• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Partner
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Southern Hospitality

Adventures in Decorating, Thrifting, Cooking, Fashion & Gardening

  • My Home
  • Categories
    • A+ Blogs
    • My Blog Story
    • Decorating
    • DIY/How-To
    • Family
    • Gardening
    • In the Kitchen
    • My Home Tours
    • Thrifting
    • Travel
  • DIY Gallery
  • Fashion
  • Feature Friday
  • Shop My Home
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Container Planters for Spring/Summer

April 21, 2016 By Rhoda 140 Comments

0 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Last year, my patio had just been finished in April and I planted my huge white planters with beautiful flowers, so this year I was ready to get started on that once again. Planting flowers is something that I love to do for the summer months and it’s fun to get them started in April and they have a chance to really explode with growth and blooms.

planting flowers008

I was contacted by a new company called EcoScraps® showing me their innovative gardening products.  Since I love to plant flowers every year and was getting ready to replant for this spring, I looked at their website and really liked what I saw.  Two college students noticed how much food was being wasted when they went out to eat and decided to do something about it….by turning it into gardening products. 

Since 2010, EcoScraps has been working to be a part of the solution by reusing this waste and keeping it out of the landfills. They want to educate and make sustainability something that’s part of mainstream America.

I would agree that this is a good idea.  My dad has composted forever by throwing their vegetable and fruit scraps out in his garden and under his trees.  It really does work!

planting flowers006

I’m not a total tree hugger, but I do think we can do a better job here in the US of recycling waste products and EcoScraps has made great headway into that endeavor.

Did you know that in the US, we waste 40% of the food produced?  It’s enough to fill the Rose Bowl every day.  Think about that for a minute!  I know how guilty I am of wasting food.  I can’t count the number of times that I’ve let lettuce and other produce go to waste by not having the time to prepare it before it goes bad.

Bagged salad is one of the top foods wasted, so consider buying bagged lettuce only on days that you actually plan to use it all.  Raising my hand here. I’m completely guilty of this one!
planting flowers007

Here’s another staggering statistic for you.

Between 2011 and 2015, EcoScraps recycled 75 million lbs of food waste. Something else to ponder! They are matching that number in 2016 with projected recycling of another 75 million lbs of food waste, this time in just 12 months.

The amazing part of this is that recycling 15 million lbs of food waste is equivalent to keeping 500,000 cars off the road for an entire day.  An entire day!!

OK, so why not support a company who does all of this?

planting flowers009

I purchased a couple of bags of EcoScraps potting soil for my new planters and got to work planting.

planting flowers010

Out came the old spent flowers from last summer.  Here’s what happens when you put foam packing peanuts in the bottom of a big planter and fill it up with dirt and plant it.  The roots will completely go to the bottom of the container and wrap themselves all over those peanuts until they are barely detectable.  I threw this ball of roots away and started over with nice fresh dirt.

planting flowers011

I added all my plants to each planter and will be having fun watching them all grow again for this summer season.  It’s nice to get them all potted up before it gets too hot and they have a chance to fill out and grow well.

planting flowers001

They anchor my new patio that I’m really going to enjoy this year.  I got the patio all cleaned up for the year and ready to relax.  I stored all the cushions for the patio on the screened porch this year and covered all with old sheets.  It worked out great and they were all safe and sound.

planting flowers002

I covered the vinyl sofa with my tarp, just to keep it covered and protected from debris for the winter.  I then took off the tarp, hosed it all down with the hose to get off any pollen that had gotten in there and then let it all dry really well, before bringing out all the cushions.

planting flowers004

I rolled up the rug and stored it on the screened porch too and that worked out well for protecting it through the winter.  It’s an outdoor rug so holds up well to water.

planting flowers005

I’m leaving it all uncovered for now since no rain is projected for a few days, but when the rain sets in again, I’ll get the tarp back out and cover everything again.  It’s not so bad to do that and I want to protect it all for as long as possible.

planting flowers003

In the meantime, I’ll be watching these beauties grow and bloom and that’s the start of summer for me!  Potting up some new planters is a great way to kick off the fun season of summer.

