Anytime I can make my life easier when working in our gardens, so much the better. Call them gardening hacks, if you will.
The first one has been in my possession for at least 8 years, and it still functions well.
The used plastic coffee container:
I got the tub for free, used. Washed with soap and left open for a while, the coffee smell dissipated quickly. Just ask on Facebook if any family or friends use these, and “can you save me your next empty one?”. Pople love not having to toss stuff in the garbage can.
With its tight-fitting lid, I usually use it to store my plant ID tags and Sharpie markers. If I am working on seeding but need to take a break, I will also tuck seeds in it.
It’s watertight, and eight years out, no animals or rodents have bothered it. I primarily store it in my greenhouse, but it’s been left out in the potting station, even in the rain.
These coffee containers are great for storing small items such as irrigation parts, clips, rolls of twine, and more. Keeps items clean, not dusty, and away from UV damage. This is also helpful if you do not have a shed or greenhouse to store items in; the tub can be stashed under a potting table.
The Grow Bag Second Use:
A week or so back, I saw a great deal on 10-gallon-sized grow bags ($12.49 for ten of them, meaning $1.25 each!) (They are normally $31.99 for the set, so $3.20 each). We bought two sets because you never know when you might need them. I have used multiple of them to plant bell pepper plants, so they are getting used.
But it struck me that they’d also work well for stashing weeds in.
This ended up being better than using them to plant in.
They fit between my rows in the beds and have a wide, flat bottom. I find the bags easier to use than 5-gallon buckets, and the wide handles make picking it up a snap.
I price compared to the same size bags sold locally. $7.99 a bag! Shopping online and watching sales can go far in affording more gardening gear. And also cheaper than buying new 5 gallon buckets, but more so, once done using, they flatten up for easy storage.
~Sarah