How We Research

I'm Wendy Hartley. I've been gardening on a 12-acre property in Litchfield County, Connecticut for 25 years. Zone 6a — cold winters, humid summers, more leaves in October than any sensible person wants to deal with. That context shapes everything I evaluate. A tool that works fine in USDA Zone 8 may be a liability here in February.

Some products on this site I have personally owned, run into the ground, and formed strong opinions about. My battery mower, my raised bed materials, the fire pit I've used for six years — those come with direct experience behind them, and I'll tell you so. Other products I've investigated thoroughly — read the specs, tracked owner reports across forums and retailer reviews, compared against equipment I do own — but haven't personally purchased. I distinguish these. I'm not going to tell you I've tested something I haven't touched.

My evaluation framework is built around real Connecticut seasons, not laboratory conditions or Amazon star counts. I'm interested in how equipment handles freeze-thaw cycles, whether a mower deck clogs in wet grass, and how outdoor furniture holds up after three winters with no cover. I read manufacturer documentation carefully and I'm skeptical of claims that don't survive contact with actual cold-climate gardening. Twenty-five years in will do that to you.

I don't accept free products in exchange for coverage, and I don't write "best of" lists based on what's trending. When my opinion on something changes — when a product I liked gets a new version that isn't as good, or when I discover I was wrong — I update the article.

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