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Reusing containers to start seeds indoors.

This year I think many of us are finding ourselves a bit behind when it comes to gardening, at least if you live on the West Coast.  With more rain than usual and slightly cooler temperatures it hasn't exactly been prime growing season.  And as prices for food continue to rise, planting your own food is more and more appealing than ever.  

While we have already planted some seeds and even a few starter plants outside. We did start some inside to hopefully give them a better head start.  We're even trying Bok Choi for the first time growing them from seed indoors... and yes, so far they are doing incredibly well.  Hopefully that trend continues. 

In general I hate using chemicals for anything, especially in the garden. I like to keep it as simple as possible, using what I already have on hand. Usually that means using things you can generally find in your own kitchen to help keep the garden healthy and growing. 

Below I've included a few ways you can use all those everyday things in your own garden.

Egg shells - These help to keep the slugs away, just sprinkle some crushed shells around the garden. (Copper tape or old pennies work great too.)

Coffee grounds - They add nutrients like nitrogen to the soil without significantly altering the soils ph.

Cinnamon & Cucumber Peels  (fleshy side up) - Sprinkle or place this around the garden or in any place you want to discourage ants from crossing.

Vinegar - Mix equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle and spray around the areas you want to repel ants.  I also use plain vinegar and spray it directly on weeds in rocky areas, cracks in cement or anywhere else you want to get rid of weeds. This works best on sunny days, but note that vinegar will also kill grass and flowers so be careful where you spay.

Baking Soda - Sprinkling this around your garden will help repel slugs. Just be careful not to get this on any plants.

Something else that's really helpful to know when planting your garden, is finding out what plants grow best together. This is known as "companion planting".  It's something we don't always think of, but it can be very helpful to know.  

Here are a few common plants that grow well together.

Rosemary - repels mosquitoes as well as several other harmful insects found in your garden.
Basil - helps bring out the flavour of tomatoes and is also good for Asparagus, Oregano, and peppers.  The Basil repels things like flies, mites, aphids, and mosquitoes
Bush and Pole Beans - Plant with strawberries, radish, potatoes, peas, eggplant, carrots, celery, and chard.  Avoid planting them by onions, leeks, chives, or garlic.
Parsley - plant with tomatoes, onions, chives, carrots, and asparagus.
Peas - plant with turnips, strawberries, spinach, potatoes, parsley, cucumber, beans, and carrots.  Avoid planting near onions.
Lettuce - plant with carrots, cucumbers, beets, garlic, onions, strawberries, squash, and spinach.

Source: 

homestolove.com
westcoastseeds.com
chatelaine.com
treehugger.com
familyhandyman,com
ants.com/using-borax-powder-to-kill-ants/