Helpful Hacks for a Beautiful Summer Garden

Planning a summer garden in your backyard? Whether you have a seasoned green thumb or are giving gardening a go for the first time, these helpful hacks will make planting and maintaining your summer flowers and veggies simple!

Make all-natural seedling planters

Transfer seedlings into your garden easily with natural, biodegradable planters made from lemon rinds or eggshells. Place the planter directly into the soil with your seedling to act as compost.

Use old coffee grounds for compost
Rather than throwing away used coffee grounds after brewing a pot of coffee, add them to your garden--coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen and add nutrients to your soil.

Water while you're away with a wine bottle
Too busy to remember to water your plants regularly? Keep greenery hydrated by filling an empty wine bottle with water and shoving it upside down into the soil. The water will gradually absorbed and keep your soil moist on hot, dry days when just one watering isn’t enough.

Use egg shells to fertilize and deter pests
Ground eggshells not only fertilize your soil and add calcium, they prevent pesky beetles and slugs from destroying your plants--the sharp edges kill pests that invade your garden.

Store gardening tools in sand to prevent rust
Keeping tools in sand-filled pots to keep them clean and prevent rusting. Apply boiled linseed oil to the metal and wood to further stave off rust and keep wood from growing dry and cracking.

Eliminate weeds and pests naturally
Keep destructive weeds away by adding one tablespoon of sugar to a damp weed or dousing weeds with boiling water (make sure to avoid your flowers, veggies and herbs). To kill ants, boil citrus peels or sweet potatoes and pour the water onto your soil.