Mailbox in my garden

Years ago I lived in a large apartment complex, and had no place for a garden.  The solution was a "P-patch " community garden.  Coming home from the garden store, I passed through a "block long" garage sale.  Someone had a typical rural route mail box (slightly dented) attached to a cedar 4x4 post, sheared off at ground level.  They wanted  $5, but since it was late in the day, and nobody had shown interest, I offered $1 and they took it.  I dug a hole in my P-patch garden and planted it in a shady corner.  It turned out to be a handy storage spot for my pruners, seed packets that needed replanting on a rotational basis, stakes, marker pens, etc, etc.  I also received a half dozen pieces of "mail" in it...notes from neighboring gardeners saying "Great idea".

While at the same garage sale, I bought a crock pot for a buck or two.  I had looked at the heated germination pads at the garden store, but could not justify spending $30 to grow 6-8 tomato, and 3-4 pepper plants.  I filled the crock pot with starter mix, and planted my seeds.  On the "Keep Warm" setting, it germinated 100% of my seeds.

John Polk wrote:
While at the same garage sale, I bought a crock pot for a buck or two.  I had looked at the heated germination pads at the garden store, but could not justify spending $30 to grow 6-8 tomato, and 3-4 pepper plants.  I filled the crock pot with starter mix, and planted my seeds.  On the "Keep Warm" setting, it germinated 100% of my seeds.

Now that is pure genius!!!

John Polk wrote:
While at the same garage sale, I bought a crock pot for a buck or two.  I had looked at the heated germination pads at the garden store, but could not justify spending $30 to grow 6-8 tomato, and 3-4 pepper plants.  I filled the crock pot with starter mix, and planted my seeds.  On the "Keep Warm" setting, it germinated 100% of my seeds.

I'll have to post a photo of my "Christmas light germination pad".  It is about 2'x4', and is made from a sheet of rigid insulation, 3 strings of mini-incandescent Christmas lights, and some pea gravel.  It worked really well and cost me $0.

I use an old mailbox for the same thing. It's a great idea and a handy mini tool shed.

LOL, gads, this takes me back ,, twenty years ago I used to paint old mailboxes "purdy" so people would put them in the gardens for their tools.They used to walk through my show gardens and see them there for tool storage.They made me quite a few dollars back then.
  Our propagation bed here at the Happy house is constructed with salvaged woods.It measures in at 4 by 6 feet.It is composed of a queen size water bed  heater.A piece of the waterbed mattress, 4 inches wet sand and a layer of 6 mil visqueen from the greenhouse.
Hugs,Laughter,Light,Love
Mary
of the
Happy House

It's so nice to find new uses for things that would otherwise be making a one way trip to the landfill.

I took my old mail box, mounted it on the post near a crabapple, opened the door and put a front on it with a hole and perch, and it is used by wrens almost every year as a birdhouse.

Denninmi wrote:
I took my old mail box, mounted it on the post near a crabapple, opened the door and put a front on it with a hole and perch, and it is used by wrens almost every year as a birdhouse.

Both ideas were awesome, thanks for sharing

got one in my garden too.  it stores shears, seeds, and other misc. tools.  a friend of ours paints mailboxes. she gave us one, all painted up. w/ flowers and such.  i told my wife i aint hanging that gay lookin thing up.  it lived in the basement for 5 yrs before it got moved out to the garden for its main purpose now.

T. Pierce,  the more gaiety in the garden, the better I say