We’ve got a network of soaker hoses throughout our landscaping and vegetable garden. The hoses deliver water directly to the plants at the soil line. Less water goes to waste. The roots are not inundated.

What is beauty? That may seem like an overly subjective even unanswerable question. We, however, aren’t playing philosopher. We aren’t venturing into the abstract. If you own a home, the question is not a hard one to answer. Homeowners understand beauty, and beauty is whatever makes a hard job easier, cleaner and quicker. By that standard, we found something mighty beautiful. It's the Liberty Garden Model 1200 Two Wheel Hose Cart. The Model 1200 looks nice. Its powder coat finish and clean construction make it attractive on its own. More importantly, it neutralizes a potential eyesore. Nevermore will you be the reviled neighbor with a garden hose strewn hastily about the lawn. Your homeowner’s association will relax. Your grass will breathe. Your feet, they will travel freely and untripped. Of course, more factors into beauty than mere looks. Utility is...

We’ve honed enviable gardening skills over the past few summers. Our tomato plants stretch to the sky. Our strawberry plants could feed a brigade. We pickle banana peppers and cucumbers. Herbs? We grow more than you’ve got names for. Until this summer, though, we wasted not a thought on flowers. We subscribed to the moto: “If you can’t eat it, who needs it?” How bullheaded of us. Our eyes have opened. We now live in a world—or at least a backyard—of beauty and serenity. Newbies to flower gardening, we’re learning. We’ve experimented with dahlias, daylilies, cone flowers, mums, morning glories, etc. Our favorite by far: zinnias. We couldn’t imagine a plant easier to grow than a zinnia. And, the reward for your minimal effort is broad, vibrant flowers that bloom heavily all summer. Pat yourself on the back; you've earned...

We at G@H love gadgets but not gimmicks. We think ourselves above being snookered by shiny and new. So, we approached the Burpee Ultimate Growing System with skepticism. It costs $20. Other 72 cell seed starters cost less than $5. Red flag! Barpee claims its product, unlike others, is self-watering. You fill the bottom tray with water. A mat wicks up water and delivers small but continuous amounts to your seeds/seedlings in another tray on a second tier, ensuring that your plants neither go thirsty nor drown. Guess what: it works. Almost all the seeds that we planted in the Burpee Ultimate Growing System have developed into vibrant seedlings. Only about one-third of the seeds that we planted in a conversional seed starter have spouted, and they are noticeably less robust. This test, of course, is unscientific, but the top-notch...