previous
  • Containers as Focal Points
    Containers as Focal Points
  • Stylish Shady Containers
    Stylish Shady Containers
  • Plants that Spark!
    Plants that Spark!
  • Thoughts From a Foreign Field
    Thoughts From a Foreign Field
  • 6 Tips for Weed Control
    6 Tips for Weed Control
  • Make a Succulent Topiary
    Make a Succulent Topiary
  • In Pursuit of the Perfect Potting Shed
    In Pursuit of the Perfect Potting Shed
  • Dwarf Citrus Trees
    Dwarf Citrus Trees
  • Mulch for a Healthy Garden
    Mulch for a Healthy Garden
  • Colorful Selections for Shade
    Colorful Selections for Shade
  • Homegrown / Homemade
    Homegrown / Homemade
  • Pretty in Pink
    Pretty in Pink
  • Garden Confidential: A Plant Walks into a Bar
    Garden Confidential: A Plant Walks into a Bar
  • Plant an Easy-to-Water Strawberry Jar
    Plant an Easy-to-Water Strawberry Jar
  • Designing with Curved Terraces
    Designing with Curved Terraces
  • Fragrant Plants for Pathways
    Fragrant Plants for Pathways
  • Elephant's Ears
    Elephant's Ears
  • Save Money by Growing Your Own
    Save Money by Growing Your Own
  • Fast-Growing Trees for Impatient Gardeners
    Fast-Growing Trees for Impatient Gardeners
  • Building a Compost Bin
    Building a Compost Bin
  • Slideshow: Beautiful Clematis
    Slideshow: Beautiful Clematis
  • Comfortable Alfresco Dining
    Comfortable Alfresco Dining
  • Lawn Alternatives
    Lawn Alternatives
  • NEW Video Series: There's a Better Way
    NEW Video Series: There's a Better Way
  • Indeterminate or Determinate Tomatoes?
    Indeterminate or Determinate Tomatoes?
next

Make the handles of your tools into rulers

When I mark off rows or space shrubs and plants, I want to be more accurate than I would be by just eyeballing the distance. To do that, I turned the handles of my shovels, rakes, and hoes into rulers. Using a wood-burning pen, I’ve marked every handle with increments of 1-foot and 1/2-foot measures. For gauging the depth of holes and smaller widths, I mark the top foot of each handle in 1-inch increments.

R. B. Himes, Vienna, OH

From Fine Gardening 54, pp. 12