If you’ve been composting for any length of time you will have discovered that most of the time your compost pile has parts of it ripen faster than others. You may have a wide array of composted materials, since some of use throw most anything in the pile, and larger items like tree branches or even the main stalks of vegetable plants like broccoli or okra will break down much more slowly than shredded leaves or chipped wood.

Garden gnomes have been around for many years. They were originally produced in Germany in the middle of the 1800’s, and quickly spread through France and England, places where there were many gardeners. Today some estimate that there are more than 20 million gnomes in Germany alone. These early gnomes were fashioned from terra cotta, but over the years they have been made from a variety of materials like ceramics. Many of the modern gnomes are made from a resin material, which is relatively inexpensive, can be easily molded, and is fairly lightweight. Some other cheaper garden gnomes are made from plastic, which may not weather as well, but could last in an enclosed patio.

Anyone who spends a lot of time in the garden knows that many times we have to stop before we are ready because of all the time stooping and kneeling can be hard on the back or the knees. One handy garden tool to deal with this is a garden kneeler or garden seat. Here is a look at the different kneelers and seats on the market, and some features you might want to make sure you have.

Garden netting is one of those garden tools that we all wish we didn’t need, but is also one of the most effective means of garden pest control. There is a surprising number of products offered in the garden and bird netting area, and each has a slightly different target application ( pest if you will). Here are some buying tips if you are looking for garden netting, bird netting, or even deer netting for your garden.

As you spend more time gardening you will tend to accumulate more and more garden tools, and eventually you need to organize them when you aren’t using them. This can range from a simple holster or rack for storing a garden tool set, to a full size shed for housing your mini tiller or your chipper shredder. Here’s a look at some of your options for garden tool storage, with a look at garden tool storage racks, sheds organizers and more.

For anyone who is interested in composting, one of the tools that helps a great deal in speeding up the process of making compost is a chipper shredder. There are a number of different options for chipping your yard and garden waste. Without a doubt the large gas powered chipper shredders will do the fastest job and handle the largest branches. But the gas powered shredders are often out of the price range of the average home gardener. But the electric chipper shredders are priced much less, and can pretty much handle the yard waste for the average gardener. Here is a look at a couple of electric chipper models, along with features you may want to make sure you have in the chipper you get for your yard.

Mini tillers are a great way to handle the tilling chores for either small gardens or those small jobs that crop up in the middle of the growing season, like renewing a small patch of your garden after the spring vegetables are done. There are a number of mini tiller choices available these days, so here is a look at some of the features you will want to consider when buying a small tiller. These can be a great choice for jobs that a large tiller don’t handle well, like preparing a raised garden bed.

What is the least expensive mini tiller? You can buy either an electric powered mini tiller or a gas one by using the tiller attachment on one of the string trimmers that has a replaceable tool head on the shaft. However, the power and balance that you get from a string trimmer based tiller with one of the $99 heads is not as good as you will get from dedicated mini tiller. But they are good for smaller jobs, and the cost is hard to beat. But doing anything more than preparing a small seed bed is tough on your back.

For the gardener that has a lot of inground planting to do, one of the backbreaking chores associated with the garden is planting the seeds in a long row. Especially for older gardeners who may have some problems with a lot of bending and stooping, a garden seeder can make the job of planting the seeds a lot less work. Here is a look at a couple of the more popular models of garden seeders, the Earthway and Precison models of garden seeders.

For any serious gardener you eventually may find that you spend a lot of time transplanting plants or preparing seedling for planting in the garden. A potting bench is a good way to get a gardening work surface out near the garden where you need it. Here is a look at some of the features you may want to consider in a potting bench.

Firewood racks are handy for storing the logs you’ll need for your fireplace or firepit. Log racks come in all sorts of sizes and shapes, from the large outdoor firewood rack that will store more than a cord of logs to the smaller indoor racks that will hold just a few logs right next to the fireplace. Here is a look at some of the different styles of firewood racks that the homeowner may consider.

First, do you want an indoor rack or an outdoor firewood rack? The indoor racks are really just a simple way to hold a few logs. If you only stoke up the fireplace a few times every winter, this may be all you need. Often these smaller racks come with handles so you can use it as a caddy as well.

Trimming trees can be an ongoing chore for many homeowners. For many lighter duty needs, a simple tree pruner like the Fiskars Tree Pruning Stik might be all that’s needed to keep your trees under control. But if you have a large number of trees, especially older trees, you may find that you want an actual saw to help manage the lower limbs of your tree and keep them at a height that lets people use the yard and the lawn and other landscaping get enough light to thrive.

Rain barrels are a great way to save a little money and a little piece of the earth at the same time. You can find some fairly inexpensive rain barrels, or if you are looking for something decorative there are plenty of options to do that as well.

The EPA estimates that the average homeowner can save about 1300 gallons of water during the peak summer months with a rain barrel.

Garden tool sets make a great gift for the gardener on your list, or can be good way to get started gardening. What are the garden tools you want in a tool set? Here is a look at the different types of tools you may find in a kit, and what tools are the ones you want to have in the garden tool set you purchase.

Garden fences have a variety of functions in the garden. You may be interested primarily in keeping critters like rabbits or deer (or turtles or cats and dogs) out of the garden simply to protect your garden produce. Or you may want to look at garden fencing as a part of your overall landscaping theme, where you want to add some character to the vegetable or flower garden. Here is a look at a number of garden fencing options.

A garden cart is a great tool or even a gift for your favorite gardener. But there is a wide array of different garden carts on the market today. Here is a look at the different types of lwn garden carts, and which are best suited for a variety of gardening chores.

There are a number of different uses for garden carts. Some are mostly decorative, and serve to hold plants and planters for display in the yard or on the patio and deck. These sometimes look more like shelves and a display stand than a cart.

With the onset of late summer and fall, we hope to need some way of picking the fruit from our fruit trees. As the tree grows in height, many of the apples, oranges, pears, and other fruits start to get out of reach. Most of us aren’t crazy about climing a ladder to get to the top of the tree, so a fruit picker is a great investment. Here’s a look at some different fruit pickers, and some features to look for in a good fruit picker.

While many birds migrate for the winter months, you’ll find that there are a large number of birds that will stay in the colder climates. A simple birdbath deicer is one thing you can do to help the birds get through the winter.

Birds that stay in the colder climates have a number of challenges to deal with. Their food supply has either gone dormant or is hidden under the ice and snow on the ground. You can do a lot to help your birds by putting out high energy foods in a suet feeder (or for those of you with squirrel problems you might want to try pepper suet). But the food supply is just one issue to deal with. Birds also need an available water supply, and a bird bath with it’s large radiating surface seems like it is designed to freeze quickly and thoroughly. By thawing the water with a bird bath heater you can help make it available to the birds.

A fire pit is a great addition to your backyard. For many years fire pits have been the main gathering area in back yards around the country. But these days with all the concerns about outdoor burning and the burn bans that many communities have it seems that it’s more bother than it’s worth. But a propane fire pit can solve many of these problems.

With a propane fire pit you address many of the problems with the traditional fire pit. Some advantages of propane pits you may want to consider. By the way, many of these advantage will apply to an outdoor gas fire pit as well.