Tools & Materials

Tool Shed: High Stakes

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Though I try to minimize the total amount of staking necessary in my garden, there always remain those plants that demand to be staked.

The War Over Seeds

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

There is a billion-dollar war going on in the seed industry, and most gardeners are blissfully unaware of it. At stake are thousands of varieties that gardeners treasure, and a basic question: Who owns Nature?

Pros and Cons of Garden Chickens

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The theory behind keeping free-range poultry—chickens that are allowed to roam the garden at their will—is wonderful, but the practice is not always quite so simple. Here are the pros and cons.

Best Tools for Weeding

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

These hand tools will help you win the war against weeds.

Flower Arranging

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here’s how to prepare your garden’s flowers for arranging, plus tips on handling flowers with care.

Four Digging Tools

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

All gardening begins with soil preparation. Shovels, spades, forks, and hoes are tools used to shape beds, loosen the earth, mix in soil amendments, and prepare seed beds.

Row Covers Protect the Vegetable Garden

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Row covers are very thin synthetic fabrics that protect vegetable plants from insects, cold and wind. Here’s a guide to choosing and using row covers.

Pro Power Equipment for Home Gardeners

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

For long-lasting, powerful yard equipment, home gardeners can shop for professional-level items such as mowers, augurs and tillers, such as these...

Digital Cameras for Garden Photography

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

How to choose a digital camera for taking pictures of your garden.

Matching Row Covers to Plants

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Row covers come in three weights: light, medium and heavy. These are the plants that require each weight.

A Support for Sweet Peas

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

How to support sweet peas with recycled garden material

Riding Mowers and Tractors

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The advantages of using a riding lawn mower, and how to choose one.

Seed-Starting Equipment

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Seed-starting equipment has come a long way since the days of egg cartons and cutdown milk containers . . .

The Horticulture 100

Thu, 18 Mar 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Big anniversaries seem to call for lists. After all, it's not every day that a magazine passes the century mark. . . .

Horticulture Techniques

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

These downloadable how-to articles help you garden through the seasons.

Mail-Order Seed Sources

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Check out these links when you’re shopping for flower, vegetable, heirloom and/or organic seeds

Your Ideas: Keeping Clippers Clean

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here's one gardener's tip for easily keeping pruners sanitary.

String Trimmers

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

It is an incredibly modest machine, right down to its name: string trimmer. At its heart, or more precisely its foot, lies a monofilament line that spins swiftly enough to cut vegetation and still yield gracefully when it encounters brick, cement, or stone.

Fall Cleanup

Sat, 06 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Fall. It's more of a verb than a season for some people. In autumn, if you have deciduous trees in your yard, then you also have a front-row seat for their seasonal strip tease. . . .

SOS: Save Our Seeds

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

What you can do to protect your favorite seed varieties.

Flower-Arranging Tools

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

With just a few tools and supplies, you can turn your garden’s flowers into stunning arrangements for your home and for friends.

Going on a tilling spree

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

In the spring, I load up a garden cart with well-composted manure and set out to start working the soil in the garden, getting it ready for the first planting of the year. After forking compost into the winter-hardened ground for an hour and enjoying just the first 15 minutes (the last 45 minutes create fireworks of shooting pains in my lower back from my sedentary winter in front of the fireplace), I realize that I am a woman in need of a tiller. . . .

How Do You Say That?

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Along with slugs and aching backs, botanical Latin ranks high on the list of things that people hate most about gardening. Yet anyone who has gardened more than a year or two will usually—if grudgingly—admit the necessity of using Latin plant names, for the very good reason that if we rely only on common English names, precise communication about plants becomes impossible.

Northeast: Summer Munchers

Sat, 18 May 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Here's how summer comes to the Northeast: "Leaf subsides to leaf," and with the lush greenery of early summer come the garden predators . . .

Leaves, Glorious Leaves

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Your trees are your best friends in summer, cooling your home and spreading verdant shade across your yard. In fall, however, the love affair wanes as they dump a smothering carpet of leaves onto your lawn. How can you make the most of what they bestow upon you?...

Protecting Plants for Winter

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Ways to protect trees and shrubs from winter weather and deer.

Plan Ahead for Bulbs

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

While autumn may be just peeking around the corner, it’s not too early to start thinking about spring—that is, about the spring-flowering bulbs you need to plant this fall. You can save 10% and earn FREE SHIPPING* on Horticulture books and CDs, including “Bulbs,” from now until September 18!

Watch the Weather to Garden Better

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

With a few simple tools you can watch and record weather statistics such as air temperature and rainfall in your garden. Use your findings to make smart choices about garden chores.

Tools That Multitask

Sat, 18 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Multitasking. In today's busy world, being able to do more than one thing, at the drop of a hat, is indeed an asset. This Swiss-Army-knife mentality has made us look for dual purposes in many of our favorite products . . .

