Sheet mulching with cardboard is the secret to fewer weeds and fuss-free plant-bed prep. Don’t ditch those cardboard boxes; instead, put them to use in your garden, smothering out weeds ...

As you’re tackling your pile of paper, make an effort to clear out any cardboard boxes as well. “These attract bugs and rodents,” says Jenna Fischer of The Arranged Abode in Raleigh, North Carolina.