1. A pack of Miracle-Gro plant food spikes if your leafy green friends keep dying or aren't showing much growth despite your diligent watering. Just plop these into the soil, and they'll feed each plant with essential nutrients they need to ~thrive~ for up to two months! Watch your struggling plants transform before your eyes like Cinderella before the ball. 

www.amazon.com

You can use these with indoor or outdoor plants!

Promising reviews: "Plants are thriving! It brought one back from the brink of death. Easy peasy." —jasmin

"Must-have for all houseplants! It's the best plant food! I use these for all of my houseplants — I have around 30 or so. Super easy to use and works perfectly for all my plants. Definitely worth the buy!" —Kala H.

"As soon as I inserted a few of these in each of my vegetable plant, my garden took off from there. This is the only product that I use. Now I am actively growing and eating from my vegetable garden thanks to this product." —Kia

Get a two-pack (with 48 spikes each) from Amazon for $9.95.

2. A standing weeder, which has three steel claws that yank weeds out by the root without you having to bend over for hours pulling them out by hand. Because no one wants to kick off summer with new back problems.

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Made with a bamboo handle and powder-coated steel, it uses a simple lever system to make weeding easy. 

Grampa's Gardenware Co. is a small, family-owned business based in Oregon making tools for gardening. They've been making this tool since 1913! 

Promising review: "I love gardening, but I’m getting older now and weeding is backbreaking work…until I bought this product. It works like a charm, it grabs onto the rootstock, and you simply leverage it out of the ground, root and all. The other end of the lever works well too, like the claw of a hammer; it grabs onto smaller weeds and lifts them out of the ground. Now I can weed a large area in less than half the time without breaking my back…👍" —Michael D. Kutras

Get it from Amazon for $39.97.

3. And a crack weeder tool to show those mischievous weeds growing in through cracks in your sidewalk, patio, and driveway who's boss. Its L-shaped head and ergonomic handle make it easier to reach into those tight spaces and pull out weeds at the root so they don't come back.

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I've been searching for something to remove the weeds for a while and came across this amazing tool. Since I refuse to use chemicals in my yard, I've been left with scraped knuckles every time I attempt to remove weeds. The weeds have grown so tightly in the concrete cracks that I pretty much gave up; even weed-whacking it didn't help much. Yes, you do have to use a little bit of effort, but the end result was so worth it!" —Shelley Arakaki

Get it from Amazon for $15.95. 

4. A cordless grass trimmer that makes trimming around your garden way easier than trying to navigate tight spots with a mower or weedeater without damaging your decorative borders or delicate flowers, trees, and shrubs. It's also great for shaping hedges!

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

The reviewer who shared their before and after pics above said they have an autoimmune disease that makes pulling overgrown weeds tough — but with this handy tool, they were able to clear the 6-foot weeds from their garden bed!

Promising review: "This tool is awesome and it lasts a long time for trimming around your plants. I love it and recommend it for anyone who needs to trim around their plants and/or vegetable trees. Mine is a banana tree and was not kept trimmed around it, but after getting this tool, I'm able to trim around without damaging or making a mess around it." —IC

Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in three colors).

5. A raised garden bed if you're looking to start your above-ground gardening journey — this has up to 8 cubic feet of space for growing veggies, flowers, succulents, and more, with drainage holes at the bottle to help the roots aerate and let excess water escape. And the taller height means less bending over and strain on your back!

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Love this product for so many reasons. The raised design keeps our dogs and nature friends out of the garden. It's great for elderly and people with back or knee problems. You can still garden. Easy to put together. We got a 4-foot garden. Possibly overloaded it, but we have four tomato plants, three eggplants, three green peppers, three red peppers, and three strawberries. Highly recommend." —Cybil

Get it from Amazon for $59.99+ (available in three sizes and three finishes).

6. Or a galvanized garden bed designed to last for many, many years without risk of rot. They're easily assembled and a budget-friendly option for container gardeners!