String Trimmers and Brush Cutters

Fri, 18 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The first time I laid hands on a string trimmer, I felt like the Wicked Witch of the West. The gentlest squeeze of my hand activated the whirring string at the base of this broomstick-like weed-whacker. It leapt into action, grinding away the messy outer edges of my yard and garden. . . .

More Mow, More Go

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

When Tom Corso's wife, Colleen Van Pelt, left for a two-week business trip to Japan, her last words to her husband were: "Why don't you get something to mow the yard?" Tom and Colleen had just moved into a new house, in Groton, New York, with 15 acres of land. The five acres surrounding the house were lawn (or would be—as soon as Tom and Colleen got the area sodded or seeded). The other 10 acres were a low, brushy wilderness. . . .

The Organized Tool Shed

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

How to clean out and organize your storage space.

Automatic Sprinklers

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Things to consider when planning and installing an automatic sprinkler system.

Mow and Mow Quiet, Please

Wed, 18 Jun 2003 00:00:00 GMT

It's 8:30 a.m. on a sunny Sunday morning and the lawn needs mowing. The grass is already dry, but the neighbors are all still asleep. Is there any ruder awakening than a power mower starting up? With my lawn mower, however, I don't need to worry. . . .

Review: The Plantfinder's Guide to Daisies

Fri, 18 Oct 2002 00:00:00 GMT

IT WASN'T JUST the golden-rayed, chocolate-centered Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm' adorning the cover that drew me to this new book. I love that an entire book has been devoted to these common favorites. . . .

Power Tools for Fall Cleanup

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Chain saws, chipper-shredders, brush cutters and log splitters make fall yard work quick and easy.

Forward Charge

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

You recycle. You compost. You buy local produce. Could you be ready to “green” your lawn with an emission-free (not to mention whisper-quiet) lawn mower? Today’s electric mowers have a number of advantages over gas-powered ones...

Saddle Up

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

If your property is of a certain size (an acre or more), a riding lawn mower is probably sitting in your garage—or topping your wish list. Today’s models come in three styles: lawn tractor, garden tractor, and zero-turn radius mower...

Mowers

Wed, 18 Jun 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Fall Cleanup

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Nature saves her biggest show for last. Late in the year, the world seems to take a deep, cold breath and hold it. In the stillness of glittery October sunlight, the trees and shrubs flame. A walk down a country lane becomes an awe-inspiring extravaganza of color. And then . . . wham! All those beautiful leaves fall off and cover your lawn and gardens with a mess. . . .

Garden Tractors

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Homeowners with large yards benefit from a garden tractor. Here are the jobs garden tractors perform and how to choose one.

Pruning Shears

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

If you are going to buy just one tool for pruning, make it a pair of pruning shears. This tool is what you'll use for pruning roses and for the majority of cuts on fruit plants, houseplants, and young ornamental trees and bushes.

Riding Mowers and Tractors

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

When I was a kid, lawn mowing was never my favorite activity. Pushing a loud, heavy, fume-spewing machine around the yard in the blazing sun could hardly be anyone's definition of a good time. . . .

Power Garden Tillers

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Reasons for tilling the garden, and options among power tillers.

Growing Seedlings on a Light Stand

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The why’s and how’s of using artificial light to start seedlings

Holding the Line

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Living in a clearing in the woods for 12 years gave me an enormous appreciation for nature's tenacity. If I skipped even one year of keeping down woody scrub, small trees, rough grasses, and greenbrier as tough as nylon cord, they came creeping back into my two-acre meadow-the vanguard of a wholesale takeover that would soon return the meadow to oak, poplar, beech, hornbeam, and black birch forest. . . .

Gardening Gloves

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Here are some good choices among gardening gloves.

Use Deer Fencing to Protect Plants

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The surest way to keep deer out of the garden is to put up a fence. This article explains the details a fence must have to be effective against deer.

Cactus Weeder

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Early in my desert gardening career, I found myself sporting linear scars on my hands and forearms consistent with intravenous heroin use after I weeded around my cactus and agave plants...

Commercial-Grade Power Equipment

Fri, 18 Mar 2005 00:00:00 GMT

If you chill your food in a Sub-Zero refrigerator, make your morning omelet on a Wolfe stove, or drive a pickup truck or SUV to work (even if your route isn't off road), then you may be the sort of consumer who would enjoy commercial-grade outdoor power equipment. . . .

Sources for Light Stands

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Where to find mail-order light stands and plans for do-it-yourself stands

Working Wood

Sat, 18 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Taming a feral yard isn't easy—especially in the fall, when the garden and surrounding area are bursting at the seams with summer growth. But there are several pieces of equipment that can help any homeowner process an overabundance of plant material with efficiency and ease. . . .

Keep Deer Out of the Garden

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

How to keep deer out of the garden by using scare tactics and deer repellents.

Protect Melons, Squash, Gourds and Cucumbers

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:35:53 GMT

Medium-weight row covers offer an organic way to keep pests off of melons, squash, gourds and cucumbers.