Cher,
I've got to smile--gardening is like a cult, and NO ONE else could understand what a wonderful find that was!

Rose ;^)

Go Cher!

Way to go Cher. I've gotten to pick up a few from the new home construction sites around here lately. The landscapers use them to block the drain pipe under the driveways while they grade out the property. Then toss them! I ask while they are grading if I can have them and most of the guys say "Sure no problem" only a few times have I been turned down because the owner of the property wants them. Then I know who is a "frugal gardener" in the area and take them a plant when they move in, welcoming them to the neighborhood. Great mulch and wonderful compost material for a smile and a thank-you can't be beat.

"If you don't ask, you don't get!" That's my new motto.

Yeah! No guts, no glory! Cheryl

On the first one I mentioned, which happened to be Whole Foods, the manager of the store was so happy I asked. He said, "We were really hoping we could find some gardener to give these to because we didn't want to throw them in the trash."

So in fact, I think people are genuinely happy to see materials put to good use.

So just ask! :)

Cher

Cher, I agree, I would much rather pass something on if someone can use it then trash it. Yesterday was a prime example-I had given an engagement dinner party for my godson and his new fiancee (I'm half dead today with exhaustion) and had some assorted bridelike decorations hanging from the chandelier. At the end of the evening, in additon to giving the fiancee the two dozen white long stemmed roses in the centerpiece, I said hey,can you use these decorations, I heard you say you are throwing a bridal shower for a relative. Her eyes lit up, oh yes, thank you, etc. I would have just stuck them in a drawer for eons! So not only ask, but think to yourself, gee, I can't use this, but do I know someone who can?

Cher:
You are SO RIGHT!
Recently at my church, (we have a day program for disadvantaged, disabled adults there during the week) we began to ask grocery stores what they do with "old stock" fruits and veg, baking, breads etc. "Throw them away". Well, we pick them up, and picking through them takes awhile but we get enough goodness to cook two hot meals per week, three days of breakfasts and send breads and fruits home with the gang. We feed over 100 people a day this way. The rest goes into the compost pile for the church garden where we grow additional produce to take home.
Some people just don't understand what things of REAL value are :)

GGG

Girlgroupgirl, that's fantastic!

Today I went through some old posts and saw this one; it reminded me that last week I drove by a church that had a "Fall Festival" (instead of Halloween) and they had put straw bales out by the curb. I drove by this evening and, sure enough, they were still there!! It took 2 trips, but I got 6 bales of straw--and just in time to use to help mulch some plants before winter.

I was giddy! I love that kind of useful recycling.

(It's kind of like the charge I got out of putting my old bicycle out on the curb; in less than 24 hours, someone had picked it up. My husband said that he saw someone riding it later that week. I'm tickled that someone could use it. It was in good shape, but I hadn't ridden it in years--too much traffic around here to be fun, IMO.)

Some of you may already be linked up (since after all my intro to the idea was through GardenWeb), but if not, check out FreeCycle. The whole point of that movement is to pass things not needed to people who can use them, whether it's your neighbor down the street or a local charity.
I've gotten rid of bags full of perfectly good vinca (making way for my strawberries), furniture, garden stuff, and craft materials, and received things for the house, a scanner for church, a good "people-powered" lawnmower, and acquaintance with a lot of nice people!
Robin

Here is a link that might be useful: freecycle

Last year I also nabbed two straw bales from someone's curb right after Halloween. First I used them as a decoration on my front porch (they were a nice addition to the corn stalks that I had, um, er, well, liberated earlier) and after Thanksgiving, I moved them to the back of my house behind a brush pile I had started for wildlife. In the spring, I worked the straw into my compost bins. I'm so happy other people understand how cool this is, because I wouldn't mention it to most people I know socially, lol! :)

This year, the local library branch had some bales out front and I made a mental note to enquire about them and then forgot again. I'll go check tomorrow!

Monica

Hi Monica, it's funny, isn't it, the things we notice? As I am driving around now I am noticing all those fall pumpkins and trying to mentally guess how long it will be until they start rotting and will be dumped, lol. Next week is Thanksgiving so I figure a lot of people will hold out until then before throwing their pumpkins away in favor of Christmas decorations. You know I will be curb-shopping then, lol!

(And I figure a lot of people will use that long weekend to rake their yards, so I'll be looking for more bags of leaves, too. Bag 'em up, people! lol)

just be sure to toss the seeds where birds will get them or you will have way too many punkin plants!