Greener Garden Accessories

We’ve spent the last few days happily planting vegetable seeds on our farm. As every gardener does, we are hoping for a prolific harvest. To achieve that of course you need sun and rain; in dry spells you have to water. 

Traditional garden hoses use a lot of water and are manufactured with toxic materials. Fortunately manufacturers understand the importance of and the growing market for “green” household products and are now making eco-friendly hoses with patented water restrictors. The restrictors control pressure and use at least 50 percent less water; they also help with puddling and soil erosion. 

Earth friendly hoses are made from at least 50 percent recycled material, usually polyurethane, rubber or a combination, and are generally much lighter than the common rubber hose. (It is important to choose a hose with UV protective coating to prevent cracking from direct sun exposure.) And on those hot days when you need a drink of water, you can safely drink from an eco-friendly garden hose. They can be found on line at greenhome.com.

Conserving water is always a concern and using a rain barrel to capture rainwater makes good sense. The spouts can easily be attached to your garden hose and you can put two or more barrels together for more water. Check out these rain barrels from Gardener’s Supply.

Here’s an upcycling tip for a garden accessory - If you have some old venetian blinds hidden in your attic, cut them in pieces for garden stakes and label them with a sharpie. It keeps the blinds out of the landfill and saves you a few dollars.

To show off the fruits of your hard labor, spotlight some of your plantings or light up a garden path with solar lighting. They last for years and work just as well as conventional lighting.

Gardening is naturally a green activity, but make it even more so by using greener garden accessories.

For more green living tips, visit greenwithbetsy.com.