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Gardening Hacks: 300+ Time and Money Saving Hacks
Make your garden flourish with these 300 easy and inexpensive gardening hacks to help your plants blossom—perfect for any green thumbs, first-time horticulturalists, or reluctant gardeners!
Think you don’t have a green thumb? Think again! No matter your gardening woes, Gardening Hacks has the solution.
Perfect for all gardening skill levels whether you’re starting your first garden, looking to expand your crop, or simply searching for ways to make it easier to care for your extensive plant collection, you’ll find everything you need to know to make your garden grow. Gardening Hacks includes helpful tips like:
-Saving your eggshells, which can serve as everything from an organic seed starter to a natural snail and slug repellent.
-Adding a pinch of cinnamon to help prevent fungal diseases that might prevent your plants from maturing.
-Using the newspaper to help deter weeds from sprouting.
-Creating your own DIY seed packet catalog to help keep your seeds organized as your garden grows.
-And many more!
No matter the size of your garden—from a small herb collection to an extensive variety of fruits and vegetables to any indoor plant that needs some perking up—Gardening Hacks will make your plants flourish!
Think you don’t have a green thumb? Think again! No matter your gardening woes, Gardening Hacks has the solution.
Perfect for all gardening skill levels whether you’re starting your first garden, looking to expand your crop, or simply searching for ways to make it easier to care for your extensive plant collection, you’ll find everything you need to know to make your garden grow. Gardening Hacks includes helpful tips like:
-Saving your eggshells, which can serve as everything from an organic seed starter to a natural snail and slug repellent.
-Adding a pinch of cinnamon to help prevent fungal diseases that might prevent your plants from maturing.
-Using the newspaper to help deter weeds from sprouting.
-Creating your own DIY seed packet catalog to help keep your seeds organized as your garden grows.
-And many more!
No matter the size of your garden—from a small herb collection to an extensive variety of fruits and vegetables to any indoor plant that needs some perking up—Gardening Hacks will make your plants flourish!
256 pages, Paperback
Published April 6, 2021
83 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
February 14, 2021
This reminded me of the old Hints from Heloise books. It's broken into three parts -- gardening, indoor houseplants, and pests and diseases I think. There are no photos, though there are some basic drawings for some of the projects. I didn't really learn any new hacks but I am an experienced gardener. It was a little old fashioned for me. I am more of a sustainable, organic gardener and I like the modern trend of moving back towards regenerative agriculture, hugelkultur, permaculture, etc. You'll find lots more about spraying pests here than compost tips, for instance. It will still be a fun read for beginner gardeners.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.
April 17, 2021
Bunch of tips collected from YouTube and made into a book and 60 percent useless.
August 17, 2021
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
Gardening Hacks is a useful and resourceful book of Hacks and ideas for your garden.
The book is broken in to three sections : gardening, indoor plants and diseases/pests.
I found some useful ideas in this book that I'm hoping to try out sometime soon. I'm not very green fingerd so I'm hoping some of these Hacks and ideas help me in my garden.
The only thing that let this book down was the lack of photos or drawings/illustrations of the tops and projects inside it.
Gardening Hacks is a useful and resourceful book of Hacks and ideas for your garden.
The book is broken in to three sections : gardening, indoor plants and diseases/pests.
I found some useful ideas in this book that I'm hoping to try out sometime soon. I'm not very green fingerd so I'm hoping some of these Hacks and ideas help me in my garden.
The only thing that let this book down was the lack of photos or drawings/illustrations of the tops and projects inside it.
March 22, 2021
Growing your own vegetables and landscaping your own yard or home is a necessity for some and a fun hobby for others. It doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. I love finding books that give me ideas beyond what I’ve already learned about making my yard a lovely place to see and be, spend less and repurpose what I have, and get better results especially from my veggies and herbs.
