As many home gardeners know, growing your own plants is like parenting — the real goal is to avoid screwing something up beyond repair. But between weeds, aphids, and chaotically aggressive herbs, that’s not always so simple.

Thankfully, there are loads of hacks that will help you easily — and inexpensively — raise your plant babies into adulthood. 

THIS COMMON GARDEN PLANT IS A LOT MORE DANGEROUS THAN IT LOOKS

 Why You Should Care 

It turns out Audrey II isn’t the only plant we need to be afraid of. As one gardening expert shows us, mint can become a backyard terror. The herb grows ridiculously fast and can quickly take over your whole garden if it’s not handled properly.

 What To Tell Your Friends 

Unlike weeds — which can be surprisingly easy to control — mint can even spread between garden beds, stealing sunlight and nutrients from other plants. If you’re going to grow it, try doing so in an elevated bucket, which will separate its root system from the rest of your garden.

What other plants have run wild in your home garden? Let us know at: hello@thecooldown.com.

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HOW ONE BIOLOGIST BECAME THE HAN SOLO OF BUTTERFLIES

 Why You Should Care 

Just like the galaxy’s greatest smuggler, Tim Wong has a knack for carrying precious cargo. Over the past few years, the biologist has single handedly revived an endangered butterfly species by shuttling them between his home and a local botanical garden.

HERE’S WHY WHOLE MILK IS LIKE KRYPTONITE FOR APHIDS 

 Why You Should Care 

Aphids, the plant-eating, garden-terrorizing stuff of nightmares, have a secret weakness. As it turns out, you can scare these hungry pests out of your garden with little more than a bottle of full-fat milk. The trick also works on other common pests, like scales and mealybugs.

 What To Tell Your Friends 

🤯 THE GAME CHANGER 
How were you living without this?

THIS VIRAL HACK SHOWS JUST HOW EASY WEED KILLING CAN BE

🗣️ WE ASK → YOU ANSWER

Last week, we asked our readers if they’d be willing to live in a 3D-printed home that takes just 24 hours to build. While that may sound like an easy fix for the hopeless Zillow trawlers of the word, one reader wondered whether it might come with some health risks.

A futuristic house sounds nice and all, but everything I’ve read in the news lately tells me I should be afraid of having too much plastic in my home. So, until you can print me something I won’t be worried about my kids accidentally ingesting, I’m out.

– Matt R.

Although many of us now probably want to live in a Barbie dreamhouse, we’re with you, Matt. Plastics ultimately break down into microplastics, which get into our water, our food, and even our blood. Thankfully, there are already safer materials out there. The company we profiled uses artificial stone, and others are experimenting with 3D-printed wood.