This has got to be one of the niftiest, most creative ideas for repurposing something old and worn-out into a useful garden structure. I used to walk by this in our old neighborhood, and made a trip back there yesterday to see if it was still there – and it was!
The gardeners, who have a wildly colorful Victorian-style house on a fairly busy Seattle street, complete with a chicken coop and a woodshed (very country-in-the-city), have turned their side parking strip into a raspberry patch with the help of two pair of old downhill skis, a few bolts, and some wire.
The skis are sunk into the ground on either side of a narrow bed, and each pair of skis has been drilled and bolted together at the top:
There are smaller holes drilled below the bolts, so that the wire could be threaded through, as shown here:
The look is whimsical and has never failed to make me smile when I pass it. It’s also super sturdy, I think it’s been there for at least 6 years and probably longer than that. Neighbors seem to respect the berries and not pick, as there were many still clinging to the vines even though the leaves are now showing their fall colors and getting ready to let go.
Do you have a favorite recycled/reused/repurposed thing you’ve used yourself or seen in someone else’s garden?