Garden Hacks caught my attention as soon as I spotted the title. It shouts practical and do-able to me. The book is broken into five chapters: Chapter One Seeds Seedlings, and Cuttings, Chap Two Container Gardening, Chap Three Outdoor Gardening, Chap Four Indoor Gardening, and Chap Five Tools, Pests, and Harvesting. Followed by a thorough Index and helpful further Resource List.
The text of the book is straight up what the title says- a list of hacks sorted into the topics of the chapters. Some are just quick ideas for how to do something like a simple science experiment that determines the acidity or alkali of the soil or another might offer a how-to with illustration for building risers to make tiered growing stations. Sometimes its advice for how to keep tools from rusting or a quick suggestion for saving your 2-liter plastic bottles and plastic gallon milk jugs to further their use as garden aids.
The ideas and suggestions lived up to my expectations and my head is buzzing with excitement to go out and do so many of the ideas. Some are old tried and true methods that I’ve heard from other gardeners while others were new-to-me and welcome ways to use materials I already have or recipes from items in my pantry for pests or diseases that attack the plants. I admit to being skeptical about a few of the hacks whether it was the idea working or my ability to make it work. But, there are a plethora of suggestions. Even suggested ways to extend the life of a few different vegetables to keep producing. I definitely want to try growing a second head of Romaine leaf lettuce from the base of the one I just finished. And, I spotted some extra cinder blocks out behind the garage that are left over from one of my husband’s projects that I can repurpose into containers and raised bed borders. And, the list of hacks I want to try go on…
Oh yes, Gardening Hacks was a wonderful find. Not everything was new to me and probably won’t all be new to other gardeners, but it was easy to pour through the book and find several ideas that were. I can definitely recommend it as a practical resource for the beginner to moderate gardener’s shelf and especially those who are gardening on a budget or want to use up and reuse what you already have.
I rec’d this book from Net Galley to read in exchange for an honest review.
Garden Hacks caught my attention as soon as I spotted the title. It shouts practical and do-able to me. The book is broken into five chapters: Chapter One Seeds Seedlings, and Cuttings, Chap Two Container Gardening, Chap Three Outdoor Gardening, Chap Four Indoor Gardening, and Chap Five Tools, Pests, and Harvesting. Followed by a thorough Index and helpful further Resource List.
The text of the book is straight up what the title says- a list of hacks sorted into the topics of the chapters. Some are just quick ideas for how to do something like a simple science experiment that determines the acidity or alkali of the soil or another might offer a how-to with illustration for building risers to make tiered growing stations. Sometimes its advice for how to keep tools from rusting or a quick suggestion for saving your 2-liter plastic bottles and plastic gallon milk jugs to further their use as garden aids.
The ideas and suggestions lived up to my expectations and my head is buzzing with excitement to go out and do so many of the ideas. Some are old tried and true methods that I’ve heard from other gardeners while others were new-to-me and welcome ways to use materials I already have or recipes from items in my pantry for pests or diseases that attack the plants. I admit to being skeptical about a few of the hacks whether it was the idea working or my ability to make it work. But, there are a plethora of suggestions. Even suggested ways to extend the life of a few different vegetables to keep producing. I definitely want to try growing a second head of Romaine leaf lettuce from the base of the one I just finished. And, I spotted some extra cinder blocks out behind the garage that are left over from one of my husband’s projects that I can repurpose into containers and raised bed borders. And, the list of hacks I want to try go on…
Oh yes, Gardening Hacks was a wonderful find. Not everything was new to me and probably won’t all be new to other gardeners, but it was easy to pour through the book and find several ideas that were. I can definitely recommend it as a practical resource for the beginner to moderate gardener’s shelf and especially those who are gardening on a budget or want to use up and reuse what you already have.
I rec’d this book from Net Galley to read in exchange for an honest review.
