Repurposing Materials
Learn some simple ways that we can repurpose materials in our gardens to help the environment.
With the focus of the past few years being how to incorporate sustainability into landscape design, the idea of respurposing materials has grown in popularity. Designs for public spaces are increasingly including repurposed materials as a sustainable approach to creating resilient landscaping. Furthermore, as people are becoming more conscious of their impact on the environment, they may be beginning to repurpose materials in their private gardens too. With a little bit of thought, old pieces and materials can be incorporated into aesthetically pleasing new designs.
Here are a few suggestions for ways you could repurpose materials in your own garden:
Hard Landscaping
- Repurposing old paving and hard landscaping is much better for the environment than simply throwing it away. The photo above shows the re-landscaping of a traditional porch area that ALDA carried out for a client in Brimpton. We were able to take up and re-lay some beautiful Yorkstone paving by repurposing some slabs from the back garden to match in with the existing ones.
- Whilst reclaimed paving bought from reclamation yards can be expensive, if you have old pavers that you intend to replace with a new design, think about how you could reuse the old ones behind a shed or down a side of the house that is only used for storage.
- If you have a large area of concrete such as an old foundation, it can be crushed and re-used as sub-base for patios or paths.
- Gabion walls (an example built by ALDA shown here) are constructed by taking metal frames and packing them with stone. They are strong enough to be used as retaining walls or seating and because building them doesn’t involve using cement, they are good for drainage. They can be faced with a decorative brick or stone and back filled with rubble so are great for repurposing old bricks and stones when clearing the garden.
Repurposing Furniture
- It can be tempting when redesigning the garden to just replace all your old furniture with new, but consider reusing pieces that could be incorporated into the new design.
- For example an existing bench could be placed as a lovely focal point in the corner of the garden – bringing a bit of age and character to the space.
Containers and Water Features
- One of the easiest way to re-use materials into your garden is by repurposing a household item into a planter or water feature.
- For example, an old bowl or some crockery could be used as plant pot.
- A ceramic sink or tub could be used as a wildlife pond.
- I have even seen old chairs used a quirky planters!
Wildlife
- Recycling materials can be a great way to attract wildlife to the garden.
- Bug hotels can be created from waste materials such as cut up logs and old bricks.
- Handmade bird feeders can be made from old tea cups.
Growing Your Own
- If you are considering growing your own fruit or vegetables in your new design, then also consider space for compost bins so you can make your own compost from prunings and grass clippings from your garden.
- Rather than buying plastic pots to plant seeds, consider saving egg cartons, plastic containers, and toilet rolls to use instead.
I hope this blog as given you some ideas for repurposing materials in your own garden, and shown you how easy it can be!
From planning a new border to a complete garden remodel, we pride ourselves on transforming ideas into beautiful reality, with minimum disruption. If you’re based in or around the Reading and Newbury area, we’d love to meet and discuss your project in detail – book your free no-obligation garden consultation today.