Best Selling Garden Products

by Tammy | Mar 20, 2019 | Gardening

Best selling gardening tools

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Best Selling Garden Products

As winter is coming to a slow end, I am getting more and more anxious to be out in the sun working in my garden every day. You may have seen me say this before, but I just don’t do well in the cold, dark, sunless days of winter. I have managed to sneak out and get a few things planted. I have snow peas, radishes, cilantro, lettuce and carrots starting to grow. But that is all for now. So, I spend my time inside still wishing for Spring to hurry up and get here. I have my seed catalogs so worn out from perusing them and wishing that I decided to take a look at what some of the best sellers in gardening categories are online. I went to Amazon and went to their best sellers list. I went through the gardening categories one by one. I eliminated pest control and items like that and have come up with a list of best sellers of the most interest to gardeners. I am going to go out and take a good inventory of my tools and see what I need to replace this year.

Composting Category – This is the number 7 best seller – Garden Compost Bin Tumbler

I have never used a tumbling composter. I just use a homemade wooden bin type structure. But, this has a 4.3 out of 5 rating on Amazon. I have read the reviews and most people seem to love it. It appears that the instructions aren’t the best, but most say it tumbles easily and it makes compost faster than a bin does. Also, several people mentioned that this cut down on pests such as flies and gnats. Anyone have any experience with one of these? If so let us know what you think in the comments.

Gloves and Protective Gear – This is the number 1 best seller – Thick Kneeling Pad

Now this is something that I can relate to. My knees always hurt when I garden. This pad has great reviews. It has 4.6 stars out of 5 with 1335 reviews. That says a lot for it right there. Although I do prefer the pads with stands to help you get up and down. Any gardener with hurting knees should have one of these.

Greenhouses and Accessories – This is the number 2 best seller – 4 Tier Mini Greenhouse

We sold the Juliana 4 tier racks for over 10 years at www.advancegreenhouses.com. This is a different brand as the Juliana stands are no longer available. But, I can tell you that everyone who had one loved them. We would have reorders year after year. It wasn’t because the stands didn’t hold up. People just wanted to add more and more stands to their porches every year.

Gardening Tools – This is the number 1 best seller – pH, Moisture and Light meter

It is very important to know the pH, moisture content and sunlight level for your garden. If you have a problem and you aren’t sure what it is it will be harder to fix. With this meter you can pinpoint your issues and work to correct them.

Outdoor Gardening Carts – This is the number 1 best seller – Collapsible Cart

Gardeners always need a cart. And what better than a collapsible cart for easy storage. Pull your garden tools, plants to be put in the ground, even the kids in this great cart. This is top rated at 4.6 out of 5 starts with a whopping 3759 reviews.

Plant Covers – This is the number 2 best seller – Tunnel Garden Cloche

These are great season extenders. Get a head start on the growing season in the Spring, or extend the growing season in the fall.

Pots and Planters – This is the number 1 best seller – Grow Bags

These grow bags give your roots plenty of room to grow. The pots are breathable so they keep the plants warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. They are easy to move around and will last a good long time.

Potting Benches and Tables – This is the number 1 best seller – Kneeler Seat

These are great. As I mentioned before I love these kneelers that double as a sitting bench. I find that the support from the “legs” help me to get up and down easier. And, your knees will definitely thank you for this extra support and protection.

Lawn and Garden Watering – This is the number 2 best seller – programmable timer

I am all about timers and automating things like watering. No need to rush home from ball practice or some other special event in order to get your garden watered on time. Plus, your garden and plants will thank you. They are happier with regular timed watering. Inconsistent watering can lead to problems such as blossom end rot.

Watering Cans – This is the number 9 best seller – Steel Watering Can

I much prefer to have irrigation systems set up, but occasionally you will still need a watering can. You may have one plant setting off by itself where it just would not be practical to run a system. Besides, I like the old fashioned look of this watering can. It kind of reminds me of something my Grandma would have had.

Conclusion

Tools are a necessity for our gardens. Please be sure to take good care of your tools by cleaning them and placing them back in storage after finishing with them for the day. Time to go out and check the potting shed and see if you need to replace any for this years growing season.

Top Ten Gardening Tools

by Tammy | Apr 12, 2018 | Gardening, Growing Vegetables, Planning Your Garden, Preparing Your Greenhouse, Raised Garden Beds

Top Ten Gardening Tools

Whether you are a seasoned gardener, or just getting started, you will need a few tools to help you along the way. These tools make our life as gardeners easier. Here is my top 10 list of necessary items.

