Comments on: Seven Gardening Gifts No One Will Give Me

By: Planting Tulips, Part 2 — Cold Climate Gardening

Planting Tulips, Part 2 — Cold Climate Gardening — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:04:09 +0000

[...] two rulers to measure a square foot. And I marked the four corners of the square with my trusty tent pegs, and piled the soil on my feedbag-cum-tarp. And I did unearth crocus and snowdrop [...]

By: Gardening Tips for YOU » Blog Archive » Seven Gardening Gifts No One Will Give Me

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:02:02 +0000

[...] Mother’s Day is fast approaching, and many retailers who normally don’t feature gardening products have potted flowering plants and other quasi-gardening gifts prominently displayed. I thought I’d take the opposite tack and share with you my favorite non-gardening garden “thingies.” Most of them don’t qualify as tools. Some of them, quite frankly, would look like [...] Read more… [...]

By: Spotty Boxes

Spotty Boxes — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:33:38 +0000

I use old newspaper to make seedling pots for my chillies. Wrap the paper round a paper plant pot maker and you have a biodegradeable seedling pot.

Works a treat!

By: magpie

magpie — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 02:35:35 +0000

Spare table knives – good for making little slits to drop a seed into.

By: Nori Lane Bishop

Nori Lane Bishop — Sat, 31 May 2008 23:13:01 +0000

One of the best “tools” when digging a number of plants for dividing or moving, and you don’t want to bother potting them up because they’re going to go right back in somewhere, is a plastic sled, the kind sold everywhere for probably still less than $10. They’re shallow enough to accomodate large plants, etc., but the inch-and-a-half or so depth will hold enough water to keep them from being traumatized in the handling.

By: Charlotte

Charlotte — Fri, 30 May 2008 21:15:18 +0000

I use those tongue-depressor shaped craft sticks from the dollar store for plant labels. Write the name on with a sharpie, and by the end of the season they can go in the compost.

By: Dee/reddirtramblings.com

Dee/reddirtramblings.com — Sun, 18 May 2008 19:54:20 +0000

Pantyhose, but everyone does that.

Tent pegs are a great idea, as was this post. I asked for and got stepping stones for my wedding anniversary/Mother’s Day. That’s my tip. Schedule two holidays close together, but not on the same day. I combine for stuff I actually want.~~Dee

By: commonweeder

commonweeder — Sat, 17 May 2008 15:01:25 +0000

These are wonderful lists. Kathy, thank you for getting us all started. I use newspapers and cardboard as weed barriers under straw, but I am going out to rummage through the shed to re-outfit my tool collection. I’ve got an old colander too – and have been thinking about compost tea. I was demonstrating container planting at a Senior Center last week and one of the participants told me that she uses the little plastic six packs and tiny pots (empty ones) that she knows she’ll never use to take up space without weight in large planters. A great suggestion.

By: Diana Kirby

Diana Kirby — Fri, 16 May 2008 03:29:14 +0000

My most useful non-gardening garden supply is bread twist-ties. Just used a fistful of them to put up chicken wire to deter the baby bunnies nesting in our back yard within sight of the veggie garden!

By: Vera

Vera — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:18:36 +0000

Packing peanuts work great for the 1/3 bottom fill of a new raised bed to help drainage, just have a slowly running hose handy on windy days:,cut up plastic pots from starter sets, shipping crates of plugs / white foam board into smaller chunks and use them on the bottom of your bed instead of small rocks. Reuse, recycle, repurpose. Happy Gardening!