May 5, 2021
As a beginning gardener, I can only speak for those in my novice group but this book was exactly what I needed. I am a bit overloaded with information on the internet and this book was a great relief. The hacks are easily digestible and not overwhelming. Honestly, I was perfectly happy when I saw the section on container gardening but that is Chapter 2. If I jumped over Chapter 1 with it's plethora of tiny nuggets on Seeds, Seedlings and Cuttings, I would be missing out on so much. Seriously, eggshells and K-cups as a container for seeds? I love how there is a dual purpose for a lot of containers we usually just discard. Then there are the DIY ideas that take this book to another level. It's great! Glad I found it.
*Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
*Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 14, 2024
Finished reading: February 10th 2021
"There's no single 'right' way to do anything. This book is all about trying new things while making gardening easier, less expensive, and less strenuous, no matter how you do it."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Adams Media in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
September 9, 2021
...I feel like I’m reading someone’s Pinterest board about gardening, but with no pictures? There are a few bits and pieces here and there that actually seem kind of helpful, but the other 75% is either really, really basic (sprout an avocado plant with toothpicks and a glass of water!), consists of about 40 different things you can make pots for seedlings out of (paper, toilet paper tubes, cups, some slightly different kind of paper, egg shells, ice cream cones...) or feels hyper-specific (add visual interest by planting in an old birdcage!). Also, it feels really disorganized. There are several main topics, but suggestions involving, say, tomatoes, are spread all over the place, even in the same section.
I’m definitely a beginner gardener, and need all the hacks I can get, but...this book just didn’t really work for me.
I’m definitely a beginner gardener, and need all the hacks I can get, but...this book just didn’t really work for me.
May 3, 2021
I first want to thank the author and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this wonderful book!
I have been gardening for 4 years now and I honestly wish I had this book when I first started. There is so many helpful tips and tricks to grow plants in a frugally way that is also sustainable. I will not lie, I thought this is how gardening should be, but once I got into it, I found that I had no idea what I was doing and there for it cost me A LOT of money and time wasted. I watched youtube, reached out to family and friends and picked up a few books on gardening. Nothing was a good as this book was.
There so many (over 300) hacks for gardening and not only that, but creative ways that help you recycle in the process. There was stuff in this book that I would have NEVER thought of doing but its such a great idea!! I was given an E-ARC but I will be buying a physical copy of this book because honestly it is a book that you could use every year to get new ideas.
If you like gardening, I highly recommend you picking this book up! I also think it would be a wonderful gift for anyone that enjoys plants and gardening. After looking into the author, I found that he also has a book just like this for indoor plants. I have over 20 of them but truly have no idea what I am doing so I think I will be picking this book up as well!
I have been gardening for 4 years now and I honestly wish I had this book when I first started. There is so many helpful tips and tricks to grow plants in a frugally way that is also sustainable. I will not lie, I thought this is how gardening should be, but once I got into it, I found that I had no idea what I was doing and there for it cost me A LOT of money and time wasted. I watched youtube, reached out to family and friends and picked up a few books on gardening. Nothing was a good as this book was.
There so many (over 300) hacks for gardening and not only that, but creative ways that help you recycle in the process. There was stuff in this book that I would have NEVER thought of doing but its such a great idea!! I was given an E-ARC but I will be buying a physical copy of this book because honestly it is a book that you could use every year to get new ideas.
If you like gardening, I highly recommend you picking this book up! I also think it would be a wonderful gift for anyone that enjoys plants and gardening. After looking into the author, I found that he also has a book just like this for indoor plants. I have over 20 of them but truly have no idea what I am doing so I think I will be picking this book up as well!
June 26, 2021
No matter how long you've been gardening you can always learn more. So, I was excited to pick up this book of "300+ hacks" for gardening. It's divided into 5 chapters - seeds, seedlings, and cuttings, container gardening, outdoor gardening, indoor gardening, and tools, pests, and harvesting. While there were a handful of helpful tips/hacks a lot of it was VERY repetitive. There could have been one longer hack about reusing various objects for seeds or plants - instead just in chapter 1 there were 17 "hacks" about various things to reuse for starting seeds. Each chapter was similar and there was significant overlap in the hacks from chapter to chapter. I think this could have been a better book if the hacks were edited down and organized better within each chapter. There were some good tips, but you definitely had to weed through to get to them. I personally wouldn't recommend this one.
