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 covered on this site are drawn from manufacturer specifications, current product listings, and retailer information. Buying guides are compiled from these publicly available sources and are intended to help you compare options before purchasing. This site earns a commission on qualifying purchases made through affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. These guides should be read as shopping research rather than hands-on product evaluations — no physical testing is conducted here. Always review specifications directly with the manufacturer and consult appropriate professional advice for products involving medical, safety, or legal considerations.

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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