Be certain to wash it out to rid it of lingering non-biodegradable rubbish .
Drill holes up and down all the sides of the can , for air circulation to help break down your organic matter .
The can will need to be washed out again to rid it of the shavings and other things created when drilling .
You can compost fruit and vegetable scraps , coffee grounds , eggshells , grass clippings , and dry leaves .
Do not try to compost anything containing dairy , fat , grease , meat or oil , and certainly no diseased plants .
15 . Toilet paper rolls , eggshells and folded newspaper make good seed starter pots . You do not have to remove the seedlings from these containers because they will decompose in the soil when they are planted intact .
A “ Repurposing Story ”
I have a personal repurposing story to tell : Before we moved to Thomasville , we lived in Pennsylvania . We outgrew our little bungalow when our children were born and built a house in a new up-and-coming neighborhood . The neighbors on the adjourning lot were a few years older than we were ; he was a banker and she was a lovely , prim and proper lady .
Photo by Edward Howell on Unsplash
My husband enjoyed restoring old cars ; some of which were in pretty poor shape when he got them . The first day such a vehicle was conveyed via flat-bed truck to the back of our yard in our new neighborhood . It was off-loaded within sight of our neighbor ’ s home . That evening , Mrs . Smith walked over to where my husband was hosing off the car and inquired what he was going to do with it . Out of the clear blue sky , he was inspired to say , “ Well , Jean , I ’ m going to gut it for parts and clean it up and then fill it with dirt so Pat can use it as a unique planter for flowers and herbs .” Now , I was well-known for working many hours a day in my 20 ’ by 30 ’ vegetable garden and my numerous flower beds , so his story was completely believable ! Our poor , flustered and horrified neighbor could only sputter , “ Oh !” My husband could see that she was very distressed , so he told her the truth and guaranteed that the work would be completed in just a few weeks . Then , imagine the hilarious surprise my husband and I received when we saw , for the first time , an old car gutted , cleaned up , painted and used as a planter ! The joke turned out to be on us !
Wishing you lots of enjoyment repurposing many different items for your gardening-related uses .
This article was written by Thomasville Garden Club member , Pat Pankey , as a service to the community . Thomasville Garden Club , Inc . welcomes new members . If you are interested , please contact Membership Chair Vicky Johnson at ( 229 ) 224- 0590 or any current member . The Garden Center has a library of books about gardening that are available not only to garden club members but also to the general public . To access the library or to visit the Garden Center , please contact Mary Tomlinson at ( 229 ) 406-6046 or any current member . You may contact Linda Tarver , ( 229 ) 403-1187 or Joe Tarver , ( 904 ) 613-4204 if you are interested in renting the Garden Center for an event . The Garden Center is always open to the public on the Wednesday before the first Friday of every month , September through May . Please visit our website at www . thomasvillegardenclub . org and find us on Facebook .
Thomasville Scene | Summer 2023 19