Our May edition of Atlanta INtown is packed with tips on planting your spring garden (click under the Real Estate tab above or visit our e-Edition), but here’s  few more from Danny Seo, author, HGTV host and CBS’s environmental lifestyle contributor.

• Reuse those Packing Peanuts. Container gardening is popular for folks with limited backyard space, but the large pots can be heavy to move when filled with soil and plants. Lighten the load by filling the bottom 1/3 of the pot with Styrofoam packing peanuts. It’s a great way to reuse the packing peanuts, all while helping to keep the pots lightweight, too. Added bonus: the packing peanuts help prevent root rot and mildew growth, too.

• Another use for the Sunday paper. To prepare an area of the yard for your first garden, don’t spend hours tearing up turf and reach for a newspaper instead. Place thick layers of newspaper all over the section you want the grass eradicated. Place heavy rocks on top and walk away. In a few days, the grass will die off due to lack of sunshine and will make prepping the ground much easier for tilling and garden preparation.

• Plant a Smelly Sneaker. Deer and other wild animals may find your vegetable and flower garden to be irresistible. Instead of erecting cumbersome fencing or using smelly sprays, try leaving a very used gym sneaker in the garden instead. The strong scent of humans is a natural way to scare off wild animals.

• Use organic insecticides and herbicides. Chemical sprays to control insect and invasive weed growth in the garden is passé. One brand that utilizes a patented blend of essential oils to naturally kill insects and weeds is EcoSMART. This all-organic line effectively uses the power of sweet-smelling oils to target pesky invaders, but is completely safe to use around children and pets.

• Paint Stirrer Garden Markers. An easy and free way to know what’s growing in your backyard is to recycle free wooden paint stirrers into garden markers. Just write the plant’s name on the top of the stirrer with a permanent marker and insert into the ground.

For more tips and information visit: www.dannyseo.com