Recycling in the Garden
Reusing Everyday Items
British journalist Angela Youngman considers opportunities for reuse and repair in outdoor spaces in Recycling in the Garden.
This idea book for the modern gardener covers areas in which hobbyists and those with more land might work with less harm to the environment. Its wide range of topics includes composting, green manure, water capture methods, green roofs and walls, solar power, and recycling, mending, and upcycling materials for use around the garden. Modern methods such as using recycled plastic in walkways and benches are presented alongside historical methods of gardening that were once more popular, including Victorian stumperies, or gardens designed around the roots and stumps of dead trees.
Youngman calls on gardeners to consider the impact of their choices, which are often made without much thought, as with the use of peat as a growing medium, though some argue that peat should be considered a fossil fuel because its slow growth makes it a nonrenewable resource. It complements these insights with stories from others who have used what they had on hand to make their gardens great. Photographs of gardens are included, as well as reports from home growers who repurposed materials in creative ways, as with using a washing machine rotor drum as a fire pit and turning an old car into a combination greenhouse and planter. These stories encourage consideration of one’s own outdoor spaces, while a lengthy list of items that can be reused makes this work actionable; it includes old hats and umbrellas that can be turned into planters, carpet that can be used for weed abatement, fabric for composting, and the wire of spiral notebooks that can be used to support plants.
Recycling in the Garden is a thoughtful, inspiring text that encourages creative and sustainable approaches to one’s outdoor spaces.
Reviewed by
Sarah White
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
