Gardener demonstrates essential hack using old cardboard boxes: 'This is such a good idea'

A TikTok post by Kate (@katemarv123) shows how simple gardening can be with this low-effort hack. In a photo carousel titled "Our No-Dig Bed Journey!," the creator walks through her method for turning her lawn into a wildflower garden.

She notes in the video that she didn't want to be bothered with digging up a flower bed, so instead, she uses a no-waste, sheet-mulching technique. The process begins with laying flattened cardboard directly on the grass to block light and suppress weeds. She moistens the cardboard, covers it with compost, and leaves it for worms and bugs to break down. Over time, the cardboard decomposes into the soil, forming a rich, weed-free seedbed.

Over the next few months, she adds a mix of wildflower seeds and a handful of established native plants. Her cat, Sybil, makes a few adorable appearances as the self-appointed garden supervisor while the bed fills in. By early summer, the once plain patch of lawn has become a thriving wildflower garden.

This "no-dig" approach is more than a hands-off gardening method. Sheet mulching provides significant environmental and personal benefits, especially when compared to traditional grass lawns.

It eliminates back-breaking shoveling and reduces time spent working in the dirt. Also, replacing grass reduces water use, fertilizer use, and pesticide use. 

Native plants and lawn alternatives, such as clover, buffalo grass, and xeriscaping, require less maintenance and can lower water bills. Even converting just part of a lawn can save homeowners time, money, and resources.

Native gardens also help restore local ecosystems. By providing nectar, pollen, and habitat, they support bees and other pollinators that protect our food supply.

Viewers in the comments loved the hack.

"This is such a good idea!" one said. "I've definitely been put off by the initial effort of digging up a spot for a bed. This would work perfectly with my lazy and forgetful gardening style!"

Another wrote, "Oh wow, I'm so copying you!!"

And a third chiming in with their success, saying, "I've done this and I've got a lovely flower bed now."

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