EcoScraps has a cute video that shows the process of how they recycle food scraps and turn it into potting soil, so check that out for more information.

You can find EcoScraps products at your local Lowes.  If they don’t have it in stock, order it online and then pick up at your local store. That’s what I did!  It’s no more expensive than regular potting soil and I like that we are helping to recycle and reuse waste products.

GREAT news for my readers!  EcoScraps is giving away a $50 Lowes gift card, so that you can pick up bags of EcoScraps for yourself to try out!  

Enter to win by signing up on Rafflecopter and leaving a comment here.  What do you think about the EcoScraps concept and are you going to be planting any plants this year?  Planting veggies or flowers?  

One winner will receive a $50 Lowes gift card!  

Note:  This post is sponsored by EcoScraps. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Related


Don't Miss a Post, join my list!

Filed Under: Gardens and Flowers 140 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Trish says

    April 23, 2016 at 8:39 am

    I think they have a great recycling idea!

    Reply
  2. Beverly Ozburn says

    April 23, 2016 at 5:50 pm

    We already have a plethora of onions and cool season veggies growing in raised containers. We are looking forward to growing straw-bale tomatoes this year. Last year worked wonderfully! I’m going to have to scout for some of that recycled food soil. We have a compost heap but never thought about looking for potting soil made like that.

    Reply
  3. Pamela Ruth says

    April 23, 2016 at 6:10 pm

    It seems that they have a great idea!! We will be planting two large pots on either side of our back stairs. Thanx for the chance to win.

    Reply
  4. Karrie Millheim says

    April 24, 2016 at 12:24 am

    I love it, I want to give it a try. I am going to grow veggies this year to expand from flowers..try different combos

    Reply
  5. Brenda R says

    April 24, 2016 at 6:44 pm

    Love the idea of the new product. Planting lots of flowers on the patio.

    Reply
  6. Amy says

    April 25, 2016 at 10:46 am

    I love the idea of the new product. I compost and sometimes need a jumpstart. This might be helpful.

    Reply
  7. Becca P says

    April 25, 2016 at 12:01 pm

    This is a great idea. I plant flowers, herbs, and a few veggies each year.

    Reply
  8. HS kraftmaking says

    April 25, 2016 at 12:29 pm

    I like the EcoScraps concept and I’m going to be planting some veggies and herbs this year.

    Reply
  9. Pam says

    April 25, 2016 at 7:38 pm

    I will be planting flowers, and will for sure try out this new product this year. Thanks for the giveaway!

    Reply
  10. Audra says

    April 26, 2016 at 11:13 am

    Thanks for sharing….I will have to look for Ecoscraps at Lowe’s. We have already planted this year. We wanted to get a raised veggie bed going, so maybe we can use Ecoscraps for that.

    Reply
  11. Robin Wallis says

    April 26, 2016 at 7:34 pm

    What a great idea those kids had!

    Reply
  12. LaTanya says

    April 27, 2016 at 3:19 pm

    I like their concept and I will be planting flowers this year.

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Thanks for stopping by! I’m Rhoda, from Atlanta, GA and I love decorating and DIY projects. Decorating a home doesn’t have to cost a fortune and I’ve spent years thrifting at antiques markets and yard sales, finding those treasures that make a home unique. I’m here to inspire and encourage other women to find their own inner creativity. Won’t you join me?

Click Here

Click Here

Email Series
How to Decorate in
Classic Timeless Style
.....without breaking the bank!

House Renovation Journey!

Our Paint Colors

Archives

Categories

Footer Widget Header2

Featured here:

Better Homes and Gardens
Atlanta Magazine
Better Homes and Gardens

Footer

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Partner

Copyright © 2023 · Southern Hospitality · Blog Design by Little Blue Deer
Privacy Policy

Get my FREE Email Series How to Decorate in Classic Timeless Style....without breaking the bank!
After years of decorating my own homes, I've learned a few tricks on how to create a classic home on a budget. Hope you'll join me!
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.