Sunday, June 28, 2009

Recycled Fishing Tote Turned Iris Bed

Smiling, a friend recently asked me if I was their new recycling company. No, definitately not a recycling company, just someone interested in practical ways to re-use some of our no-longer needed, soon to be discarded excess stuff so that it doesn't end up filling a landfill somewhere. That's how I ended up with a new iris garden!
At Bellingham's waterfront recently to get more discarded fishing net in order to finish off the deer-proof fencing around my Happy Valley Community Garden, a couple of old totes were mixed in with the discarded heaps of old netting and rope. One of those totes had a huge crack in it and was pretty much trash, but this one still looked to have plenty of life left, so into the truck with the netting it went.
Turns out, it really is just a little too big for me to carry around and use as a garden tote, especially if filled. I'm just not that big - or strong. Since it came already drilled with holes around the sides and on the bottom, I decided that it would make a great container garden instead. And I had a pot full of hardy iris starts ready to plant.Filled with soil and irises, it once again has purpose and looks quite at home placed next to that recycled olive barrel turned water storage barrel. Now I look forward to early next summer when this discarded fishing tote is filled with beautiful bearded iris blooms. Even from outside the garden looking in, I like its new look.

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