How We Test

Every product on this site has been tested in a real garden in western Massachusetts, through real seasons. That means full summers for tools, full winters for furniture, and more than one growing season before a verdict.

What we actually do

We buy or borrow the products we test. We use them. We note what breaks, what wears, and what still looks good after a year. We revisit our picks when newer versions come out and update when our opinion changes.

What we don't do

We don't accept free products in exchange for positive reviews. We don't write "best of" lists based on Amazon ratings. We don't recommend products we haven't used or wouldn't buy with our own money.

Affiliate links

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy something through one, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This never influences what we recommend — see our full affiliate disclosure.