Care for your gardening tools

As a gardener, you've probably heard about the importance of sterilizing your garden pruners to prevent any plant cross-contamination of disease.

Rather than the usual method of bleach and water which can be messy, here's a quick and easy tip. Simply keep a container of disinfectant wipes (such as Clorox) in your garden shed, and wipe your pruners between uses.

A new use for that leaky garden hose

If you have a leaky garden hose, don't throw it away. It can easily be converted into a soaker hose for your flowers or vegetable garden.

Simply attach a cap to one end to seal it. These caps can be purchased very cheaply at any garden or hardware store. Then poke some holes all along the hose, and you've got yourself a soaker hose for no money.

Cheap and easy plant labels

If you have as many plants in your flower, herb and vegetable gardens as I have, it's probably hard to remember what they all are and you've thought about labeling them. Professional labels can be quite pricey, so here's a cheap and easy label idea.

Plastic disposable knives and a permanent marker are an excellent way to mark your plants. Just write the plant information on the handle. Because they're plastic, they won't break down in the weather, and the serrated side of the knife is ideal for sticking your new labels in the ground.