5 tips to cultivate your green thumb

Your garden says thanks [Seeing green?]( If the recent warm weather has you yearning for some fresh greenery in your life, you’re not alone. Maybe you’re itching to revive a backyard garden in need of sprucing up. Or perhaps you’re taking advantage of the warm weather by throwing open the windows and letting the sunlight shine on your houseplants’ first buds of the year. As refreshing as this season is, cultivating plants—inside or outside—can be overwhelming, especially for beginners. How can a plot of dirt blossom into something bountiful? Why are houseplants so expensive? And how much should you really be spending on garden gear? We’re here to help with expert advice and [recommendations for the best gear]( to make this spring your most fruitful yet. We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. [Learn more ›]( [Invest in solid watering gear]( [A few of our picks for best garden hose, coiled up and placed on top of each other.]( Rozette Rago Garden hoses are unremarkable when they work well, but if they underperform, they can drive you insane. Make this the year you finally upgrade to a buy-it-for-life hose: Durable and versatile, our [top recommendation]( is perfect for all kinds of utility work. Fit it with the [Melnor XT451 Heavyweight Metal 7-Pattern Nozzle]( and you can easily control the spray of water on and around your delicate flora. Hose storage can be especially awkward; yes, we have [hose reel]( recommendations, too. [Say goodbye to twists, knots, and dribbles→]( [Fill your home with houseplants on the cheap]( [Six potted house plants sitting on a window sill.]( yuriz/ iStock No-cost or low-cost plants, pots, and accessories are plentiful if you know where to look for them. Take it from senior staff writer Rose Maura Lorre: “My current houseplant tally stands at 57, for which I shelled out (to the best of my recollection) a grand total of $48, and of all the pots they live in, I have paid for exactly two of them,” she writes. [Find plants for next to nothing→]( [Check out your soil, but skip the at-home test kit]( [A soil test kit and all its materials scattered about along with some soil and a trowel.]( Connie Park If you’re lucky enough to have space outside to garden, it’s important to know the state of your soil. But we found at-home soil tests to be inaccurate and difficult to use. Instead, it’s best to send soil samples to a testing lab at an [extension office](. [How to determine the state of your soil→]( [Consider raising your garden bed]( [A u-shaped raised bed with plantings.]( Jessica Bell If after assessing your soil you find that you’re dealing with a high water table, bad soil pH, or a rocky hardpan underlayer, raised-bed gardening is a great alternative to planting directly in the dirt. Building a raised bed allows you to create the soil mix you want from scratch. And you don’t have to deal with rocks, roots, and other obstacles to getting your plants seated in fertile ground. Our staffers recommend [Oldcastle’s planter wall blocks]( which make building a raised garden a snap. (Psst: [They’re currently on sale for $10]( [Lego-like blocks, but for gardeners→]( [Use smart devices to automate your outdoor space]( [A closeup of a smart device attached to a spigot.]( Jennifer Pattison Tuohy The smart home doesn’t have to end at your back door. Smart watering devices, such as our recommended [sprinkler controllers]( and [hose timers]( can go a long way toward keeping your lawn, garden, and flower beds green and healthy with less effort—while conserving water in the process. These devices can use local forecasts to determine the best time to water your garden based on weather and soil conditions. They can also prevent under- or overwatering by measuring water use and applying knowledge about your specific landscape (soil type, vegetation type, slope, shade, types of sprinkler heads) to adjust their activity. [The smart way to garden→]( YOUR WEEKLY SPRING CLEANING CHALLENGE [Clean your coffee maker]( [A coffee maker, shown next to a kitchen sink and a bottle cleaning brush.]( Sarah Kobos Coffee-maker maintenance isn’t simply a matter of good hygiene. It also affects coffee flavor, which—depending on how your morning is going—may be far greater motivation than anything else to keep your brewer sparkling clean. It also helps to keep bacteria and mold from setting up residence, particularly in the water reservoir. [Read our step-by-step guide→]( See you next Sunday for another challenge. [View email in browser]( You are receiving this email because you signed up for Wirecutter’s Newsletter. Getting too many emails from us? To stop receiving Top Picks, [unsubscribe](. 
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