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We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
From seasoned green thumbs to total beginners, these gardening picks are a hit with 'em all.
Promising review: “Highly recommended! I recently purchased the Rocky Mountain Goods Flat Soaker Hose for my vegetable garden and I must say, I am impressed with its performance. The heavy-duty double-layer design ensures that the hose is durable and able to withstand the wear and tear of daily use. The flat design also makes it easy to maneuver around plants and through tight spaces. What I love most about this soaker hose is how evenly it distributes water to my plants, which has led to healthier growth and higher yields. Overall, I highly recommend the Rocky Mountain Goods Flat Soaker Hose to any gardener looking for a reliable and effective watering solution.” —Daryl Pacific
Price: $17.95+ (available in three lengths)
Promising review: “Vacation veggie patch saver! We had just planted our spring veggie patch a few weeks before we were going on vacation, and I was panicked about my veggies' survival. I was skeptical this would work, but it was easy to install (both my husband and I are hopelessly impractical) and worked great. Veggies saved! Now we're back and I'm still using it: saves time and effort.” —cookbookie
Price: $39.99
Promising review: “Makes weeding sooo much easier! I had probably hundreds of dandelions in my lawn and flower beds. First, it’s extremely difficult for me to continually be getting up and down to move around the yard as I weed. Second, most often the weed breaks off at ground level without getting the root. This weeder solves both problems! This weeder gets root and all!! Once in a while the roots can be difficult to get even with this tool, but 95+ percent of the time, it gets the whole thing in one effortless pass. It’s unbelievably easy even for this senior! Highly recommend.” —K.in.So.Cal.
Price: $47.53
Promising review: “Plant lifesaver! So I don't have a green thumb, so I have to rely on tools like these on a daily basis to avoid killing more plants.
In my case, I need to keep the soil ‘damp,’ not ‘wet’ or ‘dry,’ so on the scale I like between 3 and 6. Every morning I test the water in the soil. Since the probe is at the bottom, I test it at a few levels and if any are 3 or less, I water the plant.
Since I'm an organics grower, I don't have to worry about the PH of the water I use, but still, every week or so, I measure the PH to make sure I'm between 6.2 and 7.0.
My plants can't live without these (literally), so I have a pair near every spot I have plants and I LOVE THEM and would suggest them to anyone!” —A P
Price: $14.99
Pro tip: There’s a version for trees and shrubs, too, if you’ve got bigger fish to fry than houseplants.
Promising review: “I absolutely adore this product. When I first got my coleus plant, I seriously thought it was going to die in less than a week. I was just searching on Google for a quick fix and I came across these plant food sticks. I honestly didn’t think it was going to help, but my plant is amazing now. I just stuck it in the soil and watered it regularly, and two weeks later it was ready to move into a bigger pot. It is growing, it is beautiful, it is vibrant – every positive word you can think of, basically. Thank you so much, Miracle-Gro, for turning me into a green thumb.
Update: my plant is brilliantly humongous and still growing as an indoor plant. I love it. I have to use a ruler to make a path in my planter now because I transferred it to a 16-inch pot. It’s still growing in my apartment by the window. I know it’s going to make it through winter. Now I use it for my other plants (parlor palm and Joseph’s coat croton) and they are growing beautifully as well. I just ordered more.” —suttonkae
Price: $5.69 for a pack of 48 spikes
Promising review: “Works almost immediately! Used it for my newly-planted garden patch of impatiens and petunias. I purposely applied the fertilizer the night before we were supposed to have rain. That was a Friday. Rained intermittently throughout Saturday. By Sunday evening, each plant had almost doubled in size, appeared stronger and more established in the ground, and the impatiens had TONS of new buds waiting to emerge. Earlier this afternoon, I applied the fertilizer to a bunch of potted plants in my backyard — New Guinea and regular impatiens, petunias, vinca, and begonias. It’s now 6:30 p.m., and I’ve already noticed a few new blooms that have sprouted…Eleven of the best dollars I’ve ever spent. GREAT PRODUCT!!! Also extremely easy to use. Directions say to 'gently blend with native soil,’ but I literally just sprinkled a handful around the base of each plant and watered. Works like magic!” —Stephanie
Price: $9.59
Promising review: “I have now bought six of these! I absolutely love these raised beds! So easy to put together, fast shipping, amazing price, sturdy, and they have held up amazing through a Vermont winter. Last year, I bought and used three of these beds and my veggies did amazing! This year I bought three more, and I cannot wait to get them set up. I figured for the price that they were going to be kind of cheap, but I was so wrong. Also, they are very easy to move around (before filled with dirt). These beds are the real deal and I have recommended them to so many people who also love them!” —Kara B.
