Five Fun Projects for the Spring Garden

Some fun DIY ideas for decorating your garden this spring.

By Gimundo Staff. Posted on May 17 2011

We’re already a few weeks into spring—can you believe it? It’s starting to feel like time to do some planting! Not only is gardening a fun way to play outdoors and get a little bit of exercise, but by growing some of your own fruits and veggies, you can stretch your food budget! Spring is a great time to plant lettuces, tomatoes, beets, leafy greens, garlic, onions, herbs, and beans.

Whether you’re working with a whole backyard or a smaller space, we’ve got some DIY garden ideas for you.

1. Vertical garden from reclaimed gutters
Over at Green Upgrader, you can check out Suzanne Forsling’s brilliant gutter garden. You can most likely find old gutters on Freecycle, Craigslist’s free section, or at a Habitat Restore. Forsling just attached the old gutters to her home’s wood siding, and voilà! A functional vertical garden.

2. Moss graffiti
Decorate your garden in beautiful moss! You can use moss graffiti to adorn a wall, as in the image above, or put it on stepping stones or in wooden or ceramic planters. Spring rains will help that moss thrive. What a unique way to add more personality to your springtime garden!

3. DIY garden markers
Whether you’re planting in pots or in garden rows, it helps to mark what you’re planting so you’ll know how to care for it and what is where. Rather than using store-bought markers, there are lots of fun ways to whip up your own DIY garden markers. My favorite idea is to use permanent marker to write on thrifted silverware. You could write on the handle, or you could use spoons and write on the top instead.

4. An upside down tomato planter
Tomatoes and other vines grow very well in upside down containers. Upside down hanging planters also help maximize a small space so that you can grow more food in less square footage. In the video above, The Tired Garden Test Beds shows you how to create a simple upside down planter using a bucket, a coffee filter, and a utility knife.

5. A self-watering container
In the video above, Mike Lieberman shows you how to build your own self-watering container. A self-watering container is a great way to reduce the maintenance on your garden. Instead of watering on a regular basis, you just need to make sure that the reservoir doesn’t go dry.

By Care2. Syndicated from Divine Caroline.

Filed under: Green,

Liked this? You'll love these, too:

The Town without Trash: Kamikatsu, Japan

In this green Japanese town, all household waste is recycled into 34 separate categories. Read More
5 Reasons to Join a CSA Now

A community-supported agriculture program is a great way to get fresh veggies from a local farm all summer long. Read More
Green your Workplace with Tree-Free Paper

Want to make your office feel a little more eco-friendly? Then it's time to find out about the great alternatives to traditional wood-pulp paper. Read More
6 Good Reasons to Buy Locally

Check out these benefits for buying your fruit and vegetables from a local farmer or market. Read More
Five Ways to Help Your Kids Go Green

Try these tips to help your children become more eco-friendly. Read More