Time to think about your summer vegetable garden.
Don’t have much of a yard? You can still have an herb garden. Use a nail and hammer to make small drainage holes in the bottom of a clean aluminum can. Add soil and an herb and place in a sunny spot. Easy herbs: parsley, basil, oregano and thyme. If the plants get too large, transplant them outside.
Good tools and lawn equipment need to be maintained to avoid costly repairs or replacements. Drain old gas out of your lawn mower. Replace the oil filter and spark plug. Sharpen your lawn mower blade to get a better and cleaner-looking lawn.
Collect egg shells, rinse, dry and crush into a fine powder and add to soil to increase the soil’s calcium, an essential nutrient for growing plants.
For an earth-friendly way to keep slugs from eating a plant’s tender stems, surround the plant with sand or jar lids filled with beer.
As you buy compost, visit local farms to ask about collecting animal waste; some of the best compost includes chicken and cow manure. Local governments offer resources too. Visit CharMeck.org and search Compost Central.
Use the base of a celery stalk to grow more celery. Submerge the base of the old celery in a shallow bowl, and allow it to get a lot of sun. Once the celery begins to sprout, replant the base in good soil. As long as the base is under the soil and watered regularly, it will continue to produce celery.