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I ordered the raised flower bed because I just couldn't prep my hard ground for a garden. It arrived a week sooner than it said it would be here, and it took me about 20 minutes to put it together. It saved me hours of unnecessary work, and my garden looks great." —Christine Hanaki

Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in five sizes and five colors).

7. A bamboo bee house to attract the friendly buzzing pollinators to your garden and give them a spot to hang out safely when they're not fertilizing your flowers, trees, and berry plants. 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Love this little pollinator house! I wasn’t sure it was attracting them at first, but the next time I looked, a bunch of the tubes were sealed off. The bees seem happy, and my garden is doing great." —Jenna Preston

Get it from Amazon for $12.08+ (available in two colors).

8. A variety of sunflower seeds that are easy to grow and low maintenance, with minimal watering required. With a little time and patience, they'll grow strong into a vibrant flower patch that'll delight you *and* your local bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

www.amazon.com

BTW, Created by Nature is a small business!

Promising review: "Planted a handful of the seeds in our front lawn area. A few months later, we had a spectacular color array. Great flowers!" —Shane

Get it from Amazon for $14.99.

9. Or a wildflower mix with 30,000 (!!) seeds to transform your humble garden bed into a colorful butterfly paradise. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Seed Needs is a family-owned small business in Michigan that makes seed packets.

Promising review: "I bought this package hoping to attract butterflies. It did not disappoint. I have the opposite of a green thumb, and this was super easy. I couldn't tell you the names of any flowers, but we have at least six different types. I overseeded a smaller area, so I will probably make the area larger or only do half the seeds next year. We can go outside at any time and see our beautiful flowers and SO many butterflies! 10/10" —Tesa Taylor

Get it from Amazon for $5.99+ (available in four mixes and two sizes).

10. A soil moisture meter giving you immediate info on your soil's moisture, pH, nutrients, and light conditions so you can decide whether to water and adjust care as needed. Your garden is likely full of many different types of plants, all of which have different needs, so this tool is *essential* for keeping your green fam happy. 

www.amazon.com

The photos above show that the meter gave the same results as a separate pH test the reviewer took with their soil (between a 6 and 6.5). 

This meter has a single-probe design (aka less danger to your precious plant roots!) that must be inserted at least 2.5 inches into the soil. No batteries are required!

Promising review: "This little gizmo surprised me. My vegetable garden wasn’t going too well. My wife said it needed more water; I said it needed more fertilizer. It turns out, we were both right. After seeing the readings on the Raintrip, I adjusted both. Now the garden is producing like wild! It requires no batteries and, as long as you keep it clean, it’s as accurate as can be. It’s a tiny investment to find out soil acidity/alkalinity, moisture, nutrients and light levels. I wish I had this years ago! Simple to use, well packaged and easy to read. Seriously, this makes me look like I know what I’m doing." —Jimbo

Get it from Amazon for $15.99.

11. Sticky Stake insect traps designed to attract and trap those annoying gnats, flies, and other insects that swarm your container plants. Once it's caught all the bugs (ugh), just toss it right in the trash.

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Holy cow these suckers work! I'm so grossed out by the result, but at the same time, I have a sick sense of satisfaction. I used these in my houseplants that are breeding fungus gnats. I used them in conjunction with beneficial nematodes, and they definitely cut down on the number of gnats in our house. Unfortunately, I added a new houseplant, plus repotted one that had outgrown its prior home, and we are wrapped up in them again. I'm buying another package of sticky traps as soon as I finish this review!" —Megan

Get a pack of 16 traps (with eight stakes) from Amazon for $6.99.

12. A Seeding Square kit to make evenly sowing your seeds so easy, even kids can jump in and help! And those perfectly spaced rows will be *so* satisfying to look at every time.  

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

It also comes with a measuring stick called a dibbler that pushes down the dirt to the correct depth for you to drop your seeds. The holes are color-coded to let you know exactly where to plant seeds of different varieties.

