Instead o f buying expensive
edging for your garden bed, edge
it manually. Line the transition area,
between the bed and lawn with the sod
you just removed— just lay it upside
down and cover with grass clippings. It
keeps the edge o f the bed neat.
Save fireplace ashes and spread
them lightly around the garden
to raise pH levels and provide a kick of
potassium to plants.
1 C l Lower t^e pH levels around
azaleas and other acid-loving
plants with a mix o f sawdust, crushed
leaves, and peat moss. Add some organic
fertilizer to offset the nitrogen that
sawdust will pull from the ground
as it decomposes.
Throw corncobs and sticks into
your compost pile to help aerate
materials when turned. Screen them out
o f finished compost for use in making
new batches o f compost. They will
eventually decompose.
Reuse water. Let boiling pasta or
corn-on-the-cob water cool on
the stove, then use it to water plants.
Also, keep a jug by the kitchen-sink to
collect running water while you wait for
the temperature to change.
Make a low-cost rain barrel
with a plastic garbage can. Cut
a slot, into the lid to receive the gutter
drainpipe. Get step-by-step instructions
for creating a rain barrel on the cheap:
BH G .com /rainbarrd.
Instead o f using expensive
pellets, protect freshly seeded
areas o f lawn with a light layer o f dried
grass clippings.
Spread self-seeding flowers
throughout the garden. They
will take up space, add colour and can be
easily removed when they’re not wanted.
Use rapid growing perennials
for instant height. Sunflowers
fill the gap quickly. You can let smaller
shrubs fill in at a leisurely pace. ■
PHOTOGRAPH: KIM CORNELISON
