Whether you’re already stocking up on new flowers to plant or you’re just now dusting off the lawn mower, it’s about time to start getting that yard in tip-top shape for the season. And if you’re looking for some tips and tricks, we’ve got you covered — here are some seven hacks you can try in your yard this spring, whether you’re gardening, grilling or getting some sun.
1. Nature’s own table and chairs: Have some fallen trees in your backyard that you’re looking to get rid of? If they’re not too rotten, cut out some of the heftier parts of the trunk to make some rugged seating. If you’re feeling really crafty, make a table, too. Treat the wood to smooth and seal it.
2. Poolside movie: Here’s a fun one, even if you don’t have a pool: run a rope or wire between two poles, trees, or something similar; throw up a white sheet and set up a projector and sound system. Voila — outdoor movie theater, right in your own backyard.
3. Wooden pallet flower shelf: Wooden pallets are cheap and a simple, and oh-so very hack-able. In this case, taking a smaller wooden pallet and mounting it on the wall provides a shelf perfect for dropping in some flowers and plants and growing them in a unique display.
4. Purpose for egg shells: After cracking that egg for breakfast, don’t throw away the eggshells — save them for your garden, instead. Rinse the shells and crush them up, and then distribute them into the soil around your plants for a calcium boost to the soil, which plants — especially tomatoes — will love.
5. The easiest weed killer: If you have weeds growing in specific, limited areas — the cracks in the pavement, the spaces between path pavers — kill them off by pouring boiling water on them. Keep your kettle or container as close to the weeds as possible when pouring so you don’t burn yourself or get the hot water on any nearby plants that you don’t want to kill.
6. Protect your grilled fish — with added bonus flavor: Cooked fish is delicate, falling apart at the touch of a fork — which makes grilling fish difficult. You run the risk of the fish sticking to the grate and falling apart. Solve this by putting down a layer of lemon slices on the grill, and then cooking the fish on top of the lemon. You’ll get protection from the grill and some delicious infused flavors.
7. Clean that grill — with an onion: Get the grill nice and hot first to burn off the bulk of the gunk, and then grab an onion to get the rest off. Cut it in half, stick it on a fork, and then scrub it, cut-side-down, on the grill grates. The onion will help loosen up and clean off that grit — without chemicals and waste!