chickens in charge
After seedlings and young plants have put on some size, I give my chickens the run of my garden. They keep my beds free of squash bugs, slugs, and other pests. The extra fertilizer they share is an added bonus. —Johanna Jensen, Nampa, ID
rotate those crops
Each year I move my broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and garlic to different locations to avoid soil-borne diseases. —Shelli Lipton, Saugerties, NY
space filler
Wherever I have unused garden space, I bury my compostable scraps all year and let them decompose. In the spring, my heavy red clay soil is crumbly and easy to work. —Jill Waltenspiel, Oakland, OR
leaf leftovers
After chopping up autumn leaves with our lawn mower, we sift the leaves through wire mesh. The coarse pieces become mulch in the garden beds. The finer pieces go into the compost pile, along with food scraps and plant trimmings, to “cook” slowly all winter. In the spring, we have great compost. —Pam Kern, Ringwood, NJ
abodes for toads
I turn broken clay pots upside down, put them in moist and shady places, and raise the rims up on stones so there’s room for toads to crawl beneath. The toads spend warm, sunny days under cover and come out at night to keep garden bugs under control. —Dawn Dula, Morganton, NC
cut-up castoffs
When I have colorful fabric left over from sewing projects, I tie 2-inch strips to trees and shrubs to discourage deer and rabbits. I also use them to tie up tall vegetable plants. —Veronica Stevenson, Bloomfield, MI
—text by NHGC, photo courtesy of Tracy Walsh