A New Use For Used (And Broken) Tile
Eileen Church
Have you ever heard of using tile in your garden? Here are some
ideas of how to "recycle" your used and broken tile.
The edging of a garden is almost as important as the garden
itself. It's like a picture frame. The picture can be
interesting and beautiful, but it needs a frame to really
enhance its appearance.
There are many different types of garden edgings. Many people
prefer to use something heavy and permanent, like a low brick
wall, or rocks set together with mortar. However, not everyone
is physically capable of creating such a structure.
Bricks set freely can be just as effective. They can be placed
in a simple line, end to end, or stacked in a double row, with
gaps in between. They can also be set diagonally, leaning
against each other for support.
Another attractive idea is to decorate short lengths of board
with old tiles. Tiles can often be purchased very cheaply from
re-cycling places. Glue your choice of tile along the board
using an outdoor glue. On each end of the board, tack a peg
with one end pointed. This will be used to push into the soil
to support your board and keep it off the ground.
Bush rocks are another easy idea to give your garden that
finished look. They need not be too big, unless you have plenty
of muscle or help. You may be able to gather rocks from a
friends farm, or from the bush if that is legal in your area.
Otherwise, garden suppliers usually have plenty to choose from.
Yet another idea is to create a living edging. Choose a plant
that will be suitable for your climate and conditions. The
pretty pink of alpine phlox is an attractive border and the
plants can be divided and planted again and again. Many other
plants can be propagated in this way, thus reducing the initial
costs. Of course, your border will take a little more time to
get established than if you bought all the necessary plants at
once.
Gazanias are another hardy border plant that can be divided
many times. Bulbs might seem like a good choice too, but
remember that they will die down and leave your borders looking
messy for ages. Also, they remain dormant for at least six
months, so if you plant anything else there you risk damaging
the bulbs. Of course, you can dig them up and replace them with
something else, but you may prefer a more permanent border edge
to save on the workload.
If you have a larger garden, comfrey is a plant to consider
using for an edging plant. Its thick growth habit will prevent
any grasses intruding into the garden, and the leaves can be
pulled for excellent mulch around roses or other plants. It has
delightful, dainty flowers in season too. However, a small
garden could be overwhelmed by more than one comfrey plant.
In a small garden attractive annuals like sweet alice, pansies,
violas or petunias make great borders. For something a bit
different, try an herb border. Then you can go out and pick
your herbs any time you want. Chives have a crisp green color
that would make your garden sparkle while strawberries will
entice the kids out into the fresh air to have a healthy snack.
Some people prefer to simply bevel an edge around their garden
with the shovel. This is a good option if your lawn has the
sort of grass with runners, like kikuyu. Those runners can be
kept under control by chopping them off every so often with the
edge of the shovel.
Whatever option you choose, it will enhance your garden to have
a beautiful edging.
About The Author: Eileen Church is the webmaster at
http://cttile.com and loves the almost unlimited versatility
and beauty of tile. Please visit
http://www.cttile.com for some
great resources about tile.
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