Many of us want to experience as much of the world as possible, which means a lot of travel. One of the obstacles to overcome when trekking across the world is the language barrier. Not everyone speaks the same language, which is all part of why the world is such a fascinating place. It can make it challenging to get by in an unfamiliar country though, so try learning these languages to help you travel the globe better.

Spanish

The majority of South America speaks Spanish, so if you want to check out those countries, then that’s the first language you should learn. It will also help you when you travel to Europe as many people make a visit to Spain. Spanish speakers are found almost all over the world, and having this in your repertoire will go a long way to getting around.

Mandarin

Mandarin is very useful to have if you intend on visiting Asia. It is spoken in more than one country, which means learning it will be helpful in multiple places. Countries like Singapore and Malaysia use Mandarin in their everyday language, and you’ll likely come across someone who speaks Chinese anywhere in Asia.

English

English is spoken in so many countries, so it’s essential for traveling. It’s widely spoken in North America, the UK, as well as Australia and New Zealand. Those are all hotspots for travelers, but English will also help you out across most of Europe. It’s spoken as a second language by many people on the continent and having a bit of English will help you get by almost anywhere.

Learning an extra language can be so helpful when it comes to traveling. You can communicate better with the locals and enjoy more of the wonderful experiences those foreign lands have to offer.

It’s always nice to have a cozy garden or lawn with flowers, fruits, and veggies. Gardening is also a good form of exercise. You can make the process of gardening easier and more fun with some clever tricks, too. Even if you are an expert in gardening, these few tips may come in handy. From testing your soil to seeds and more, we’ve got all the answers.

Gardeners often want to repot their mature plants, and it can get quite messy. Luckily, the whole process can be made much easier with a technique called “plant in a potting.” Take a bunch of pots of similar size so that they can sit or stack on top of each other.

Once you’ve finished repotting your mature plant, you can then plant the stack of pots in your backyard. The next time you want to repot the plant, simply remove the plant from that particular pot and move it to a different one without the hassle or mess!

If you’re looking for a way to get the best bang for your buck, then this soil hack is just the thing you need. Rather than using half a bag of soil for one of your deep planters, why not get a little creative? Fill the bottom of your planter with old soda cans.

Not only will this trick enable you to save on soil, but the cans will also improve drainage and create air pockets for better aeration — and healthier soil! A win, win, win!

There’s nothing worse than letting food go to waste. Of course, it happens to everyone here and there unless you’re really resourceful. Still, no one likes to rummage through the fridge and throw away all the veggies and fruits they just bought a few days before. Luckily, we have a solution.

If you have some sprouting onions lying around and you were thinking of chucking them in the trash, think again! Simply cut away the layers you would’ve normally eaten and plant the root, along with the green shoots, in soil. You’ll have your own onion garden in no time!

You can make your very own greenhouse using a few empty soda bottles that you have lying around the house. This hack will come in handy, especially for those that have trouble with seed starting. All you need to do is cut the bottom of the soda bottle and place it over a potted plant, or potted seeds.

With this trick, you’re essentially creating a micro-greenhouse. Once the seeds are germinated and the roots are visible, you can remove the bottle and repeat the process with new seeds and plants. Try it now, and thank us later!

For an easy and efficient way to start seeds, perhaps consider trying this technique. Save the cardboard tubes that come with paper-towel and/or toilet paper. What you’ll want to do with these tubes is cut them down to two inches each, and place them in a plastic container of sorts. Then, fill the tubes with potting soil and plant your seeds of choice.

Once the seedlings are ready to move to the garden, you can simply transfer them with the tube as the cardboard will decompose over time. Make sure that the tube is planted below the soil surface so it doesn’t suck the moisture from the roots.

You need to fertilize plants and bushes in order to supply them with the nutrients they might not be getting naturally. But while the fertilizer should be applied at the base of the plant, it can be challenging to do so — especially in home gardens because people aren’t usually as equipped at home.

In order to make your life a little easier, you could take a PVC pipe and pour the fertilizer into that. Make sure to cut the PVC at a 45-degree angle. Slide one end of the pipe down to the base of the plant, and pour the fertilizer in from the other end.

Anyone that loves gardening knows the danger of water settling at the bottom of pots. This can lead to root rot, which no one wants! Luckily, all you need to do to combat this problem is cut up some old sponges and place them in the bottom of the pot or planter.

As we all know, sponges are very absorbent so they can retain moisture and even create necessary air space. Plus, the sponges also help prevent water from flushing out the bottom of the pot.

It’s no secret that products, tools, and other items age with time. Whether you’re dealing with expiration dates or the normal wear and tear, there are solutions. In order to combat rust and keep your gardening tools in optimal condition, consider trying this little trick.

All you have to do is store the tools in a potted mixture of sand and baby oil. The sand will sharpen the tools while the oil will keep them well-lubricated.

Believe it or not but there are more ways than one when it comes to creating your very own greenhouse. In this technique, we’re going to use a plastic take-away container. While you might have been eating rice from that container just the other day, you can recycle it to make a mini greenhouse. All you have to do is thoroughly wash the container before punching some holes in the top of it.