Price: $54.99
Promising review: “Great grow bags! I bought these as a beginning gardener so that I could add more space to my backyard and replace plastic pots. I looked at reviews and saw that it was highly rated; now I know why. The grow bag is transportable, and the X-stitched handles on the side are extremely sturdy. For a beginner who is questioning why to buy grow bags instead of a traditional pot, here are some reasons:
1. The breathability of the fabric allows for air pruning, meaning that when the roots reach the side of the pot they will not spiral like a normal pot, but grow healthy spreading to different areas
2. The breathability of the fabric also prevents overwatering. If you’re a gardener you know how sometimes it can be so easy to accidentally over water; not with this grow bag. The air that flows in through the sides of the fabric allows to dry out the soil a bit faster, preventing overwatering. Though this causes you to have to water more often the insurance is worth it. To combat the water loss in the grow bag, you can add something like leaves as mulch on the top. This prevents the sun beating down on top of the exposed soil.
Overall, this product is sturdy, portable, and helps keep your plants healthy and happy. I would recommend this to someone who is an aspiring gardener seeking to get into grow bags. Or even to an experienced gardener who is looking for some high-quality grow bags.” —MARTIN
Price: $14.99+ (available in 10 sizes and two colors)
Promising review: “Nice gardening hat! I was in need of a wide brim (but not too wide) hat to wear while gardening. My specifications were:
- lightweight
- ventilation
- stiff brim
- soft, absorbent inner headband
- tie under chin
This hat meets all my needs! It even has an inner tie around the headband to adjust the fit. Several other reviews mention that it comes folded and the fold lines keep the hat from being completely circular. Maybe at first, but I'm sure it will settle with wear. It states that the hat has SPF 50, but I don't think it's actually treated, just effective at keeping the sun off your face and neck. I got the khaki color and it has a greenish cast to it. Really nice. So far, I'm very happy!” —Michelle
Price: $17.99 (one size; available in 21 colors and with and without a ponytail hole)
Promising review: “Love this stool! This stool has become my most necessary garden supply! I love working in my yard when the weather is good, and I keep this stool with me, so I can sit down wherever I want and take short breaks. I also used it last summer to weed a large area, so I wouldn't have to constantly bend over. The stool turns over to become a kneeling pad. My only complaint is that one of the pockets that hangs on the end comes off too easily, and I constantly have to pick it up. (I finally quit and just bring it out if I need some small pockets.) I highly recommend this stool!” —Cathy Norris
Price: $49.99+ (available in two styles and three colors)
Promising review: “Best I ever had! I am a life-long gardener and have bought all kinds of knee pads. These totally rock! Padding is so comfortable! The plastic exterior is waterproof and I don't seem to get any debris under them, like other knee pads I have worn. I cross the elastic straps and there is very little slippage. Great price for a great pair of knee pads!” —Crunchy
Price: $29.99+ (available in two styles)
Promising review: “First solution to fungus gnats I’ve had! At first, I was hesitant. How could little sticky tabs on a stick control or eradicate my fungus gnat infestation? I had tried various pesticides, but those killed my plants too. So in desperation, I tried these. They had good reviews and people said they worked wonders. Well, add my name to that list. These things worked fantastically! I bought these on June 28th after battling fungus gnats for months, the problem was only getting worse. It is now August 9th, and I can honestly say I haven't seen any gnats in my house flying around. I still keep the tabs out just in case, and occasionally I'll catch one of two, but for the most part they're gone and it's 100% due to these little tabs! And I didn't even use all seven traps! Cannot rate highly enough! Will buy more in the future, guaranteed!” —Katheryn Camm
Price: $5.99 for seven traps
Promising review: “Most-used garden tool! My entire family loves this basket! We used it all summer long to collect vegetables and our eggs. My 3- and-6 year-old do great with it because it's easy for them to carry without spilling anything. I loved collecting tomatoes in it because it even held the small grape tomatoes. It's extremely easy to clean. We have a special hook in our pantry that it hangs on easily where everyone in the house can reach it. We seriously used this basket twice a day this summer. I would highly recommend this basket. It would make a great gift to a backyard gardener.” —Mike L
Price: $15.95+ (available in two sizes and four colors)
Promising review: “I LOVE these bulbs! We have a bunch of plants and we also had a problem with super annoying fungus gnats, so after resolving that issue, I got these bulbs so the top soil would stay dry and we wouldn't have to deal with them again. Also, it helps because there's no guessing game to whether the plant really needs to be watered, it just ‘drinks’ when it feels like it. That also helps because different plants have different needs based on plant type and location (amount of sun exposure). Just fill up the bulb when it's empty, plug it back into the same hole in the soil and you're all set! I'd say, depending on how dry your plant is when you first put the bulb in, will depend on how quickly it gets drained so don't blame the bulb for that one. Some just drain more quickly than others. One tip I follow is to cover the opening with a small piece of paper towel so no dirt gets in and that works great, plus, since these are for my larger plants, I also do some plant watering through the hole when I'm refilling, then plug the refilled bulb back in. Makes it stretch a little longer between refills...” —Rose R.