Promising review: "Love this thing! I have been gardening for a while, and this takes all of the guesswork out of spacing. I used this for the first time this spring using the planting chart/guide, and it has worked out perfectly. I have had little to no weeds (I mean, come on, you're gonna get some weeds). Planting per the Seed Square will, for the most part, choke out the weeds, while promoting growth for the plants. I even used this to plant growing plants, and not just seeds. Just put the square on the ground, used the stick to mark the spot, and dug a hole where it was marked. Simple enough. Would highly recommend. Super easy!" —Jennifer Geisel

Get it from Amazon for $29.95.

13. Or a back-saving gardening claw that creates 17 evenly spaced holes at once for planting seeds — work smarter, not harder!

Gardinnovations / Etsy

Gardinnovations is a Bridgewater, New Jersey-based small biz that specializes in gardening tools and accessories. 

Promising review: "Okay, I'm a gadget fan, and this is a GREAT gadget. At 17 inches long, it works for any kind of in ground, container, or raised bed. Good weight, sturdy. Gives nice, straight, easy-to-space rows. The points are 1 inch apart. Nice spacing for easy thinning, or just seed every second or third or fourth divot depending on what you are planting. For those who think it might be too deep, easy enough to adjust that for your needs. Have personally found that even lettuces come up stronger for slightly deeper than recommended planting depth, then again, live in the hot dry desert. All in all, a great idea and good quality tool." —Candace Delaney

Get it from Gardinnovations on Etsy for $26.95.

14. A hori hori garden knife you'll wonder how you've ever lived without, since it can be used to pop out weeds, dig small holes, cut roots, and more. It comes with a thick leather sheath for storage, with a built-in belt loop for easily carrying it around during your gardening sesh!

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Truly Garden is a US-based, veteran-owned small business, and they offer a five-year warranty with this knife!

Promising review: "I rarely leave a review unless I think something is truly an excellent product. This is the BEST hori hori I've ever owned! I've owned several during the last 20 years, and this one stands the test of time. I'm not always easy on some of my gardening tools; this knife has routinely been left outside in the dirt, rain, or shine. It's still in excellent shape after seven long years. I decided to buy a second one for my greenhouse. It's comfortable in the hand, strong enough to cut roots with the serrated edge, and long enough to use for planting bulbs, prying up weeds, and digging holes for 6-inch pots. If you only buy one tool, this is it." —nancy thompson

Get it from Amazon for $31.95+ (available in two styles). 

15. A set of ant bait stakes that'll help you reclaim your garden from the infestation of ants that have made it their home, potentially harming your plants and biting you while you work in your beds. These'll eliminate their colonies without the use of toxic insecticides that may harm bees, butterflies, and outdoor pets.

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "These really do work! We had a big ant infestation in the garden, with four separate nests. I was worried about using these with the dogs in the yard, so the night before we left on a week's vacation, we set up about 10 of these traps, putting them right beside the nests. As soon as we got home, we picked up all the traps (ALL the bait was gone) so the dogs could not get to them, and we noticed that all of the nests were no longer active. It WORKED. We now put them outside our fence line so the dogs can't get to them, and it seemed to keep the ants out of the yard all summer. My only issue is that they can get messy. You have to be sure to hold them straight up after you clip off the tab and open the trap, otherwise, the liquid bait inside will spill out." —pboy

Get a pack of 12 from Amazon for $12.68.

16. Cloning paste for your house plants that are currently stagnating and seemingly not producing new leaves or blooms — this stuff can help stimulate new growth so your plant bbs can once again ~flourish~. It's made for orchids, but you can use this paste on all sorts of plants, like begonias, string of pearls, and pothos. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Here's how it works: Find a node and peel away the bract to reveal the bud. Apply a small amount of the paste, and in two to eight weeks, a clone will grow out of the node! 

Check out the TikTok about this paste for more deets.

