Do Just One Thing

As you're raking leaves and getting your garden ready for winter, think about leaving dead flowers and plants intact. Dead stalks and seedheads may look unattractive, but they can be a much-needed source of food for birds. As the snow covers the ground, these dead flowers will poke though. Even leaving ferns intact can be a source of food for wild animals. Black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, sunflowers, marigolds and zinnias are all perfect flower candidates to leave alone in the garden.

When squirrels start overtaking your attic or get stuck in your house, one of the easiest ways to remedy the problem is to use a humane trap. The trap lures the squirrel inside (usually baited with peanut butter), and a trigger shuts a door behind it. When it's time to release the squirrel outside, don't relocate him far away from your house. The squirrel probably has a nest nearby, and moving it to a foreign place gives it little chance to survive. Instead, fix the entry point where it got into your house, which will also solve the problem for the future.

It's common knowledge that keeping houseplants is a simple way to create a healthier indoor environment. But what do you do if your houseplant seems to be on the verge of dying? It might be the soil. Potted plants need nutrients, and if they've been living in the same potting soil, they have nothing left to live on. Try lifting the plant out of the pot, gently shaking off the old soil and repotting it with a new organic soil mix. Add old coffee grinds or tealeaves to the mix, too. Water the plant and wait a few days to see if this rejuvenates your old fern.