5 Best New Gardening Tips

These gardening ideas might not be strictly new - but they were new to me this year, and my garden is happier for them!  They save my soil, my back, and my time.  This year my garden is better than ever.  Here is what worked for me:

1. I got a long-handled trowel.




Long-handled trowels really save a lot of strain on your back.  You can do all that precision digging and weeding without bending down to reach the ground!


I looked all over for something like this.  Apparently we don't usually sell these in the USA.  I finally found these Joseph Bentley traditional garden tools from England, available only online.

2. I switched my cover crop to Buckwheat.




Buckwheat is a cover crop that's excellent for summer time.  It sprouts really quickly compared to other cover crops, and it grows great even when it's hot out.  And of course it's gluten free. Read more about buckwheat as a cover crop here.

3. I make bouquets out of garden plants.


This bouquet was assembled from leek flowers and marigolds that happened to be growing in my garden.  Vegetables flower too!

4. I started using a precision weeding tool.


This weeder is really narrow, which helps to scoop out weeds by the root without disturbing the plants next door.  

5. The 10-Second Rule: water each plant for 10 seconds.

I helped my 9-year-old niece start her first garden this year, and I showed her how I've started watering.  It saves a ton of time, and it helps make sure all the plants in the garden get enough water during the hot days we've been having.  Simply hose each plant down on full blast for 10 full seconds, then move on to the next.  Previously I had been spraying each bed down until it looked wet - a method that led to uneven watering.  This way I know each plant gets enough.  My niece dubbed this method the 10-Second Rule, and it works!








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