Price: $18.95 for a set of three
Promising review: “Keeping the squirrels out! We are so happy with this product. It is easy to use and there is plenty of it. The zip ties are nice added touch. We followed the picture on the box for our raised beds and for our strawberry patch which was already fenced in, we just pulled the netting down over the posts and it fits well. Squirrels, birds, rabbits, etc. can't get in! We have tried everything else, we love this netting! Out mailman even stopped to ask where we got it!” —Amazon Customer
Price: $24.99+ (available in three sizes)
Promising review: “These pots are awesome. I've gotten a number of different self-watering pots at this point and honestly, for the money, these are pretty rad.
Other self-watering pots claim to be self-watering (and they technically aren't lying) but don't really give you any option to possibly take the base in which the plant actually sits in out of the actual pot without disturbing the soil, but this one does. Not only that, but there is a specific area of this pot where you strictly water into to bring your ‘watering gauge’ that it comes with up.
It comes with six coco soil pucks which expand in water which I typically use one for each new plant I pot in these at the bottom of the base, then fill the rest with perlit and premium soil. The coco soil pulls the water up through the basin and keeps the plant watered. It's really a genius way of doing it. Just wish that they had some bigger sizes (like 8" and 10" width pots) for when the plants grow.
Anyway, overall, definitely worth the purchase!” —Nick Myers
Price: $27.88+ for a set of three (available in five colors)
Promising review: “As a first-time hydroponics gardener, I found this Aerogarden even better than coaxing plants through soil-based containers and raised beds. The end product was incredibly tasty and convenient. No early morning trips across the yard, fighting mosquitoes, to water and nourish pampered plants in Texas heat and humidity.
The plants flourished under the incredibly bright grow lights. To tamp down the brightness, I enclosed the entire garden in a cardboard box which helped immensely. Being the contrarian I am, I used tap water rather than distilled just to see what would happen. Turns out, they did quite well — so well, in fact, that I've shared some of my bounty with a couple of neighbors rather than dry them for storage and later use. Personally, the true benefit of this product is having super fresh herbs for everything...from salads to more intricate dishes, like scrambled eggs and homemade soups!
Yes, I highly recommend this system for the soil-challenged gardener and others. Well, off to set up a second garden for some tomatoes and other goodies. (I WILL use distilled water for these as I hear they can be a little more sensitive pH-wise.)” —MKS in San An
Price: $133.99+ (available in two colors)
Promising review: “I bought this because I wanted to attract more pollinators to my garden and I honestly didn't expect much for the price. I WAS WRONG! They craftsmanship is amazing! I honestly didn't think I would get bees. I WAS WRONG! They started moving in a few weeks after I put it up. I am so happy with this purchase and I love watching my little buzzing friends!” —Amazon Customer
Price: $24.99
Promising review: “Hummers love this feeder! There are two types of hummingbird feeders that I've had great success with, and this is one of them. It's a replacement for a similar feeder that sadly had to be retired. I was a bit concerned, as in past experiences I've learned that hummers can be particular, but my fears were unfounded! This little female is very happy, and even without a dedicated ‘landing’ area has no problem sitting to slurp!
The bottom twists off for easy cleaning and holds 10 ounces of sugar water, which works for me as the hummers either drink LOTS (!) or I disassemble it anyway to clean.
This Perky-Pet feeder is a beautiful transparent green and a great buy!” —riderdiver
Price: $13.33+ (available in two colors)
Promising review: “Good labels! Finally, an outdoor garden labeling system that seems to last longer than a single season. Affordable, very sturdy, and easy to use, this system is now my first choice for perennial plant labeling. You may want to use a broader tip permanent marker than the one supplied, but the labels themselves are first-rate.” —Gordon Cucullu
Price: $26.99 (available in three colors)