Life at Gray Gables: 7 Garden fixes straight from YOUR Kitchen! AMAZING

Soon, the snow will melt and it will be time to start thinking about the wondrous mess that lies beneath. I know that here, at Gray Gables, our ground is still hard clay, as it has already started to peek out from under the crisp white that covers the frozen grounds.

But, the grass will turn green and it will be time to get the indoor garden transplanted back to the fresh air and warm suns rays.

With that, I have SEVEN Garden fixes to keep your veggies growing healthy and green.

1) To Ward off Pesky Wildlife....
Use: Cayenne Pepper
You can ward off everything from squirrels, moles, gophers (Yes, Caddy Shack lovers..this works) and even deer by sprinkling a heavy-handed dusting of cayenne pepper directly onto plants that you do not want to be someone else's snack!

2) To Rid the ground of Weeds...
Use: White Vinegar
A vinegar spray will burn the plants away. But note that the spray will not penetrate the roots, so expect repeat applications on weeds that resurface!

3) To control powdery mildew...
Use: Baking Soda
Add 1 tbsp of baking soda and 1 to 3 tsp of horticultural oil to 1 gallon of water. Spray both sides of the affected leaves once a week.

4) Slug be gone!
Use: Beer
I know that you are saying..."What, waste my beer on slugs...." but if you pour the beer in a shallow dish and sink it into the ground, the slugs will be attracted to the fermenting yeast and wah lah. Slugs get drunk and disappear!

5) To banish mites and aphids..
Use: Dish-washing Liquid
These tiny pests feed on shrubs, fruits, flowers, and vegetables, so pretty much EVERYTHING! Mix a few drops of dish soap with water and spray directly on your plants.


Inside K Cup!

6) Sandy Soil? Enrich it!
Use: Coffee Grounds
The residue from your morning brew will add organic matter and nutrients to sandy soil and increase water capacity. The grounds also improve drainage in clay soil. Great news, with the Pods, simply open the used ones up and gather in a dish if you do not brew a whole pot and natural grounds, I mean, after all...K cups are kind of a thing now..

And FINALLY,

7) Secret Spy Mission: Operation EARWIGS...How to trap them:
Use: A paper-towel tube and drinking straw
Fill the cardboard core with large-diameter straws and place it under a plant where you see earwig damage. The earwigs will crawl into the straws. Grab the tube and cover the ends with your hands. Hold it over a bucket of soapy water and shake the earwigs into the bucket. You will be amazed at how many you unearthed!

And a tidbit:

They aren't prefect...it really is an ART!

I am already starting my seeds in eggshells. I have been saving my carefully crafted broken top eggs (it really is a talent!) and my egg cartons. The eggs are calcium-rich and perfect for seed starting. Once you remove the top of the shells of the eggs, wash the inside, poke a drainage hole in the bottom and you are ready to grow! Fill the eggs with a seed-starting mix and plant your seeds per packet directions.

When it is time to transplant to your critter/weed-FREE garden, tap the bottom of the shell on a hard surface to help break it up and place in your outdoor ground hole!

New last year for me was my raised garden box and I have learned that pairing is a big deal! I was pot growing (um, not a cash crop) and moved my lettuce into my planting table mid-season with my tomatoes. I did get one pick of my lettuce before it disappeared...literally. That was a NO NO! Live and learn! This year, I am prepared, I have my planting table AND a space and I am more than ready for this SNOW to GO!

Happy Planting ALL...from Gray Gables with LOVE.