I love going to yard sales in search of bargains and one-of-a-kind items. Last year, I bought a wiry bird feeder for a dollar. I had every intention of using it for the birds when I spotted it, but on arriving home, found a piece was missing. What to do? Toss it and declare the purchase a loss, or shelve it, and let ideas percolate. Well, near a year later, I put a plastic pot inside the wire, planted a few spider plantlets I rooted over the winter, and “Wow!” I love my new planter hanging in the pine.

Another example is this decorative bird house I found a few years ago for just a quarter. It sat on my front steps for two years, but during the winter lost most of its roof. Ragged, but still sturdy, I decided to update the bird house with some Johnny-Jump-Ups. I LOVE IT! It sits in a bed of  ivy under the pine tree. Better yet, I can snip off a flower now and then for pressing. Think “makeover” before you toss out the accumulating junk we all seem to collect.  Look around your garage, basement and attic for “trashy” items you can update for the garden. Fun!