Everyone who gardens on a regular basis has their own little tips and tricks that they use. I have quite a few of these that range from thrifty to time saving and I thought I’d share them with those who are looking to add some fun gardening tips to their collection.

You know those little baskets you get when you purchase produce? Well they are the absolutely best seed starters I have found. Simply wash them out, put some soil in and wait until your seeds sprout so you can transfer them into the garden.

Plastic laundry baskets are cheap and they are my favorite way to harvest my vegetables. I just poke a few holes in the bottom of the basket so dirt and water can fall out and then fill the basket up. I can then use the hose to spray the vegetables while they are still in the basket and remove any dirt.

Are you sick of pests getting into your garden, but don’t want to put a fence around it? Well a trick someone told me about seems to work very well. Take an old garden hose and cut it up until the cut pieces are the size of a typical garden snake. Place the ‘snake’ pieces in a few areas around your garden and when rodents see the hose, they will think it’s a snake and stay away.

I have a pond in my yard and learned from a friend that the algae growing in the pond is actually a great fertilizer. When I’m planting a new batch of flowers, I take some algae and mix it with the soil prior to planting.