Okay, maybe I am cheap, but I hate to waste stuff. Even when I can buy something for a specific purpose, I try to make it first, just to see if it works--sort of like a Rube Goldberg machine.
I come from a family of immigrants, which is true of almost everyone in the U.S. Many of our ancestors came with little wealth but knew how to make do with what they had or how to repurpose things for their needs.
I still harbor some of those ancestral traits. Case in point: Since childhood I have stored all my paperwork in binders, whether for school or for work. Mom bought them for me initially, but later I had to work to get them.
I had dozens, if not hundreds of binders. They adorned bookcases and file cabinets and filled closets at work and at home. They held documents I may never have touched, but you never knew when you might need them. The yellowing paper was a clue to their age. A couple more years on the shelves and they might have qualified as “family heirlooms” at an estate sale. They were good binders packed with old information.
As a retiree, I needed space for my new stuff. The binders had to go. So, with conviction, I emptied several dozen binders and filled my recycling and composting bins. Out went years of knowledge printed on paper from repurposed trees. At least I get some points for recycling.
But I still have the binders, and I just can't bring myself to toss them out. (Maybe I am cheap.) Vinyl-covered binders with metal rings of different sizes attached to the cardboard. Should I separate them? Yes. So, I drilled out the rivets which was easier than trying to pull the things apart by hand. That also provided me with a hole to put a screw or a nail through when mounting the metal rings.
Now I have parts of binders all over the place. Which municipal collection bin to use? Idea: I will look at the tops of the cans to find the instructions. Vinyl covers black bin. Cardboard innards: brown or blue bin. Metal rings: blue bin. But gee whiz, those metal rings are in good shape, and they come in different sizes.
The binder deconstruction took time and energy. I'm not cheap so I must be frugal. Therefore, what kind of “garden hack” can I come up with to use those rings? Heading out to the yard, I cruised around for options. And look what I found:
My dahlia! The giant blossom overwhelmed the stem. If I do nothing, it will die with its head down. I grew it from a tuber. I was there when it started to bloom, and the punk butterflies and bees started to hang around. This will not do. I gotta do something!
Should I use plastic ties, plastic clips, string? Those are too easy; anyone would do that. Hey, I have binder rings! All I needed was a 4-foot stake to mount the rings. In my yard, that was not a problem. I placed the stake firmly into the soil and mounted the rings with a recycled screw.
In no time, the rings were mounted on the stake and the fabulous dahlia had a new lease on life, head held high and basking in the sun.
Could I have solved the problem faster and easier using plastic clips, tape, or string? Sure, but instead I spent a couple of hours saving a plant that I loved while problem-solving in the great tradition of Rube Goldberg.
So, am I cheap or frugal? Or just a retired old guy? Your call. I really did not think about it. I got the job done and felt good about it. And if you're young enough not to know who Rube Goldberg is, look him up, rookie.
Workshop: Join UC Master Gardeners of Napa County for a workshop on “Fall Garden Clean-up” on Saturday, October 26, at Las Flores Learning Garden, 4300 Linda Vista Avenue, Napa. Learn how we put the various garden plots to bed for the winter. There will be hands-on activities so you can learn how to implement these techniques in your own garden. Register here.
Library Talk: Join UC Master Gardeners of Napa County for a talk on “How to Improve Water Retention in our Landscapes,” on Thursday, November 7, at 7 pm via Zoom. Learn some water catchment/retention approaches that you can use in your own yard to “Slow It, Spread It and Sink It.” Register to receive the Zoom link.
Help Desk: The Master Gardener Help Desk is available to answer your garden questions on Mondays and Fridays from 10 am until 1 pm at the University of California Cooperative Extension Office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa. Or send your questions to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. Include your name, address, phone number and a brief description.
All photos: Bob Niklewicz