Promising review: "This product is just AMAZING!!! I waited a few months before writing this review because I wanted to test the product first. I am just AMAZED! I have to say...depending on the season and the place on the spike where you apply it, you either get a keiki or new flower spike (which is awesome!). Based on my experiments, the lower on the spike, the more chances to get a keiki. The higher on the spike, the more chances to get a new flower spike. If you apply it during winter (tropical area winter), you will more likely get flower spikes. If you apply it during summer (tropical areas), you will more likely get a keiki — at least that's what I observed!" —Anne-Isabelle Bonifassi

Get it from Amazon for $18.99.

17. A nontoxic disposable hanging fly trap with a smelly bait buzzing pests simply can't resist. After the bag fills out, all you have to do is dispose of it! Now you can focus on your weeding and harvesting without constantly swatting around your face.

www.amazon.com

This non-toxic fly bait attracts flies from a distance of 30-40 feet, and you'll want to position it at least 20 feet away from where you'll be most of the time, as the smell is *not* pleasant for humans.  

Promising review: "Great product. In the first few days, I saw more flies in my life than I have ever seen in my garden ever. After a couple of days, the water in the bag started turning black, and hundreds of dead flies in there. Originally, I got this product because I have a lime tree that flies lay eggs in the soil. After a couple of days, I don’t see any more flies emerging from the soil. Smells like week-old fish market but a great product, does exactly what it's advertised." —Chris

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $14.09 (also available in a pack of four).

18. A deer-repelling spray because you love Bambi, but you *don't* want him nibbling around on the flowers and veggies in your garden.

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I have bought this twice and am ordering my third bottle now. We live in Maryland, north of DC, and behind a wooded preserve with a high population of deer who are brazen in their approach to eating vegetation. This has saved my hydrangeas, sedum, and even my gorgeous gigantic mums bought from Costco, all of which had been devoured by the deer until I found this product. I put it on once a month. The smell is strong but not offensive." —KSwan

Get it from Amazon for $15.99 (also available in larger sizes and packs).

19. LED grow lights ensuring your seedlings get the proper amount of light needed for them to ~flourish~ — and to help struggling houseplants as well! It has a built-in timer, a flexible gooseneck for angling the light, and a clamp so it can attach to the edge of your table. 

www.amazon.com

The timer function has three options: 4 hours, 8 hours, or 12 hours — and it follows a 24-hour cycle, so you can set it to turn on for eight hours every day, for example. 

Promising review: "My favorite time of year is starting seeds for our vegetable garden. I previously relied on sunlight from our windows, but decided to try a grow light this year. Our germination rate since using those grow lights has dramatically improved. I love how the light has different brightness settings and can also be set to a timer. It's also so easy to use that my elementary-aged children turn it on every morning and set the timer as one of their chores. Since it is flexible and stays in place well, I'm able to direct light to two different trays on separate shelves with just this one light. Excellent grow light! Would make a great gift for any gardener!" —Melissa

Get it from Amazon for$19.19+ (available in two wattage levels).

20. Some plant covers to protect your precious garden beds from bugs, cold weather, or strong sun with a lightweight barrier that still allows air and moisture to reach your plants.

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Note: As the reviewer below mentions, this doesn't come with hoops to hold the cover up, so be sure to pick those up if needed.

Promising review: "Overall an excellent product! The material is breathable enough to let airflow and sunlight through. It protected my plants during the rare snow storm in southeast Texas. I purchased hoops to keep the blanket off my plants to keep the foliage safe from any freeze damage. This isn’t going to protect your foliage unless you keep the fabric off the plant. But it will protect the root system even if used without hoops. If you leave the cloth with snow on it resting on your plant’s foliage, it’s like leaving an ice pack on the foliage for hours/days; you will get foliage damage. Purchase hoops to prevent that from happening. I hope this helps!" —FCaballero

Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in four sizes).

21. Or smaller mesh plant covers for protecting single plants like tomatoes, blueberries, and strawberries from insects and other pests that will try to nibble away at your poor plants. These have a drawstring design that lets you secure them at the base. 

www.amazon.com

These help protect them against bad weather as well!