Then, fill it with soil before dispersing the seeds evenly throughout the container. Close the lid after watering the mixture and wait for the magic to happen!

A coffee cup can be transformed into a great watering can. The hole in the lid acts as a perfect speed-controlling device for the incoming water. It can pour the water slowly so the plants don’t get overwatered. This kind of watering technique can be especially useful for plants like cacti and aloe veras.

A coffee can is perfect for office plants since they’re usually readily available. You can have your morning cup o’ joe before washing the container and using it as a watering can. Talk about resourceful!

If you’re an avid gardener, then you’ll be able to relate to this struggle. Sure — tending to your plants and flowers can be a relaxing activity, but not when it comes to the hassle of dirt. Many people have a problem when it’s time to water their plants, because the dirt ends up flowing out from the bottom of the pot.

To solve this issue, consider placing a coffee filter at the bottom of the planter or pot before filling it with soil. This will help stop the dirt from flowing out whilst still allowing the water to flow through.

Like soda cans and plastic bottles, milk jugs can be recycled into something incredibly useful. Rather than tossing it in the recycle bin, consider transforming it into a watering can. Not only are these jugs easier to fill, but they’re also less leaky and not nearly as heavy as real watering cans.

Simply heat a needle to poke holes in the cap, fill up the jug or carton, and get watering!

Epsom salt is one of the best things to have in the house at all times. While it’s known for its home remedy uses, these salts can be incredibly useful when it comes to gardening. Since it contains magnesium, the Epsom salt can act as a store-bought fertilizer in that it’ll aid in seed germination, chlorophyll production, and absorption of vital nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus.

This method is most effective if done once a month with a ratio of two teaspoons Epsom salt to one gallon of water.

Like onions, you can also plant a root of celery and end up with a whole stock in no time! In fact, you can use this method with a ton of vegetables including beets, carrots, horseradish, shallots, parsnips, potatoes, radishes, sweet potatoes, and more!

In this instance, all you need to do is place the root of celery in a dish of water and transfer to soil when the roots have grown. Make sure to keep the water fresh and switch it out every few days.

Vines sure do enhance the beauty of a garden, but they’re not always easy to maintain. After all, they need space to grow and spread so it can get quite messy if you don’t find a proper place.

To solve or combat this issue, you could use zip ties. Simply fasten the ties around the stalks and strap them to anything stable. Just make sure not to make the zip tie too tight, otherwise, the vines won’t be able to grow properly. Remember — they need room to grow!

How gorgeous are these planters? To make these terra-cotta planters, all you’ll need are a few clay chimney flue liners, which cost about $15 each. After you’ve gotten them, cut them so that they’ll vary in height Once that’s done, place your new planters anywhere you want — the backyard, deck, or even patio.

They’ll certainly enhance the beauty of the place, and could make the perfect entrance to your garden. Remember to fill the liners with gravel so they have room to drain.

While this trick or hack is extremely simple, it’s also highly effective. Most of us have a shower caddy or two lying around the house. If you don’t, don’t fret — they’re a cheap investment and will surely help your plants thrive.

Once you have a caddy, line the sections with felt and fill them with dirt. Then, stuff the plants inside and hang the caddy outside in a location of your choosing.

If you’re not into the idea of using your shower caddy as a planter, you could always consider this next idea.

Over-the-door shoe racks are helpful in saving space and keeping things organized but if you no longer have any use for this rack, you could upcycle it and use it as a planter instead. Simply nail the shoe rack to the wall and fill each section with dirt and seeds.

Having and maintaining a garden is undeniably a lot of work. And while tending to your garden can be an exciting and relaxing experience, it can also be quite painful, especially if you’re someone that suffers from back pain. After all, you really have to get down and dirty to plant in order to plant new seeds and get rid of weeds.

Until now. With this posthole digger, your life will change for the better. Rather than having to get on your hands and knees to dig a hole in the soil, you can use this tool — a posthole digger — instead. Say goodbye to constant back pain!

It’s no secret that pick-up trucks are great for hauling larger items. There’s plenty of space for those bigger tools, but the smaller things tend to slide all over the place. To solve this issue, you could consider building your own truck-bed caddy with several compartments.

These compartments will ensure that the smaller items — like nursery plants — stay put during travel. A simple yet effective hack!

Replanting requires some technique and attention. When we bring a new plant home, most gardeners just yank it out of the pot and replant it. This method can actually hurt your plants, as you may accidentally also pull out the stem.

Instead of yanking or pulling the plant out of the pot, take a knife or a pair of scissors and make an incision in the pot. Then, carefully and gently free the plant. Mind the roots when taking the soil out of the container as well.

This next trick will forever change the way you plant tomatoes. If your tomato plants are producing tart fruit, that could mean that the soil is overly acidic. To help raise the pH level of the soil, sprinkle a bit of baking soda on the dirt.

