Spring has officially sprung, and outdoor entertaining season is here. If you’re like us and have neglected your yard over the cooler months, now's the time to bring it back to life. Turning your dilapidated backyard into a welcoming space for summer hangs doesn't have to be complicated. In fact thanks to City Of Gold Coast, you can now tidy your yard and look after the planet by using your green organics bin. Now a part of the standard kerbside collection service for freestanding homes across the city, these bins make cleaning up easier.
Don't have one or didn't receive yours? Don't fret—you can apply for a green bin or pick up another through the City Of Gold Coast. You'll be saving the environment and some extra cash—less organic waste going to landfill means less spent on waste disposal fees in the long run. Win-win!
To help you curate the perfect setup this spring, we've compiled some handy tips and tricks to help your outdoor space thrive in time for garden party season.
Sort Your Sanctuary Out
A good clean up can go a long way—and there's clever ways to bring the whimsy with your backyard's natural environment. When clearing a path, turn any cut tree stumps into path stones to your new outdoor dining space. Better yet, ditch the crockery and coat the tree stumps in a food-safe resin for a chic outdoor platter option. Make sure to use your green organics bin when throwing away any leftover leaf litter, cut grass, weeds and garden trimmings. Unsure what you can put in your green organics bin? The City of Gold Coast has more information to help clean up your backyard and the Earth.
Welcome New Life To Your Space
A good pruning is not only visually pleasing, but also good for your plants. It'll help them get rid of old leaves while also encouraging growth. Save those extra cuttings for propagations and sprout new life from your plant babies—just don't forget to pop the leftover cuttings in your green organics bin. Feel conflicted about trimming your plants? Don't fret—all the contents of the green organics bins are recycled for mulch and compost used in agriculture, city gardening, landscaping, and soil regeneration.
Light Up Your Soiree
Nothing beats sitting around the fire on a cool spring evening. After clearing your space, pop in a portable outdoor firepit and elevate your spring garden parties with a s’mores night cap. Get creative and save cash by using the extra twigs and branches from garden clean ups as kindling and firewood.
Make sure any small leftover wood and garden trimmings go in your green organics bin, and not the waste bin. Green organic matter creates greenhouse gas emissions including methane and carbon dioxide when left in landfill. And to make space for your next clean up, pop your full green organics bin out for collection every other fortnight from your recycling bin. Not sure of your bin day? Use the ‘bin day finder’ on the City of Gold Coast App.
Get Crafting
Pull up your Instagram feed—it's tablescaping time. Look after the planet and nail the aesthetic by crafting decorations from your own backyard. Lean into a paradise theme and use smaller palm fronds for a tropical table runner. Or inject colour by collecting leftover flowering plants and curating a charming floral centrepiece. Make sure to throw any larger clippings and cut fronds in the green organics bin loosely and not in a plastic bag so to not interrupt the composting process.
Ace your outdoor soiree this year and still look after the planet. Learn how to use your green organics bin here and find more information here.
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by City of Gold Coast and proudly endorsed by Urban List. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who make Urban List possible. Click here for more information on our editorial policy.
Images: Urban List