Promising review: "Love the size of these nets. I'm trying my hand at growing tomatoes in pots this year. My friends have told me about their issues with birds, critters, and insects, and these nets seem perfect. They fit perfectly over the cages, and I particularly like the drawstring on the bottom to safeguard against any invaders. There's no problem watering the plants through the net, and plenty of sun and air get through." —DC

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $11.99 (available in four sizes and various packs). 

22. A 10-pack of reusable seed-starting trays letting you create little greenhouses for those tiny seedlings so they can germinate. They have adjustable vents for regulating the temp and humidity, drain holes at the bottom, and a clear top for observing their growth. 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "This tray is sturdy and the perfect size for new gardeners or for gardeners who have a smaller garden. Even established gardeners can take advantage of this space-saving tray. Seeds all grow at different rates, and you should be planting the seeds at the right time so they are ready to transplant outside. Once you plant the seeds, you should not take the dome off until about 50% of seeds have germinated or popped through the soil. You also shouldn’t have to water again, if you watered properly when planting, until those sprouts pop out. So this means that anything you plant in a tray should all be expected to pop through the soil at about the same time or you run the risk of overwatering or removing the dome too soon. These smaller trays will help solve all those problems and make things much easier for you. It makes planting the seeds more manageable." —Lexi

Get it from Amazon for $16.99 (available in two sizes). 

23. A compact rotating compost bin that'll innovate your gardening process and save money long-term by turning your food scraps and yard waste into rich, high-quality soil your plants and flowers will thrive in. It's also not as much of an eyesore as other composters and will fit neatly in between your garden beds. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I balked at first at how pricey this was, but now I can say it was worth it. I fill it once a week, added some dry twigs and leaves from sweeping the driveway, added a little water, and I've got the start of some really rich soil nutrients. Don't believe the reviews that say you'll have good compost after one month. I've owned this since the beginning of summer (it's now almost fall), live in Denver where the unit gets really hot, and I'm just now getting some good stuff out of the unit. I turn it three full revolutions once a week after adding kitchen waste, and that's it. I feel good knowing I'm being environmentally friendly while creating great nutrients for my smallish herb and flower garden. The unit is attractive — pretty unobtrusive — so don't worry about it making your yard look ugly. It's the best-looking one I found. If you're serious about composting but don't want to work too hard at it, and don't want to spend hours putting together a cheaper unit, this one's for you." —Yvie

Get it from Amazon for $349.99+ (available in two colors and two sizes).

24. An expandable wall gardening system so you can start using your fences and walls as vertical growing space for flowers, herbs, and veggies. This genius system even has a built-in adjustable dripper (when you hook the planters up to a hose) to handle watering for you!

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Where have these been all my life?! I have always grown herbs and had a garden the traditional way (in pots or in a garden bed). I love these because my husband and I travel a lot, so we're able to hook these babies up to a water source and timer...and voila!!!! Plants are stayin' alive! I bought three panels, but am going to order more and do a whole wall of the house." —Yee Jensen

Get one panel from Amazon for $79.

25. And a stackable planter for another vertical gardening solution, with ample room for your flowers, herbs, and small veggies to grow and absorb sunlight. Imagine this with some adorable strawberry plants inside! 😍

www.amazon.com

Mr. Stacky is a small business that makes vertical plant growing products. 

Promising review: "I absolutely love this! I have used it to plant strawberries, lemon balm, English ivy, creeping Jenny, cauliflower on top, lavender, oregano, and parsley. It hooks together easily, and it can be taken apart if you have to move it. It normally stays outside; however, we are having a winter freeze right now, so I had to bring it in. I am constantly sending the link to my friends and family because they love it also." —Cynthia Stoker

Get it from Amazon for $36.95 (available in more colors and sizes on their store page, including the pink one shown above).

