More Ways to Save: Recycle your Office Wardrobe

Although I could probably get away with wearing dowdy, er, casual clothes to work, I'd rather look and feel like a success. I've only begun to realize that doing so would give me some items I could recycle in the garden. Even if you don't sport the dress for success look, you might have some of these items, or you can get them cheaply. The cheap grocery store hose works just as well as the expensive department store brands. And dress shirts and leather bags sell for a few dollars at thrift stores.

Ruined panty hose: use them to keep the covers on the seed trays. Tie the ends together and wrap the hose around the seed tray and cover like an elastic cord on a box of chocolates (i.e., put the hose under the tray and slip it over two diagonal corners).

Ruined dress shirts: sun protection. You’ll still need to use sunscreen, though, since the fabric doesn’t block nearly all the light. But it helps. If you doubt that the sun damages your skin, compare the inside of your arm (the side usually in the shade) with the outside (the side usually in the sun). Or just look up a photo of Bridgette Bardot.

Ruined leather bags: use the leather to make elbow patches on denim jackets.

Wall Street Journal or Denver Business Journal, etc.: all right, this is more of an accessory than wardrobe. Nevertheless. use the paper in place of peat pots. If you want to grow some plants from seed, but they don't transplant well, try lining a pot with a piece of newspaper before adding the soil and seeds. When the plant is big enough, transplant paper and all. Peat pots don't tend to rot around here, but a single sheet of newspaper might do so in one season.