Are you a garden scavenger?

[ChanellG]

Right after Christmas I was driving to my mom's and found three poinsettias set out at the curb. Who does that? I stopped, picked them up and took them with me. All three are still thriving and doing well even though I barely knew anything about caring for them.

A few days ago I found some tomato cages sitting next to a garbage can. It was the tall green ones that come in interconnected panels that form metal "walls" around vining plants. Almost all of them were bent out of shape, but I separated three, unbent two, and made a cage for the philodendron leaves I had trimmed so I could start making leaf mold.

Today's score was a stack of empty flower pots of various sizes from the little starter pot size to 9 inch hanging pots (with the hangers). Those will definitely come in handy in the coming weeks!

I've turned the top of the greenhouse into a butterfly habitat and now it looks like I will need one of the lower shelves as well since swallowtails have turned up on my parsley.

Have you found anything on the street that was useful for your garden?

 

[limcid]

I haven't found anything useful for the garden, but I can definitely relate to the wisdom of keeping your eyes open to other people's "junk".

I have a very sturdy wooden work table, that's 10 feet long, that I found in front of an old school that was being revitalized for some other use. They had put it out for trash pickup. I use the table along the wall in my kitchen and I use it as one heck of a prep/process area for cooking and juicing. I passed it up earlier in the day because I was embarrassed to pick it up. Later that evening, it kept bothering me that I had been bothered by what other people might think, so I went back and stuffed it into my van along with a filing cabinet, a little bench (that I have some potted plants on), and another table like the other but only 6 feet in length.

I need to start keeping my eyes open for 5-gallon buckets so I can grow some carrots!

 

[ChanellG]

I know that feeling, lol! I pass up stuff all the time on the street because I don't want to be seen picking it up. It's really a good thing I don't have a truck though, because I see some good stuff on the street quite often. With a truck and some storage space I could be dangerous, lol.

I'll bet you enjoy your table!

 

[Shellyann36]

Right after Christmas I was driving to my mom's and found three poinsettias set out at the curb. Who does that? I stopped, picked them up and took them with me. All three are still thriving and doing well even though I barely knew anything about caring for them.

A few days ago I found some tomato cages sitting next to a garbage can. It was the tall green ones that come in interconnected panels that form metal "walls" around vining plants. Almost all of them were bent out of shape, but I separated three, unbent two, and made a cage for the philodendron leaves I had trimmed so I could start making leaf mold.

Today's score was a stack of empty flower pots of various sizes from the little starter pot size to 9 inch hanging pots (with the hangers). Those will definitely come in handy in the coming weeks!

I've turned the top of the greenhouse into a butterfly habitat and now it looks like I will need one of the lower shelves as well since swallowtails have turned up on my parsley.

Have you found anything on the street that was useful for your garden?

You are so fortunate! I never have that kind of luck. Hubby finds stuff on the side of the road all of the time. One year we did luck up and get some of those long shop light units that would hold UV bulbs in them. He was working in construction and they were remaking an old grocery store into a bowling alley. The lights were just sitting there on the side and the owner was going to put them in the trash. Hubby got several of them. Where he works now they are constantly throwing away wood pallets and they let the employees get all they want. We have a big stack of them and he uses them for various things around the house. I am hoping he will use them to build a fence around the garden.

 

[limcid]

Yes, I love MY table. I checked around online and the closest thing I could find that's similar would cost about $400! So, yes, I love my table.

I plan on getting an old mini pickup just to have around for simple things. I'm sure one can be found in decent shape for less than $1,000.

I've learned about a sort of club that has groups all over. I may have even learned about it from this site, I can't remember. It's called Freecycle, and it's a Yahoo Groups thing. I was surprised to find a local group in my tiny town (no mall, no movie theater, plenty of nail shops). I get regular updates via email and some of the things that people are just giving away are amazing. You can also list something Wanted. I plan on giving it a try for things like pots, 5-gallon buckets, gardening tools, seeds, wire fencing, etc. Plus, I've got some things I can give away. You could call it digital scavenging!

 

[Gina145]

I've never found anything useful for my garden, but a few weeks ago I drove past a house where some small trees had been dug up and I really wanted to stop and take them home with me to see if they could be turned into bonsai. I was too embarrassed to do so, however, and with hindsight I don't think they would even have fitted in my car. Even if they had, I don't think I'd have been able to pot them up on my own.

I know someone who has a wonderful bonsai tree that was rescued from the side of the road many years ago.

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

Oh, I am a definite garden scavenger! It really embarrasses my husband

This summer I scored two small wooden tables, home made, of cedar, one round that I put in our patio area with our fledgling bonsai on top, and a square one that's got one of my Boston ferns on top of it, and my pot of lettuce underneath in the shade. I found some good plant pots, which I found right when I was thinking I was going to have to buy some more big ones to accommodate the plants I needed to pot on, and a metal shelf-type thing with two drawer type shelves I used for my seedlings on the porch. Next year I'm going to line it with coconut matting and use the drawers as planters. I also got a perfectly good compost bin - one of the large plastic ones. As a matter of fact, my bonsai tree was a scavenge, of a sort - I was walking the dog in the woods behind our house, and noticed a couple of little maple seedlings, so I dug one up and brought it home. It seems to be doing well.

Non-garden related finds include the lumber from a bunk bed that I'm going to use for a cat tree and a plant shelf, two really nice end tables in perfect condition, and some kitchen chairs for our daughter when she moved out last year. Around our area, most people put their "good" garbage out a few days before garbage day, so that us scavengers have a chance to find them.

I take the bus to work, and sometimes on the way I see great things left out in the garbage, and I just want to jump off the bus and go and get it!