26. A five-pack of potato growing bags if your love for potatoes (and all of their wonderful cooked forms) is so boundless, you're ready to start growing them yourself. If you're NOT ready to start a self-sustainable potato operation, don't worry: You can use these for other vegetables like tomatoes, as well as herbs! 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "We bought the bags to try growing vegetables, herbs, and fruit (tomatoes). We travel full-time so the ease of transportation is terrific. Using new potting soil, and so far, all the plants have grown and produced well. The bags are holding up, and we plan on using them next year." —Paula

Get it from Amazon for $17.99+ (available in three sizes and multiple packs).

27. An AeroGarden indoor herb-growing system, complete with its own automated LED light and water level indicator — no soil needed! Try your hand at growing your own herbs or small vegetables indoors — all you have to do is drop your seeds in, fill the bowl with water and some plant food, and plug it in!

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

The AeroGarden Sprout comes with a free seed kit to get you started with three herbs (Genovese basil, curly parsley, and dill). You can also pick up one of AeroGarden's Grow Anything kits if you want to use your own seeds in the future! If you're interested in growing more, there are a variety of AeroGardens in bigger sizes as well as seed kits that let you grow cherry tomatoes, petunias, salad greens, and more.

Promising review: "I have three of the AeroGardens in different sizes. This size is perfect for herbs you use all the time. The compact size fits anywhere. The system comes with fertilizer. You fill the reservoir, add the fertilizer, put the pods in, and plug it in. The timer for the correct amount of light is preset, so make sure you put the unit in a place where the light won’t bother you. It also reminds you to add fertilizer. Once the plant is hardy enough, you can plant in soil or leave it on your counter in water. I love it!" —Nicki

Get it from Amazon for $44.

28. Solar-powered light-up flowers designed to come on as the sun goes down, transforming your garden into a whimsical fairyland. You can arrange them in your garden beds and next to real flowers for a magical effect at night. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Love it! Looks beautiful at night, and guests love them! Planning on ordering more soon! Works in all weather, rain, snow, heat! Just need sunlight! Only con is probably not a con, but they only stay lit at night for approximately two and a half hours. That’s fine because we head to bed, so it’s perfect for us! Highly recommended!" —Damon R. Jackson

Get a six-pack from Amazon for $39.99 (also available in a 10-pack).

29. Or a two-pack of solar-powered garden lights that look like little fireflies so you can enjoy your gorgeous flowers and landscaping at night as well as during the day. 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I am totally obsessed with these lights. I bought my first set and had them for about a week and couldn’t get over how lovely they were. So I have now purchased two more sets. They light up my flowers and azalea bushes beautifully. They have a lovely orange glow like little fireflies." —A Lombardo

Get a two-pack from Amazon for $14.98 (also available in larger packs).

30. A Stab-A-Nut if gum balls in your garden are the bane of your existence, especially with how your back feels after an hour of picking them up. This clever tool lets you quickly collect gum balls (along with walnuts, chestnuts, and macadamia nuts) without having to bend over. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Bought this for my dad whose back gets to barking picking up the thousands of sweet gum balls...pokey balls as we call 'em. He's used it a few times now and says it definitely helps his back and doesn't take too much extra time, if any, than doing it by hand. He says you do have to play around a little bit to get used to adjusting the head around as you're picking them up, so you can fit as many as possible in the fingers before emptying. But it doesn't take long to get the hang of it. It works picking up from rocks (without picking up the rocks) and in grass, as well as hard surfaces. Although these aren't the cheapest items to purchase and don't replace the shoveling of large piles, they do seem to work as advertised when going around picking up the random scattered ones if you can't shell out the $$$ for the larger machines this company makes." —Eric

Get it from Amazon for $64.99 (also available with a collection bag).

31. A pack of Velcro garden ties that are easier to use than basic twine or wire, softer on your plants, and REUSABLE from season to season — so a money-saver, too. You can cut them to whatever length you need!

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I’ve used these for years on my tomatoes, cucumbers, and cantaloupe that are trellised. They provide great support, are easy to apply, and will hold all year long. I’ve tried several other types and keep coming back to this." —Jem

Get it from Amazon for $5.90+ (available in five sizes).

The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.