Real Simple Gardening Ideas

Original purpose: Spicing up signature dishes.
Aha! use: Pest prevention. Sprinkle on molehills to ward off unwanted yard visitors.
Reward: A poison-free way to say “Scram!”
—submitted by Carol Maxwell Weatherly

Original purpose: Doling out what’s for dinner.
Aha! use: A perfectly sized container gardening tool. The compact tablespoon head makes a better fit than a traditional trowel for digging holes within the confines of a pot.
Reward: A heaping helping of convenience.
—submitted by Karen Houston Howell 



Original purpose: Making your morning pick-me-up.
Aha! use: Altering the acidity of your soil. Collect used grounds to add to mulch for acid-loving plants like hydrangeas and roses.
Reward: Plants that are as perky as you are.
—submitted by Lori-Anne Charlton Poirier

Original purpose: Steeping tea.
Aha! use: Between-crack weed killer. Pour the piping-hot liquid onto the growths that peek through cement to wipe them out.
Reward: A zero-chemical way to keep pavement tidy.
—submitted by Maureen McFadden Hill

Original purpose: Bottling your fizzy favorite.
Aha! use: A plant-warmer. Fill empty bottles—milk jugs and big juice bottles work, too—with hot water and place them around tomato and pepper plants to create a toasty barrier during low temps.
Reward: Giving your veggies a fighting chance against frost.
—submitted by Lisa Marie London

Original purpose: Safeguarding your mitts from your extra-hot Venti Mocha.
Aha! use: Seed starter. Place the sleeves in a tray, fill with starter soil, seeds and water and voilà…you’re in business.
Reward: An idea that’ll grow on you.
—submitted by Rachel Stone Embery

Original purpose: Covering up last night’s nibbles.
Aha! use: Aphid eliminator. Ball up the tinfoil—shiny side out—and scatter the wads in the soil around plants. The surface will reflect bright sunlight, scaring off aphids.
Reward: An end to insect infestation.
—submitted by Angelina Fu

Original purpose: A strainer for your morning jolt of java.
Aha! use: Planter liner. Place the filter at the base of a planter to keep soil from washing out and clogging drainage holes.
Reward: A cuppa cleanliness.
—submitted by Patty Russell Street





For more ideas check out real simples' gardening section! http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/new-uses-for-old-things/new-gardening-uses-for-old-things-00000000038484/page2.html