To prepare for working in my landscape at the front and back of my home, I keep a pair of garden shoes and the tools at each entrance.This way, when I work in the front or back area, my shoes and tools are ready.

Linda Davis

I take a 5 gallon plastic bucket and fill about 3/4 full with sand.  Then add a quart of ordinary auto oil and mix well.  After using your spades, etc. jam them into the bucket of oil and sand.  It will clean, protect and preserve the the spades until their next use.

Barbara Stewart

One of the best tools among the garden tools that I use is a dolly or some people call it a hand cart.  Instead of using a wheelbarrow it carries bags of fertilizer, mulch and even the many bricks that I have brought into my back yard, much more easily than the wheelbarrow.  If I have to carry bricks that are so small that they will fall through, I keep a board that I lay on it and than I can carry quite a few bricks at once.

Genette Carter

An inexpensive and sturdy way to identify new cuttings and bulbs is print the name of each plant on a white plastic knife.  The knives provide an inexpensive, flat surface to write on, are very easy to see from a distance and can even be used to prop up new cuttings.

Judi Brown

Living in Florida with the baking sun for most of the year, I find keeping plants watered a most challenging task. I have a large piece of property with no sprinkler system! To compensate for not being able to water regularly, I use diapers both in the ground and in my containers. As you probably know, the lining of both baby and adult diapers can hold an amazing amount of liquid. I remove the water absorbant (cotton-like) lining and pull it into pieces which I place in the ground around my annuals, or any other plant that needs regular water. I use the same shredded diaper lining in a mix with my potting soil for container plants. The ammonia in urine from used diapers is even good for your plants, but I draw the line there and use only clean diapers. I'm on a constant search for the cheapest store bought, dollar store or garage sale bargain diapers I can find. It doesn't take very much to supplement the plants' water supply and the fabric lasts for a long time!

Marye Ann Kovatch

Hate the look of that ugly hose winder with miles of green rubber on it.  Hide the whole darn thing when not in use by tucking it between the bushes or under the deck/porch.  Trim a length of an old hose so that it's long enough to reach the hose winder from the faucet and put pop on/off connectors on both ends.  When you need to use the miles of hose just roll the winder clear of it's hiding place and pop on the shortened connecter hose, when finished pop off the connecter and push the winder back into it's hiding place!

Beanierene

To help keep the soil moist, cut up sponges and place them in the potting soil.  Put a few of various sizes in the bottom and on the sides of the container before adding soil.  The sponges will hold some of the water that normally would drain through the soil quickly.  As the soil dries, the sponges slowly release the water back into the soil.

Deborah Mooney

I have found a plant marker that lasts.  I use metal strapping (from an HVAC contractor) cut into 1 foot pieces. I print the plant names on a label maker (white with black letters). The nice thing about the label maker is that you can print vertically, in bold and in different size letters, so the names are easy to read. So far I have had some for 5 years. They hardly ever heave out of the ground and the labels stay on. And they do not get lost with the growth of your plants. I left one laying on the ground for 3 years and the label is still attached!

Jeanne Annis

I have learned there is a true technique to pulling weeds from a young perennial bed.  Especially if you also intend to remove the roots.  I have tried ALL kinds of gloves to protect my index finger and thumb. Well, by crackies I've got it!  Size your index finger to the neck of a large childs balloon. (Sold for pennies each in bags for parties etc.) Snip off the balloon end and roll the other end onto your index finger. It protects without hindering your sense of touch.  Stops irritation to your thumb also, (you just have to use the one). They last for several weeding sessions, easily washable, handy, and cheap. Sitting on a milk crate also helps the knees.

Brenda Ream