Our friends over at Beekman 1802 (www.beekman1802.com) are hosting the World’s Largest, Oldest Garden Party, which features seasonal tips, recipes, and advice for green thumb enthusiasts. Each month they hold a contest for website guests who have great tips in various gardening categories, and celebrity judges choose the winners. This month’s contest focuses on weed control, and guess what? They’ve asked me to be the judge!

So go ahead and take a peek at their website, then put on your thinking caps. Over the years, you’ve sent me lots of terrific ideas for knocking out weeds in your own yards and gardens, so I invite you to share them with the Garden Party. Who knows? Maybe you’ll walk away with a nifty prize package (complete with an autographed copy of my Terrific Garden Tonics book).

One of the best ways to control weeds in your flower garden for the entire growing season is to mulch the bed. Mulch will smother most weeds, and the few that do pop up can be easily pulled from the loose soil. For extra benefit, spread a 1-inch layer of compost first (this will help improve your soil). Top that with another 1 to 2 inches of shredded bark, pine needles or chopped leaves. And then—to really kick things into action—overspray your mulch with this fantastic formula:

Mix 1 can of regular cola (not diet), ½ cup of ammonia, ½ cup of antiseptic mouthwash, and ½ cup of baby shampoo in a 20 gallon hose-end sprayer. Then give your mulch a nice long, cool drink. Add more mulch as needed through the season to keep it at the same depth. Treat it with this spray each time you re-mulch, then get ready to have the most bloom-filled flower beds on your block!