Now and then, you pick up a product, not expecting much and lo and behold, it turns out to be pretty darn great. Naturally, you tell friends and family about it. So, I thought, why not share with you some of my favorite finds that I’ve been reaching for over and over this summer.
Gardening has been a wild ride this year.
From a tornado in my backyard, to starting a garden from scratch, to torrential downpours, seventeen-year cicadas and humidity that would not quit.
Through it all, these products definitely pulled their own weight this season.
Fiskars Garden Snips
I have a pair of Felco pruning shears, which are spendy, but you only need to buy them once. They’re the sort of tool you yell at your kids for leaving out in the rain, knowing full well you can clean them up easily, and their kids will inherit them.
They’re just that good.
But they’re overkill for a lot of the small trimming and harvesting jobs you do in a vegetable garden. Cutting flowers? Snipping off tomato leaves with septoria leaf spot? Harvesting peppers? Cutting basil for pesto? Yeah, the pruning shears are a bit much.
But these little garden snips are just right. They’re super sharp. They’re lightweight and have a nice spring to them, so your hands don’t get tired.
I was a little nervous that I would lose the protective tip that comes with them, but it’s bright orange and I haven’t lost it yet, which is saying something as it has gone through the wash in my apron pocket a couple of times.
Speaking of…
Cute Gardening Tomato Apron
I know some folks are good at changing into clothes they don’t mind getting dirty when they garden. Heck, some even have specific outfits reserved for gardening.
I often garden on a whim, which means whatever I’m wearing at the time gets dirty.
Until this year! I picked up this beautiful canvas apron and hung it on a hook by the back door.
I grab it on my way out, and my clothes are protected. The pocket is nice, too, as I can tuck a pair of gloves, my garden snips and a seed packet or two in there.
(If tomatoes aren’t your thing, there are sunflowers, chickens and jars of pickled vegetables, too!)
Jean Nate
Wait. Jean Nate? As in that bath oil my grandmother used?
Yup. That’s the stuff.
I stumbled across a Reddit thread one night discussing how this stuff repels mosquitoes. (It’s the scented oils in it: cinnamal, citral and citronellol.)
To say that I have a lot of mosquitoes in my yard is an understatement. My house sits above a small swamp next to a creek. So, I picked up a bottle because I hate the way that Off and other bug sprays feel on my skin.
I was completely gobsmacked to find that Jean Nate works and leaves my skin feeling nicer when I’m done gardening. Give it a try.
Farmer’s Secret Tomato Booster
I’m not fussy when it comes to fertilizer. I really like Espoma Garden-tone. It’s a solid all-purpose fertilizer that I can use all season long, and my plants get what they need. I use it on my vegetables and my flowers.
On a whim, I picked up a bottle of Farmer’s Secret Tomato Booster when I saw it at a local hardware store. (One of those great old-timey places that has just about everything under the sun in it.)
This stuff has delivered in spades! Or rather in tomatoes!
I started using it as soon as my tomato seedlings went into the ground. I followed the mixing instructions on the back and the advice to add a bit of Epsom salt once the tomatoes start blooming.
My tomatoes have never looked so good! They’re huge! They have big leaves and thick, sturdy stems. I swear you could stand there and watch them grow.
The NPK ratio is 3-8-7, so you get enough nitrogen to ensure you don’t end up with all leaves and no fruit. My plants love this formulation, and I have been taking a look at some of the other Farmer’s Secret fertilizers.
Ice Wraptor Bandana
Y’all.
(Can I say that if I’m a northerner?)
It has been hot and muggy this summer. I have lost count of the days the humidity was 85% or higher. But garden chores still need to get done.
Normally, I soak a bandana in cold water, tie it around my neck, and that’s good enough. Not this summer. So, I started looking for ice packs I could wear around my neck. I settled on this one, and boy, am I glad I did.
The Ice Wraptor really delivers! (Even if the name is groan-worthy.)
It’s soft and comes with six reusable ice pack inserts. Yes, they melt and I have to pop them back in the freezer, but this works great because I grab a drink while I’m swapping the ice packs, so I stay hydrated, too.
Does it look a little goofy? You bet. Did it make gardening in this crazy heat bearable this year? It sure did.
Propane Torch Weed Burner
Not only is this thing effective, but it’s entirely too much fun to use. I get excited when the weeds start to grow in my gravel driveway.
Look, just read this – Propane Weed Torch – Why Didn’t I Buy This Thing Ages Ago?
It’s everything you need to know about using fire as a method of weed control. Trust me, you’ll wonder why you didn’t pick one up ages ago, too.
Cloth Gardening Gloves
I recently wrote about how gardeners unwittingly spread disease among our plants and how to prevent it. (You can read about it here.)
One important step is to use clean gloves and wash them often, especially after handling diseased plants. To make this easier, I decided to buy several sets of gloves to keep in rotation. I also set gloves down and then forget where they are, so having a few extra pairs helps.
I knew I wanted unlined cloth gloves.
As a woman of a certain age, I experience the distinct pleasure of hot flashes. I hate the nitrile/rubber dipped knit gloves that are so popular these days. They don’t breathe, and my hands get sweaty and gross. And let’s face it, gardening is sweaty and gross enough as it is.
These woven cloth gloves come in cute patterns, wash up beautifully, and keep my hands from getting hot and sweaty. I line dry mine, so I can’t say if they would shrink in the dryer or not.
Vego Garden Modular Arched Trellis System
Many of our regular readers know that I installed Vego Garden modular raised beds in my new garden this year. (You can read my first impression after setting up the first one here, and also what I learned after setting up a total of nine of them here. (Yes, I would do some things differently.)
I do a lot of vertical gardening, so when I saw that Vego Garden also had a trellis system that was made to go along with the raised beds, I knew I had to check it out.
I bought three of the largest sizes they have, so it was a bit on the spendy side, but worth every penny. Unlike a DIY trellis project, everything I need came in one box. The instructions were clear, and the trellis was super easy to set up and install. Despite being sturdy once installed, they are also light. I was able to move and seat each one on my own.
They’re beautiful and create a nice, wide space (4.5’) beneath each raised bed. Next year, I plan to put my little bistro table and chairs under one, so I can dine al fresco in the garden.
But aside from how beautiful they look, they’ve also increased my growing area quite a bit without me having to get bigger beds and more soil. A win-win.
KEEN Utility Men’s San Jose Chelsea Work Boots
A few years ago, I bought this pair of super trendy red Italian garden clogs because I wanted to be Martha Stewart. Or a garden gnome. I can’t remember which.
They’re lovely. I wear them when I’m popping in and out of the house to snip herbs, grab a few tomatoes, or take the clothes out to hang on the line.
And that’s about it.
When it comes to actually working in the garden, moving mulch, digging, planting, weeding, composting – you know, the real work – I never wear the clogs. I always reach for my KEEN work boots.
I can get them on and off with one hand thanks to the little loop on the back. They’re incredibly comfortable. (I’ve worn them on many a hike.) The traction on them is grippy and solid. And no matter how much I abuse them, they still look pretty good.
They wear like iron, too.
My current pair is three years old, and they’ve done a lot more than just gardening. The break-in period was practically non-existent. They were comfy straight out of the box.
They’re close-toed, so I’m not constantly pulling wood chips or dirt out of them (unlike my clogs). But they’re also not so tall as to be uncomfortable in hot weather. They’re just comfy and dependable.
I like them so much that I got each of the boys a pair for yardwork and general outdoor stuff, too.
These run pretty true to size and were spot on with the first try. They are men’s shoes, so keep that in mind when choosing a size. (I like to give my toes plenty of wiggle room, so I rarely buy women’s boots.)
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