However, it’s important to note that too much baking soda will make the soil basic, which would also be bad. So, to make sure this doesn’t happen, just add a bit of baking soda every week and you’ll get those sweet tomatoes you’ve been dreaming of!

Citrus rinds are quite helpful, as they can help make the soil acidic. Whenever you’re eating a grapefruit, orange, or any other citric fruit,make sure to hold onto the peel.

Add some soil to the rinds before sprinkling the seeds. Once these plants start to sprout, you can move them to the backyard. Don’t worry about removing the rinds, though, as it’s actually more beneficial to plant everything together.

A five-gallon bucket is quite important when it comes to gardening. It can act as storage for tools, soil, fertilizer, and other things. These containers usually come with a lid, so you can protect anything that you decide to put in the bucket.

A five-gallon bucket can also act as a stool when you need to do pruning or when you’re taking a short break.

Critters can destroy your cozy garden lawn in a matter of seconds. They can get through fences and eat vegetables, fruits, and flowers. Height is no issue for them. To keep them out of your garden, place plastic forks in the ground, fork-side up.

This will keep the critters away from your garden. It’s important to note, though, that you should use biodegradable forks as plastic acts as a parasite in soil. Biodegradable forks will do the job just fine, and they’ll keep your soil healthy.

Calcium is good for soil, as it stabilizes the organic matter in the soil and can even act as a repellent against pests and weeds. Simply take those eggshells and place them at the bottom of the planter before covering with soil.

For quicker and better results, the eggshells are recommended to be powdered or crushed up using a blender.

Tarps can be a huge lifesaver when it comes to gardening, as they can be used as covers. If you live in a place that experiences drastic climate changes and cold weather but you still want to maintain the plants in your garden, this trick could be incredibly useful.

Not only will these tarps protect the plant themselves, but they’ll also help retain moisture in the soil. Plus, tarps are also helpful in transporting or moving weeds, leaves, soil, and small rocks.

Cool climates can be quite damaging to your plants if you’re not careful. Luckily, we have a good technique to help protect your tomatoes — and all you need is some plastic wrap!

By wrapping the plants with plastic, you can create a greenhouse effect. The tomato plant will be able to warm up underneath the plastic, which will then help it thrive during the winter season. With this method, you can grow tomatoes regardless of the climate or time of year.

Soil composition is the most important thing in gardening. If you’re thinking of creating your own garden, it’s best to do a soil test beforehand — to figure out whether your soil is muddy, sandy, or silty.

To perform this kind of test, you can use a mason jar to collect a sample of soil from your hard. Judging by the results, you’ll know what kind of plants will thrive in your garden and which ones won’t.

Rabbits, raccoons, and any other pests can destroy your precious garden in a few hours. This is why the pesticides market is making a fortune. There are many tricks to keep pests away from the garden.

You can stake a rope a few inches (four to five) above the ground. This will keep the animals away from your garden — plus they’ll be placed at a good height so you won’t have any issues tending to your garden when you need to.

We know this trick may sound a bit weird, but we promise that there’s a method to our madness. It turns out that coffee grounds are actually awesome for your garden. Not only do they add important nutrients to the soil, but they also help to absorb and retain water.

What’s more, these grounds attract good kinds of critters like earthworms. These little worms deter the bad kinds of critters — ya know, the ones that’ll eat and/or kill your plants like snails and slugs.

As funny as it sounds, it’s hard to make plans or go on vacation if you have a whole garden to tend to. You seriously need to plan and appoint trustworthy people to take care of your plants while you’re gone, which is an added hassle. To solve this problem, take a bottle, milk jug, or anything else that can hold water.

Then, make several small holes in the bottle. After that, bury the bottle or jug in the ground. The water won’t get a chance to evaporate since it’s under the soil, and thus will slowly water your plants. That’s right — you’ve just made your very own self-watering device with nothing more than a plastic bottle or jug!

Have you vowed to practice a more sustainable lifestyle this year? Then, we’ve got you covered. You can start a garden from all the biodegradable items available in your house. Instead of buying new plants, you can start by planting your seeds in eggshells.

Once you’ve done this, you can then plant the entire eggshell in your garden. As we’ve mentioned before, eggshells are actually super beneficial when it comes to gardening as they help aid in keeping the soil healthy.

Hanging plants dry out pretty quickly. Since the water floods out from the bottom of the pot, it’s difficult to keep the soil fertilized. To solve this problem, place a diaper around your potted plants.

This way, your plants will retain the moisture. The diaper will not only keep the moisture in, but it’ll also water the plant from time to time. For better results, it’s recommended that you use an organic, chemical-free diaper.

Similar to the toilet paper tube hack, you can make your seedling pots using newspaper. Create a tube-like shape using the sheets of newspaper, before filling them with soil and seeds.

Since the plants are potted in newspapers, you’ll be able to judge how much moisture they’re getting just by looking at the paper. Another advantage of newspaper pods is that they disintegrate quickly in the soil so, with that in mind, it’s a good choice for fast-growing plants.