Reuse and Recycle in the Backyard

We have a couple of outdoor sheds in the new backyard and have been talking about what to do with them.  Here they are...

 

They sit up against the side of the apartment at the end of the driveway. 

Why don't we recycle them!  We have some glass paned doors Andrew has stockpiled from past demolitions and we didn't want to throw them out if they still had some value to them.  Well, about 6 months ago we had looked at the Inspiration Green website and found a post with greenhouses made from recycled windows and doors.  Andrew recently remembered these and thinks he can use the old doors and modify the sheds.  Here are some pictures from that website that show the general idea.

 

 

 

 

 

I love all of them and they are all unique.  Most were designed around the windows they had collected from neighbors and such.  Recycled things are sometimes the most beautiful things. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Underfoot in the Backyard

I can't wait to start on this project for the yard.  Pebble mosaic pavers.  If you Google them, you can see beautiful, complex ones that would take a lot of time and money, but here is a picture that I think would be reasonably obtainable for us.

jeffreygardens.blogspot.com

One that is beautiful, and simple enough to make...

inspirationgreen.com

Maybe we will make them all different animals...

maggyhowarth.co.uk



They seem to be really simple to make.  Build a mold (flat bottom with edges in whatever shape you need).  Pour in a layer of sand.  Place your pebbles in whatever design you want pushing them all the way down to the flat part of the mold.  Pour cement on top.  Then wait for it to dry, remove it from the mold, and dust off the sand. 

I told Andrew I could build the molds with some of his scrap wood, but he insists on making the molds himself.  I got the distinct feeling he didn't want me using his tools.  Hmph.

Time to look for local pebbles.

more to follow.....