Get seedy
With spring just around the corner (literally—the season starts next week, folks), anyone with even a slightly green thumb is itching to get back into the garden. But if it’s still too cold to plant outside where you live, try starting your seedlings indoors in these ingenious DIY newspaper seed pots by Muddy Clogs. Once you’ve gathered the necessary materials (newspaper, an empty tin can, potting soil, and seeds), following her how-to is simple. Plus, re-using your discarded Sunday Styles section not only saves you money on clay pots, but also provides a soy-based, biodegradable home for your seedlings (be sure to use black and white newspaper, as some colored inks may contain harmful ingredients).
And if you’re ready to start gardening outdoors but still want to be cautious of cold snaps, plastic-bottle “greenhouses” are the way to go. After raiding the recycling bin for clear plastic water or soda bottles, cut about an inch off the bottom of the bottles and place them over sown seeds, submerging the plastic about an inch into the soil. The bottles-cum-bell jars will will help coax your seedlings out of the ground and deter pests from eating or trampling them.
