Don’t put your recyclables out to the curb just yet. One of the latest crazes in landscape design is using glass bottles, broken concrete and a bundle of other everyday materials to create eye-catching elements for your yard.
The idea is known as repurposing, or taking items that have served one purpose and putting them to use for another. The goal is to keep those materials out of the landfill, while simultaneously breathing new life into your backyard.
So where do you start? With a great imagination! You’ll find lots of ideas online, ranging from crushing glass bottles into a colorful garden mulch to incorporating chunks of broken concrete into a decorative backyard wall. One site you should check out is Serenity in the Garden. Wow. It has some interesting photos of recycled landscapes (even though some of us may wonder whether an old piano and a garden really go together).
Another worthwhile read — if only it had photos — is an About.com readers’ forum that offers tips on reusing everything from kitty litter to mirrors to aluminum cans.
So have fun letting your imagination run wild. If you need any other creative ideas for your backyard, give us a call. We have all sorts of designs up our sleeve.