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Repurposing household stuff

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  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    didyw   Don't forget, the punch line is 'Cleans the impossible' - a contradiction in terms if ever I heard one?
  • IlikeplantsIlikeplants Posts: 894


    Each pack of 5 FFP2 masks comes with these...  I think they'll be great for joining bits of garden netting.   :)
    I wondered what these were recently when I found them lying around. I chucked them out thinking they were from some clothes packaging.
  • ManderMander Posts: 349
    @Liriodendron What masks did you buy that came with those? I've tried various ear saver gadgets but none of them have actually been effective.

    On the actual topic, I have a neighbour who has an assortment of old kettles full of flowers in the front garden.

    In a fit of madness a few years ago I collected some sections of terracotta drain pipe from an archaeological site I was working on (they are fairly modern so were just going to be taken away for recycling). Originally I thought I could half bury them and plant strawberries in them but they didn't like it that much so now they are sitting mostly empty. I have a bit of border that needs a lot of attention so I might find a use for them there, once the crazy crop of bluebells is finished flowering and I can dig the whole thing up. 
  • DogmumDogmum Posts: 96
    @Mander I've got an old terracotta wine rack in my garden, each compartment is filled with something for bees and other insects to hide/live in, makes a lovely little feature, maybe you could stack the drain pipe sections on their side and use them for something similar?

    Tomorrow is another day
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Looking good Mr Mow.  When we bought our last ex farmhouse it had 2 rather ugly red marble fireplaces which we took out.   Later on when we had our terrace laid using old slabs and cobbles from the cowsheds we had a wee trench dug to fill with rubble so we could lay a bottle wall on top and I capped it at seating height with the marble slabs which faded to an acceptable pinky beige in the sunshine and rain.


    No marble in this ex farmhouse but we are saving wine bottles again....  
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • GrannybeeGrannybee Posts: 332
    Lots of lovely ideas here. My offering is about 4pint plastic milk bottles. I have about 30 which live under the bench in the greenhouse. They are filled with water and act as a sort of storage heater all winter. Then in the spring I use the water on plants and refill for the winter. It has kept lots of tender pelargoniums, banana plants and salvias alive. I also use milk bottles to store a handy supply of birdseed, different types of nettle or comfrey feed and a powdered seaweed fertiliser. Any other ideas for them?
  • Jenny_AsterJenny_Aster Posts: 945
    Grannybee said:
    Lots of lovely ideas here. My offering is about 4pint plastic milk bottles. I have about 30 which live under the bench in the greenhouse. They are filled with water and act as a sort of storage heater all winter. Then in the spring I use the water on plants and refill for the winter. It has kept lots of tender pelargoniums, banana plants and salvias alive. I also use milk bottles to store a handy supply of birdseed, different types of nettle or comfrey feed and a powdered seaweed fertiliser. Any other ideas for them?
    With you on what you said:

    These containers can be handy, drilling holes in the lid and using as a watering can, I've cut a few down to use as a scoop, a garden dustpan, and for getting rid of anything that makes my skin crawl, spiders, dead things.... I've even seen them used as a bird feeder, cutting out windows in the side for feeding. When I've ran out of seed trays I've used cut down ones (with drainage holes) without a problem.




    Trying to be the person my dog thinks I am! 

    Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I use 5 litre distilled water bottles to decant nettle "tea" then store them in a shady spot for diluting as needed.  This year there'll be comfrey tea too as my patch is finally big enough to harvest.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096

    I cut up plastic milk bottles to make large plant labels that can fit all the needed info. 
    I save the five litre plastic jugs which are great for watering. 
    I have assorted old metal wine racks in the garden for things  to grow up and to keep the cats off. 
    I’m using and old fire place edging for raised bed. 
    I collect old fizz corks to gouge and glue on to bamboo canes. They make good temporary fence to stop people walking on beds and I also use them to remind me where new planting is so I can water there. I use old nail polish to colour code the corks- red no water (dahlias), silver - needs water. 
    Old rubbish bins make great composters, esp if you have a lid. Just add drainage holes. 
    Pallets for bug hotels, shelving, planters. 
    Currently I am snaffling old hessian coffee sacks to jacket large plastic pots and look a bit lovelier. Not sure yet how that will turn out. 
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