Prep your garden for spring

Knowing the pH of your soil makes it easier to grow gorgeous plants by adding the right nutrients. Pick up a DIY soil test kit; Vigoro makes one that lets you input the results online so there's no need to send samples out for analysis.

Get a jump start on your potager with a seedling tray of herbs. For a cute eco-option, use eggshells as containers. Pierce a hole in the bottom of the shells once you plant so the roots can grow.

A garden cloche shelters tender plants from the spring winds, and warms the soil and air. Glass versions are pricey and fragile, make your own by cutting off the bottoms off of clear plastic bottles.