Rotten wood out, recycled stone in

Since elementary school I have been taught the importance of recycling. In most cases, that means rinsing and sorting plastic and glass containers or sorting newspapers and cardboard. But last month I did a recycling project on a different level. My husband and youngest son demolished an old stone flower bed and we reused the rocks to edge the flower beds out front.

I had grown sick of the decaying landscape timbers that lined the beds, including my small herb garden. Seriously, they had to have been in place for decades. I pulled them out and my youngest dragged them to the street. (Yes, I am running a work camp here, people.)

Using sledgehammers, the boys broke up the old flowerbed. In some cases the stones separated at the mortar lines. I used a chisel and hammer to break many others apart. (Yes, it was tiring and sweaty work, but well worth it.)

We hauled the stones and lined the flower beds with the recycled rock. It’s actually permastone, that favorite from the 1950s – a concrete compound poured into molds to set. The stones are whitish and most are about 10 inches long. The finished look is not perfect, but I am so glad we found a way to get rid of those rotting timbers and replace them with something for free. And we kept several hundred pounds of rock out of the landfill. That’s the best news of all.

(I've got basil, Thai basil, thyme, parsley, cilantro, tomatoes and cukes planted along with the flowers!)