Newspaper makes excellent mulch
Lay several sheets of newsprint over soil and then cover with mulch; they’ll help retain moisture and suffocate weeds.
Water ferns with tea
Water your ferns and acid-loving plants like hydrangeas with brewed tea for luscious-looking leaves. Have you tried these other surprising uses for tea?
Banana peels are a rosebush’s best friend
Keep aphids off your rosebushes by burying dried or cut up banana peels an inch or two deep around the base of the plant. (Whole peels will attract animals, who will dig them up.)
Fruit attracts butterflies
If you want more butterflies in your garden, place overripe bananas or other fruit on a raised platform. Be sure they’re above head level and not centrally located, because they will also draw bees and wasps; and bring the food indoors before sunset to avoid unwanted hungry critters.