Flower Bed Part I

The first 10th Street reuse project involves the installation of a raised flower bed in front of the house. The 48 square foot area has long been neglected and is overgrown with weeds. Making it worse, there is garbage infused with the soil, making this small plot of land difficult to manage. To successfully install a raised flower bed we'll have to remove and cover up the mistreated area and prepare a distinct bed that outlines the sidewalk and house.


Notice the weeds spilling out several inches onto the sidewalk.

A trench along the sidewalk must be dug to form a distinct outline for the bed.

The next step is to build a barrier between the flower bed and the sidewalk.

Introduction

This blog is centered around the process of rehabbing a house on 10th Street in Buffalo, NY. This house, circa 1900, needs a good deal of work. This blog will feature several projects, large and small, to spruce up the house, with an emphasis on the reuse of building materials.

The key to waste disposal is the “3R Concept”: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Recycling consists of breaking down used items into raw materials in order to create new materials. There is a distinct difference in the true meaning of reuse. For example, recycling aluminum cans involves processes that costs money and energy. To truly “reuse” an aluminum can would be to find another use for the item without expending any additional money or energy. (Such as turning it into a bird feeder, pencil holder, etc.) Reusing items involves creative and innovative thinking. Benefits include saving money, time, energy and resources.

Our hope is that we can show how easy (and inexpensive) reuse projects can be. Keep track of our experiments in reuse, and feel free to post any helpful tips or ideas on our projects. Your ideas are always welcome.