I have a 18ft w x 20ft nearly all mud back garden,i want to make a recycled healing garden what can i use ?

im looking to make a recycled peaceful,spiritual,relaxing, meditating garden with plenty of plants/flowers/wildlife friendly,lots of different textures,all made from re-using unwanted items. all ideas welcomed thanks karen x

I have a 18ft w x 20ft nearly all mud back garden,i want to make a recycled healing garden what can i use ?
Hedgehog house-an upturned wooden crate covered with stones,earth and twigs


Plant an area with a mix of grass and wild flower seeds to encourage bees and insects which in turn will bring insect eating birds (also plant clover and catmint for the bees)


Make a wood pile to attract insects and amphibians


A small pond ( an old sink or sink into the ground a large plastic bucket) with rocks nearby for frogs and toads to hide


Plant a buddlea to encourage butterflies and lavender for both you and them


old car wheels (turn the tyre inside out) as planters


Recycled tyre mulch for a path


Tyre wheel trims-maybe painted and used as decoration on wall??


Use wine bottle bases cemented into walls or paths
Reply:Start collecting containers, you can grow plants in anything like boots, oil cans etc, as long as it has some drainage. Once you have a container you can start collecting plants 'cos they will be safe while you decide what to do with the landscaping and you can plant them out later when you know where you want to put them.





The best thing you can install to attract wildlife is a pond, just make surte there is a gentle slope at one side so that things can get out again if they fall in.





Have a look at Bob Flowerdew's books, he is famous for recycling stuff in his garden, he's a bit extreme sometimes but has very sound ideas.





Oh, and buy a hammock!
Reply:With your existing space being so waterlogged, you are limited in what you can do unless you turn it into a bog garden. You will have to fill it with something organic first. You might be able to find fill or compost at a local park and they might be willing to give you enough to bring it up past your water level. Then you can start with native plants, a deer scarer that you can make from bamboo, a bench you can make from rocks or found things. You can do garden totems, statuary you make from hypertufa. The list is almost endless, but you must first get your garden space out of the mud.
Reply:HAUL IN BOUT 3 16 YD. DUMP TRUCK LOADS OF SAND--TILLER THIS IN TO YOUR EXISTING DIRT-- YOU WANT TO BUILD UP THE AREA SO IT DOESN'T HOLD WATER OR STAY WET--A SMALL POND WOULD WORK OUT ALL RIGHT --WITH A FOUNTAIN---IF YOU HAVE ELECTRICITY THERE --OR JUST PLANT SOME WATER GARDEN PLANTS IN IT---LEVEL IT OFF AND BUILD A WALK WAY OUT OF STONE OR BRICK--MAKE A SEATING AREA BOUT 6 X 8 FEET WITH A BENCH AND ARBOR MADE FROM RECYCLED MATERIAL--PLANT PLENTY OF NATIVE PLANTS TO YOUR AREA--GROUND COVERS ARE ALWAYS A GOOD THING TO PLANT--THEN PLANT SOME DIFFERENT PLANTS IN THEM -- ALSO A HUMMING BIRD FEEDER AND REGULAR BIRD FEEDER-- A RELIGIOUS STATUE OR CROSS
Reply:maybe you can pave part of it somehow and use planters for growing in...I've heard of people using all sorts of things to garden in..everything from old tractor tires to deep freezes(they make the garden waist high). To get plants you might be able to ask around for people's extras...bulbs and things have to be thinned so people are sometimes just throwing those away...at our local university they used to pull up all the bulbs every year and toss them...if you were there on the right day you could get a bag full! (no more junked bulbs right now though due to budget cuts.)
Reply:try your local freecycle web site for unwanted stuff its free and it involves recycling