 

[blueeyes]

I have found many usable items along the side of the road for my balcony garden. Actually I have found many items period but I will talk about my balcony...I have found two tables, one is round and I use it for one of my hanging plants. Because the table its quite high, I really like the way the vines of the plant hang down without touching the ground. The other table is two tier and I have plants on top and on the second shelf I store my handheld garden supplies.
I have also found numerous pots of all sizes which I always put to good use.

 

[ChanellG]

I plan on getting an old mini pickup just to have around for simple things. I'm sure one can be found in decent shape for less than $1,000.

I've learned about a sort of club that has groups all over. I may have even learned about it from this site, I can't remember. It's called Freecycle

Thanks for the reminder! I usually give stuff away to the thrift stores, but for things that are too big to fit in the car freecycle is a good resource. I've thought about a small pickup also; almost had one a few years back...

You are so fortunate! I never have that kind of luck. Hubby finds stuff on the side of the road all of the time. One year ...He was working in construction and they were remaking an old grocery store into a bowling alley. The lights were just sitting there on the side and the owner was going to put them in the trash...

Usually if I see something good I can't stop or don't have the means to transport whatever it is, lol. These last two finds were things I needed and the universe decided to gift them to me

 

[ChanellG]

Oh, I am a definite garden scavenger! It really embarrasses my husband

This summer I scored two small wooden tables, home made, of cedar... I found some good plant pots, which I found right when I was thinking I was going to have to buy some more big ones... a metal shelf-type thing with two drawer type shelves... I also got a perfectly good compost bin..

Non-garden related finds include the lumber from a bunk bed that I'm going to use for a cat tree and a plant shelf, two really nice end tables in perfect condition, and some kitchen chairs for our daughter when she moved out last year. Around our area, most people put their "good" garbage out a few days before garbage day, so that us scavengers have a chance to find them.

Wow! You're the queen of scavenging! If you had a truck or a van you would be dangerous, lol. I am on the hunt now for a metal shelf - you know those outdoor metal bar carts from like the 1960s, with the almost mesh-like shelves? Even something like this would work:

To see the transformation go here: http://minervasgarden.com/vintage-bar-cart-spray-paint-project-transformation-tips/

 

[Gina145]

Nobody ever leaves that kind of thing out for scavengers where I live. I remember one of our neighbors leaving a mattress on the pavement opposite our house once, but it was such junk that nobody wanted it. After it had been lying there for several weeks, my mother got annoyed and asked our garden service to cart it away with the garden junk.

 

[Shellyann36]

Thanks for the reminder! I usually give stuff away to the thrift stores, but for things that are too big to fit in the car freecycle is a good resource. I've thought about a small pickup also; almost had one a few years back...




Usually if I see something good I can't stop or don't have the means to transport whatever it is, lol. These last two finds were things I needed and the universe decided to gift them to me

That is a good way of looking at it.... the universe is gifting them to you... Ha I will have to use that with my hubby. I love the cart! I have never actually seen one like that. It is amazing at what people consider junk. I will have to check out the website because I love subscribing to blogs that take old things and make them new!

 

[ChanellG]

Nobody ever leaves that kind of thing out for scavengers where I live. I remember one of our neighbors leaving a mattress on the pavement opposite our house once, but it was such junk that nobody wanted it. After it had been lying there for several weeks, my mother got annoyed and asked our garden service to cart it away with the garden junk.

People put stuff out on the street all the time here. Unfortunately, they treat most things as trash, but some people will put out things they don't want anymore with a sign that says something like "free item, please take it."

That is a good way of looking at it.... the universe is gifting them to you... Ha I will have to use that with my hubby. I love the cart! I have never actually seen one like that. It is amazing at what people consider junk. I will have to check out the website because I love subscribing to blogs that take old things and make them new!

Another good place to find things is the thrift store, but I haven't been to any of those in a while. I really need to spend time getting rid of some of the things I already have before I consider bringing home anything more, lol.

 

[Shellyann36]

People put stuff out on the street all the time here. Unfortunately, they treat most things as trash, but some people will put out things they don't want anymore with a sign that says something like "free item, please take it."




Another good place to find things is the thrift store, but I haven't been to any of those in a while. I really need to spend time getting rid of some of the things I already have before I consider bringing home anything more, lol.

I love thrift stores but I have not been in a while. I also love consignment shops. The last time I went to a consignment shop I got tons of clothes for the twins. The consignment shop in the town my sister lives in has a clearance sale twice a year (spring and fall) and most of the stuff gets marked down to super cheap. I was able to get the boys an entire trunk load and half of the back seat in the van full of clothes for just a little over $100. It was an awesome trip. The street that the consignment shop is on is thrift shop central and we visited all of them that day. I was not able to go this spring but I am looking forward to going back this fall for another round of shopping! (Sorry I got off of the gardening topic a bit.)

 

[ChanellG]

The last time I went to a consignment shop I got tons of clothes for the twins... (Sorry I got off of the gardening topic a bit.)

I have done that a couple times with my nieces. When they were younger I bought a bunch of dresses for under $1 for them to play dress up in. The youngest was into being a princess and changed clothes like 4 or 5 times a day, lol. Shortly after I shipped the stuff, my mom sends a message "Your niece is outside playing in that chiffon flowered dress!"

My reaction was, that's what it's for, lol. The dress had snags and I pinned a note to it that it was absolutely not to be worn as a going out dress. I knew as soon as my mom saw some of the dresses she'd want to save them, but I sent them so the girls could play in them and keep their nice stuff nice.

It's natural to change direction from the topic sometimes, I don't mind. We get back to the original conversation eventually