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1)A Greenhouse:

Polycarbonate Greenhouse

If any of you are surprised by this I don’t know why. I absolutely love greenhouses. Now, this may not be in the budget for some, and actually it may not even be an absolute necessity. But, a greenhouse is valuable in a couple of different ways. You can start your vegetable seeds for your garden in a small greenhouse. But, if this is not viable for your circumstances you can start your seeds indoors. If you have a large enough greenhouse you can grow your own vegetables all year long if it is set up properly.

2)A mini cultivator or small roto tiller:

You may need to rent or borrow a large tiller for the first time through your garden. I highly recommend a rear tine tiller for this job. It is smoother to run and just seems to get the job done better and faster than a front tine tiller. But, once you get your garden established I find that a mini tiller will do the job for you. They will aerate your soil and remove weeds at the same time. They are lightweight and easy to maneuver. Also, these are great to use working in raised garden beds. You can get them turned in a tight space.

3)A shovel:

This is pretty self explanatory. If you are going to “dig in the dirt” you just have to have a shovel. Try to get one that fits you best. I am only 5′ tall and find that many of the shovels have handles that are just too long for me to handle easily. I would recommend going to a local garden center and trying them on for size!

4)A Rake:

You absolutely must have your ground leveled before you plant your garden. Once you have done your digging or tilling level it out with a rake. This also helps to remove any stones or debris that you may have missed. I recommend this Bully Tools rake. It has a fiberglass handle and steel tines. Besides that, these are Made in America. Talk about a win/win.

5) A set of hand tools:

These should include a cultivator, a weed fork, a transplanter, and a trowel. The cultivator will break up the surface of the garden bed. This will aerate, help in the conservation of moisture and will help control weeds. The weed fork will help by loosening, lifting and turning over the soil in your garden. The transplanter will help you find the correct depth for planting. Garden trowels are used for digging holes for bulbs, small plants, etc. They can also be used in weeding.

6)Vegetable Trug:

Of course you will need something to transport all of your lovely vegetables once your garden is growing. This trug does double duty as a carrier and as a colander to rinse off your veggies.

7)Frost Free Hydrant:

You will need a water source close to your garden. We use frost free hydrants for all of our outdoor watering needs. These are buried to a level below your local frost line. No need to worry about faucets freezing and breaking. Of course you will want to disconnect any hoses in freezing weather. A sprinkling can is a nice tool to have as well.

8)Dehydrator:

This is the perfect way to preserve many of your crops. We have owned our 9 shelf dehydrator for about 20 years now. We have tried many different things, some successes, some failures. One thing that I love to dehydrate is strawberries. I cut them in slices (too thin according to my husband). Once they are dehydrated I eat them like candy. And just think how much healthier that is than grabbing a chocolate bar. We have dehydrated bananas (bought on sale, not grown), carrots, parsnips and tomatoes with huge success. We actually take our dehydrated principe borghese (Italian heirloom) tomatoes and grind them in a coffee grinder.
We then put the powder in our tomato sauce to thicken it. Actually for our tomato sauce we just put our tomatoes in our Vitamix and pulse. Failures in dehydrating were eggplant (it just kind of dissolves when you reuse) and zuchinni (it doesn’t really have any taste although we tried salting them and eating them like chips which wasn’t too bad).

9)Gloves, Nail Brush and Lotion:

Ladies, you will probably appreciate this more than the men. I have a tendency not to wear gloves to garden. They just seem to impede me. So, my new best friend is my nail brush. I have come out of the garden too many times with dirt under my nails and gotten some really weird looks. Yeah, I wash my hands, this is honest dirt. Anyway, I find that non gardeners just don’t understand, so to my nail brush I go. Also, nothing will smooth out your hands like Bag Balm. I found this by mistake when I was raising Nubian Goats. I loved my girls and guys. This was an essential for the new mommas. But, as I was smoothing it on them, I found that my dry hands felt really great. They even have it in tubes now. I haven’t tried them yet, but I am going to get some and try it. I have always used the product in the tin.

10)A Garden Cart:

I love working in my garden just as much as the next person. But, there are times when you just need to sit down for a minute. These rolling tractor seats are perfect with their under the seat storage. They are good for picking, planting, weeding or just contemplating life in the garden.

These are my top ten. Of course everyone will find that their own top ten is probably a little bit different. A lot of what you need depends on how you garden. Raised garden beds will have different set of tools than a standard garden bed. Just experiment with different tools until you find the one that works the best for you. The most important thing is to get out there and get digging in the dirt and have fun!