Have you been getting a lot of CDs for online service in the mail? And have you been tossing them?

Not so fast. There is something useful you can do with all those free CDs. They can save plants and trees, fruit and vegetables.

Instead of tossing the CDs out, drill a hole in the edge of each and thread thin wire, twine or dental floss through the hole. Then hang them on your fruit trees. The silvery, flashy surface will scare birds away.

You can protect low-lying fruit plants and vegetable gardens, too, by hanging these digital scarecrows on coat hangers (bent into hooks) and sticking them in the ground.