Here’s another reason to consider growing native flowers in your own backyard: They are very easy to grow. Usually when planting a new garden, you have to take the time to weed, till and amend with organic fertilizer to make it rich and loamy. But the reality is native flowers -- plants that are indigenous to your growing region -- are adapted to regular soil. If you try to plant native flowers in soil that is too rich and fluffy, it actually can cause tall flowers to flop over.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

If you want an all-natural (and very effective) way to prevent invasive insects from killing your flowers, trees, bushes and vegetable garden this spring, look no further than neem oil. This botanical-based oil has a strong, pungent smell and repels insects, but also controls fungi and mites. It’s safe for birds and does not kill beneficial insects. You can find a large bottle of neem oil at your local home improvement store; just unscrew the cap and attach a spray nozzle, then spray away to protect your lovely garden the organic way.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

An easy way to gift-wrap something is to use old newspaper. But when you’re done wrapping a gift, the ink from the newsprint can easily transfer to hands and cause a mess. To prevent ink from transferring, all you have to do is give your perfectly presentable newspaper-wrapped gift a light coating of hair spray. The hair spray dries to a shellacklike finish, and when the recipient unwraps the gift, not only are their hands ink-free, but the paper is still recyclable.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION