I'm a "newbie" and want to go organic. I've been reading about cornmeal and molasses for the lawn, but do I also use them on my flower beds? I have shrubs, plant a few annuals and I've started to go native and plant lots of perennials.

Sure use them both in all types of beds. Great thing about organics is that even if it doesn't help anything it usually won't hurt.

When deciding on amendments and solutions to problems. Declare first what you want to accomplish. Then ask, search or experiment for solutions.

A good start for newbies is to use an organic all around fertilizer in beds and on lawn. A good blend is Texas Tea. Then when you see a goal or problem, ask others for specific advice.

Cornmeal comes in many forms and has many uses. Horticultural cornmeal is great for fungal problems in turf grasses and plants like roses. Corn glueten meal is great for weed control (very specific times of the year) and is a powerful fertilizer. Other fertilizers are just as good and cheaper though so it's not economical as just a fertilizer. There are other uses and organic gardeners constantly find new uses.

Molasses is a cheap jump starter. It fires up the biological activity in the soil, provides some fertilization and has other uses like fire ant control.

Please ask more questions. Many seasoned, helpful gardeners here to answer questions.

Oh yeah, welcome to organics.