Daylilies and Repurposing Their Stems

I love my Daylilies! They grow in all types of soil conditions as long as it is well drained. They prefer sun, but tolerate shade. They winter well and can survive extreme heat as long as they receive an inch of water a week. If the rabbits did not like them so much, they would be on my short list of perfect flowers. I have found that the rabbits will not traverse rocks to eat them, so a little landscaping has allowed me to spend less time channeling Mr. McGregor and more time enjoying my flowers.

I have not decided if the tip I am about to share falls under the category of  frugal and green or cheap and lazy; I will let you decide. When my daylilies have stopped blooming, I pinch the dead blooms, so they don’t go to seed, but I do not cut back their stems. Instead I let them dry until I can just twist the dead stems out. Then I have a free, eco-friendly, biodegradable stake to use for my morning glory seedlings.  The dried stems are also perfect for staking peas and green beans when I start them inside before the last frost. They are 2 – 3 feet tall, but very light weight. When I transfer the plant outdoors, I can leave the make do stake with the seedling rather than risk doing damage to the plant by removing it. So what do you think? Am I hiding behind a frugal and green cover, while truly being cheap and lazy?

To view gardens from around the world, visit Fertilizer Friday at Tootsie Time.

DIY Mini-Greenhouse

I love starting my seedling inside in the spring. I always start in late February or early March, even though the plants cannot be put outside until late May. For that reason, I often use yogurt cups, so there is plenty of room for the roots to develop.

What you need for this project:
10 oz. empty salad container, washed by hand (these are often made of cornstarch and melt in the dishwasher.

6 empty yogurt cups per salad container, washed (these are rugged enough to be put in the dishwasher when you have extra room)

hammer and 1 nail

With the hammer and nail, make two holes in the bottom of each yogurt cup. Do not worry if you create a crack in the process; it will still work.
Scoop dirt into the yogurt cups. If you can’t find a shovel, you can create a scoop from a milk jug.
Add seeds, water, and put the lids on until the seedlings have emerged:
I did not put the lettuce in yogurt cups. I put dirt directly into the salad container, because the lettuces will be put out earlier than the other plants, so they don’t need as much room for root development.

Have you found ways to repurpose and reuse items items in your garden?

This post has been linked to Works For Me Wednesday.