Often when I go walking I see lots of things that people leave to be picked up by the garbage collectors. Sometimes, people also leave yard debris strewn about as well. The other day I passed a house with evergreen clippings all over the sidewalk. I assumed that whomever had cut it was coming back to pick it up. Today, two days later I passed that house again. The clippings were still on the ground.
I decided to pick the clippings up and bring them home for my compost. As I bent down to pick the clippings up, I could see that they were still fresh and they smelled wonderful. They were more than clippings. There were many that were one to two feet long. All of them had tiny blue berries all over them. To a gardener, who fancies herself somewhat of a designer, this was a cornucopia of a find! I picked up every bit strewn around. I was almost giddy with delight. Happy with my prize, I walked home with an armload of greenery.
When I got home I laid them out on my porch steps. This was kismet. I had just removed the summer arrangement from the large planter in front of my home and planted tulip bulbs in it last week. It was pretty bare except for a small scarecrow I had left in the middle.
Normally, I put evergreen boughs that I buy at a local nursery in the planter for the winter. Otherwise the front of the house is mostly bare and slightly depressing. I usually go to the nursery after Thanksgiving. Then I clip some bright red branches from my Red Twig Dogwoods and put them in the arrangement I've created. I don't have the kind of evergreens that grow the lovely arching branches I like to put in the planter. I am growing one that is still farily small.
The arrangements last in our colder weather until March or April. So I was thrilled that I had found so much to use, for free. I also think I did the people a favor by cleaning up the mess left by someone from their family. They often leave weeds in piles and grass clippings all over the sidewalk and driveway. So, I wasn't concerned that someone would care that I picked it up. After all it was cut two days ago and I was probably doing them a favor.
This is the earliest I've put evergreens in the planter. I watered them, to perk them up and so they will stay fresh. It's still not that cold out. It was in the upper 50's today. One year, one of the Dogwood branches I cut and put in the planter even put out roots! I have a bit of a green thumb. I'd like to take credit for the idea of the cuttings in the planter over the winter, but I saw it on "The Victory Garden" years ago.
I always seem to find things tossed out that are prefect for the garden. Last week I started out on my walk and spied several pots from a distance at a house that was for sale. I ran/walked quickly over. I stopped and looked, and almost walked away because they all seemed to be broken. But knowing that sometimes there are little gems in the piles of rubble, I bent down to look harder. On closer inspection, I saw two perfect Terracotta pots and saucers; a bonus! They were a little heavy to carry, but I practically ran back home with them. I left them on my porch and continued back on my walk, almost bouncing with excitement from my found treasure.
Earlier this summer, I snagged a plaster and fiberglass planter that was in excellent condition. It was sitting out at the curb with the garbage to be picked up. It was a tad dirty and had been painted an ugly dull shade of gray. It also needed a better drainage hole. I bet myself, checkiing the size of teh hole that the people threw it away because it didn't drain well.
I picked it up and walked back the four and a half long blocks I had come. It was a little heavy. Especially after two of those incredibly long blocks. The blocks in that particular area are double the normal length. So two blocks are like four regular city blocks. The pot seemed to get heavier the further I had to walk back to my car! I like to walk in different sections of town. I drove over and parked at the local park. My arm got very tired from carrying it, and felt like it would fall off! But I soon recovered quickly once I got back to my car.and looked over my find. It had a lot of possiblity.
Now you are probably thinking, why didn't you just go get the car and drive back? Yes , that would make sense. I would have, but one of the junkmen who frequently troll the neighborhood for salvageable things, was only a few houses behind me. He surely would have snagged it up before I got back. I just couldn't risk loosing it! I felt a little like Gollum from "Lord of the Rings". I had to protect "my precious" find!
When I got home, I went right to work. Thirty seconds with a sharp wrench and I put a better drainage hole in. Then I decided to repaint it. The original color had been white. I could see where a little of the paint had pealed off. It was such a great find. Planters of that type and size sell for fifty to sixty or more dollars! I searched our garage for paint. My husband always has things llike cans of spray paint. Don't ask me why, I never see him use them!
I've found other garden treasures over the last couple of years on my walks. They are almost always sitting out with the trash. The saying, "One man's trash, is another man's treasure" really applies in my case.
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