1. To prevent animals from digging up and eating your bulbs, before you plant them, wrap them in a thin layer of steel wool. You can also plant a mothball right along with each bulb to keep away cats and dogs.  

2. Dish Washing Soap makes a great insecticidal soap when you mix it with water. Take 1 to 3 tablespoons of Dish Washing  liquid, mix it into 1 gallon of water, put it in a spray bottle and spray the entire plant.Use care not to spray when the sun is on the plant. Only spray early morning or late evening.  

3. Cut fresh flower stems at an angle, it creates a larger surface area for the flower to draw up more water and remember to put your flowers into water immediately, if you don’t air pockets will form in the stems and cause the flowers to droop. Also grind up a regular aspirin or two and add them to the flowers water and your flowers will stay fresh a few days longer.

4. When planting trees bury some old garden hose alongside the roots, when you fill in the hole leave the other end of the garden hose out of the ground. This allows you to water the roots directly.

5. Use bubble wrap to line the pots of container grown plants it will keep them warm during the winter months.

6. Use old knitwear or newspapers for a low cost hanging basket liners.

7. Make sure you get a level edge when pruning garden hedges by fastening a length of rope to two points across the top.

8. Salted boiling water makes an excellent weed killer on paths and driveways. And sea salt available in most grocery stores works best.

9. Stop cats climbing into your garden by spraying your wooden fences with surgical spirit. Moth Balls also work great and the Moth Balls will also keep away snakes.

10. Deter dogs with unwanted perfume and aftershave and liberal sprinklings of pepper.

11. If you plant seeds in a straight line you’ll be able to spot weeds as they come up.

12. Use a length of garden hose to sow seeds if you have difficulty bending down.

13. For an instant plant pick me up give them a drink of non-diet coca cola. Also if you have house plants that are getting brown spots give them a crushed aspirin in their water.

14. Always water your lawn in the evening this allows time for the moisture to soak in overnight and prevents burnt spots. Never water any of your plants in full sun. Always water either very early morning or late evening.

15. Save Popsicle sticks to create label markers for seedling plants.

16. Keep your drainpipes and guttering clear by inserting a ball of galvanized steel wool into the opening, it acts as a filter and prevents the pipes from becoming blocked. You can also easily place cut pieces of screen over the downspout holes in your gutters to keep out leafs and other trash. It will make cleaning your gutters so much easier.

17. Bring a sparkle back to your greenhouse windows by rubbing them with scrunched up newspaper dipped in water and vinegar. White vinegar will work best.

18. Don’t use cold water straight from the tap to water your houseplants, fill your watering can the night before so that the water is at room temperature. If its where you can consider setting up rain barrels in your yard to capture rain water to use for watering your plants. Be sure to cover the tops of rain barrels with fine mesh wire screens to keep out mosquitoes.

19. During a long spell of hot weather leave grass clippings on the lawn to act as mulch.

20. Garden boots and gloves start to smell, cut an orange into two and place one half in each over night, it works a treat.

21. If at all possible plant your tomato's so they get the morning sun and are in shade in the late afternoons when it is the hottest part of the day. When you set out your tomatoes place a moth ball in each hole as you plant your tomatoes to keep away pests. Plant marigolds in your tomato patch to prevent pests also.

22. If the birds always get your fruit from your fruit trees or your grapes from your grape vines before you do save your tin pie pans and hang them in your fruit trees and grape vines to scare the birds away. You can also buy a plastic owl at your local garden store but remember you must move the owl every few days or the birds will figure out the owl is not real.

23. Are you troubled by wasps building nests in your outbuildings. If so there is a simple solution for this. Spray all exposed wood in the early spring with a solution made from one cup of vinegar to one gallon of water and you will want to squeeze one lemon in each gallon of water. You can use a spray bottle or garden hose sprayer to spray this and wasps will not build nests in your building or buildings that year.

24. Always pick your vegetables early in the day or late evening. Don't pick or cut your vegetables when the sun is its hottest. Have a pair of garden scissors to cut okra , squash , and cucumbers. Always cut them off the vine. Resist the urge to twist them off the vine.

25. If your in a area of very hot sunshine and your cucumber or melon plants are wilting daily save your milk jugs and with a sewing needle push several small holes in the bottom of the jug. Plant the jug up to its neck beside your plant and you can use your garden hose to fill up the jug or jugs several times daily and your plants will thank you for it. You want the milk jug with in 12-18 inches of the main stalk of the plant you want it to water through out the day.