can even use old bread crates on the roof of sheds or garages to grow in if you don't have the space and the guttering allows you to claim any excess water as it drains out.

cheers

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[Sheri]

Richard, Have you checked out some of your local wineries for unusable oak barrels? Pickling companies also sell off their used pickle barrels and they make wonderful water barrels and spin composters.

[Ally Rogers]

Great ideas Richard, thank you :)

[Sheri]

Here's another wonderful idea with gutter gardening, using them to make a privacy screen and enclosing your porch or hot tub area.

[Sheri]

Coffee can vertical gardening

[Ally Rogers]

I just saw a photo doing the same thing with 3ltr milk flagons... very cool... it's got my brain rethinking 'suitable containers'!

[Sheri]

If it holds soil and can drain water it's suitable!

[Margaret Beers Oliver]

I have in the past had a garden raised on a wooden tray and saw horses to use when I was not doing well. I could tend it in the wheelchair. I am a big fan of not needing to bend over. I use a bench when I am gardening so I don't tire myself as much. My MonSter does think I should give up sometimes but my inner gardener wins. Vertical gardening is fast becoming a hobby. I have made two now and had to move from both. So the next one may be based on keyhole/rain garden because that strikes my fancy.

[Sheri]

Hi Margaret, sure glad this idea took your fancy. I also think that a key hole garden bed can be made using more simpler materials that are easier to manipulate, like garden states and chicken wire instead of having to stack rocks. That would also make it mobile in the event it had to be moved at some point.

The other garden bed your thinking of is a spiral designed bed.

Another material that can be salvaged to make these is corrugated sheet metal. One of the main attractions to the Key Hole garden is lessening the bending activity of your back. As seen in the picture with the school children, it can be made to go as high as you need and it can also be constructed to have terraces. There is so much potential with this basic design!