ShareThisMake a water dish safe for butterflies
Butterflies need water, but they can't drink from a traditional birdbath unless it has safe footing. To help, fill a birdbath, dish or tray with water and sand or small pebbles. Even a bright yellow or orange wet sponge will do. For a special treat, make homemade "nectar" by mixing four parts water to one part granulated sugar. Boil the solution until the sugar dissolves, then cool before adding it to the tray. Store extra solution in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Let worms do the composting work
Here's a summer activity the kids will enjoy: worm composting! It's as simple as filling a plastic container with worms and tossing in kitchen scraps. Or go all out with a worm composter like the self-contained Worm Factory ($89.95 from Cascade Sales, cascadesales.com or toll-free 1-866-592-2403). This multitiered composter houses up to 12,000 worms that can consume eight pounds of food each week and produce a tray of nutrient-rich worm castings for the garden each month. Everything but the worms is included. You'll find the creatures at some specialty nurseries and bait shops or online at findworms.com.
Mix up an organic spray at home
Make your own organic spray for roses, ornamentals, fruit trees and vegetable gardens using this recipe from Wilcox Nursery in Largo, Fla.: Mix 2 tablespoons each of dish soap (except Dawn), vegetable oil and baking soda into 1 gallon of water. Use the spray once per week or as needed.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service www.scrippsnews.com)
Must credit St. Petersburg Times
