apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I'm an avid gardener, and this kit, well, the trug is nice and a good soap rarely goes amiss, but otherwise it's a waste of time.

Thing is, unless you're just puttering about with a window box, gardening includes a fair bit of hard physical work. It's also a constant work in progress, and between the two, you need solid tools and gear that will last, gloves that fit properly and protect your hands, and labels that can be erased and re-used. And this kit just ain't it.

Also, while folding little pots out of newspaper is a cute idea, it's only useful if you've got the newspaper. I don't. What I use to start seed, since I have them on-hand and they're well-suited to it, are paper egg cartons. Also, as a tip for starting seed in the ground, cut toilet paper rolls in half or in thirds and punch the rings into the soil, then plant the seeds inside them. It helps keep the seeds in place, keep moisture with them where it's needed, is a handy visual marker so you don't forget where you've planted things, and protects against cutworm too.