New Gardening Gadgets and Gizmos

Master gardener Paul James showcases several handy garden gadgets.

More from Gardening by the Yard
Filed under: Maintenance, Container Gardening, Organic, Watering, Safety

Figure A

This raised garden bed is almost ready for planting (figure A). Made of insect- and weather-resistant cedar, the bed itself is eight inches deep, making it ideal for even deep-rooted flowers and vegetables. And since it's elevated, it's also ideal for gardeners with bad backs because it allows you to work without bending or stooping.

Once assembled, you simply add potting mix to the bed, firm the mix a bit with your hands, then plant your seeds or transplants. The bed comes with a weather-proof liner to keep soil in and allow water to drain through.

James decides to fill this bed with some fall veggie crops--lettuce, spinach and arugula--all of which will be ready to harvest within four to six weeks. He simply broadcasts the seeds just as he would in a garden in the ground, adds a bit more mix to cover them, presses them lightly to ensure good soil-to-seed contact, then waters well.

"The only downside to this garden bed--well, besides the most poorly written assembly instructions I've ever read--is that because both the top and bottom of the bed are exposed, it tends to dry out rather quickly," James says. "So be prepared to water frequently--to the point where the water begins to trickle through the bottom of the bed." The raised bed has a slatted shelf at the bottom for storing potting mix, tools and watering cans.

Figure B

This clever gizmo is designed to keep your pots on the level (figure B). "Pots on an uneven surface look goofy, and in the past the only solution was some sort of shim," he says. "But with this thing you can support pots up to 800 pounds on a slope of up to eight degrees."

Figure C

All you do is swivel the two-part discs to compensate for the slope of a patio, driveway or deck, then place your pot on top (figure C). As a bonus, this pot-leveler also protects wood and masonry surfaces from stains.

"This is a brilliant invention, especially for people like me who go crazy at the sight of anything crooked."

Figure D

Ever had trouble propagating cuttings of woody plants because they rot? Here's the solution. This reusable rooting pot (figure D) makes propagating cuttings a snap, in large part because the future cutting takes root while still attached to the parent plant.

First, identify a six- to eight-inch section of branch to be rooted, and make a circular cut around the branch, exposing roughly a half-inch length of tissue just inside the bark layer. This is the portion of the branch from which new roots will emerge. Wrap the pot around the exposed tissue and close.

It may be necessary to support the branch with a stake, given the weight of the pot. Stuff the pot with moist sphagnum moss, and secure the lid on top of the pot.

You'll need to add water to the pot once a week or so, but that's all you have to do. Within two to four months, depending on the plant, you should have a well-developed root system inside the pot. At that point, simply cut the branch just below the pot, remove the cutting and plant it--either in a container or in the ground.

Figure E

This great gizmo allows you to hang potted plants just about anywhere (figure E).

Figure F

All you do is install the hanger using the screws provided--in this case, on a fence--and slide a six- to 10-inch terra-cotta pot into the latch at the top (figure F).

"With a little imagination, you may find even more uses for these things," James says, "like keeping hand tools handy--or for storing grilling tools next to the barbecue."

Figure G

This solar-powered hanger (figure G) overcomes one of the biggest problems associated with growing plants in hanging baskets--uneven lighting. Instead of the hanging baskets receiving too much sunlight on one side, and too little on the other side, the hanger slowly rotates the basket so the plants receive even light throughout the day.

"Two things to keep in mind," James says. "The load limit on this gizmo is 25 pounds, and it doesn't work well when placed in a shady location. After all, it's solar powered."

Do your bird baths look yucky? Do you get tired of scrubbing the stains and sludge in them every week? The solution is an all-natural product containing enzymes that break down organic stains and sludge and keep the water in your bird bath sparkling clean. Just add one packet each week to clean water and mix thoroughly. "And this stuff is totally safe. It's organic, non-toxic, biodegradable and bacteria-free."

Figure H

This gooseneck hoe (figure H) works at virtually any angle, and it has three sharp edges--the two sides and the point.

The hot-bed weeder, also called the ideal weeder, allows you to attack weeds from every imaginable angle, and it works fast.

Figure I

Say goodbye to blisters with these new gardener's grips (figure I). All you do is cut the foam grip to fit the length of a tool handle, apply the combination lubricant and glue, slide the grip on the handle and wait until the glue sets. It couldn't be simpler.

And that's the point in showing you all these gadgets and gizmos, James says. "After all, the simpler gardening is, the more inclined you'll be to get out there and garden."

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