Having a green thumb takes on a new meaning with these products for the outdoors.
Items made of recycled materials can add character to a yard or garden, and some come with extra features such as being solar-powdered.
The Eco Bamboo pots and planters, available in green, blue, red, yellow, orange and purple and in different shapes and sizes, are 100 percent natural. The planters may look like plastic, but they are made out of grinded bamboo husks and vegetable dyes and no artificial materials, according to Rosso's International, based in Florida. The company says the planters last over three years outdoors and more than five years indoors, and once they are thrown away, they will fully biodegrade within three to six months. While you're watering, slip on jelly ballet flats made in Buford of 25 percent recycled material by Oka b. The shoes are available in a variety of colors, starting at $38, on oka-b.com.
Birdfeeders can serve a purpose and beautify a space, along with giving old glass, wood or other materials a new purpose. The Bouquet Classic Hummingbird Feeder is made of clear, blue, green and aqua recycled and hand-blown glass that resembles old perfume bottles. Suggested retail prices range from $39-$49 for the feeders from PAR•A•SOL. Retailers include Wild Birds Unlimited in metro Atlanta, Gifted! in Roswell, White Rabbit Cottage in Marietta and Tucker House.
The Snowy Owl felt birdhouse, part of the Wild Woolie brand, is created with 100 percent natural wool and assembled by artisans in a fair trade production center in Kathmandu, Nepal. The dyes used for the owls and other quirky birdhouses with animal, flower, cottage and barn themes are non-toxic, according to the designer and importer, dZi (dzi.com). Recycled wool scraps also are incorporated into the birdhouses, which birds such as wrens, nuthatches and chickadees use for shelters or nesting. Suggested retail price is $29; sold locally at Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Health Unlimited and Phoenix & Dragon Bookstore.
Made in North Carolina, the SolarFeeder is a solar-powered birdfeeder that uses an electric stimulus to deter squirrels, without harming birds, according to the company. The bird feeder is made of recycled and salvaged hardwoods and plastics. The look of the birdfeeder is not only attractive, but it is open so that more birds can use the feeder. The SolarFeeder is offered in white or brown with an aluminum roof for $180 and white or teak with a copper roof for $220; available from solarfeeder.com or Wild Birds Unlimited in Marietta.
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