February 12, 2021
I was so excited when I was accepted to review this book and the content did not dissapoint. However as an Ebook, it just didnt make the cut. The pages were cut up between paragraphs, the illustrations were all over the page and it didn't have enough pictures or illustrations for the DIY parts. These things made the book hard to understand and relax and enjoy. However, as a beginner gardener I did enjoy the content and tips which I have now started to put into place. It also gave me a few more ideas on how to use my small cortyard garden and indoor areas for crop growing.
Overall the book content was good, it just needed more photographs/illustrations and needs to be fixed a little for an ebook.
Overall the book content was good, it just needed more photographs/illustrations and needs to be fixed a little for an ebook.
April 22, 2021
This is a really cool book with lots of tips that I ended up noting along the way. It’s broken up into sections like seedlings, indoor, outdoor & container gardening as well as a section dedicated to helpful tools and ways to deal with pests.
This book would be a great resource for any beginner or experienced gardener and would make a fun gift idea.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced review copy of this book.
This book would be a great resource for any beginner or experienced gardener and would make a fun gift idea.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced review copy of this book.
April 6, 2025
This book is for beginners (which I am) that don't want to dig through endless ads on social media to find gardening hacks. Not everything is a winner and most tips are redundant, but it offers a million ideas to start a garden. It could have used more illustrations.
April 13, 2024
It had lots of fun ideas- but I wish they were organized by similar tips.
April 23, 2025
Nothing really valuable for me in here. I thought I’d get a few tips for helping my indoor tropicals and learning about outdoor container gardening, but a lot of this was about reusing household items to make containers…not a lot that’s really practical how-to other than maybe making your plant set-up a little janky.
February 24, 2021
4 stars
I found this book very helpful. I am not an experienced gardener at all, however, I wanted to get into it a bit more. I have had bad luck with growing plants so I was excited to read and review this book. There were a few useful tips and tricks throughout. It is broken down into different sections. If I am honest, I would have liked to have seen a few pictures or more diagrams as some of the descriptions were a little lost on me, that was until I googled what was being described.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and it would make a handy little tool for any gardener.
I found this book very helpful. I am not an experienced gardener at all, however, I wanted to get into it a bit more. I have had bad luck with growing plants so I was excited to read and review this book. There were a few useful tips and tricks throughout. It is broken down into different sections. If I am honest, I would have liked to have seen a few pictures or more diagrams as some of the descriptions were a little lost on me, that was until I googled what was being described.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and it would make a handy little tool for any gardener.
June 14, 2024
Author cites where she got her info in the back pages. Some of those resources are more creditable than others. Not all of her hacks are actually correct and some are absolutely useless (I'm looking at you DIY bird feeder).
For example, leaving a bucket of water out over night will NOT result in the chlorine completely evaporating out. Chlorine takes at least 24 hours at room temperature, depending on how much water and WHAT room temperature is...and if there is chlorine gas in the air around it. Or so some chemist say. If you want it to evaporate faster, boil it. And if any of this was a sure fire way to get rid of chlorine completely in a set amount of time, any halfway organized fish owner would be doing this, yet we still use chemicals because it is a safer bet. Now plants tend to be a little more forgiving than some fish, so...
That said, some of these hacks are useless. The DIY bird feeder, for example, in the best case scenario would leave a huge chuck of bird feed inaccessible to birds. At the worst, you would just end up with bird feed all over the ground as it spills out of the hole. I would also be worried about the hummingbird feeder as the bottle lid holding the lid to the container that is holding the 'trough' for the sugar water would need to be better secured and so would the container lid to the contain lest the whole thing just let go at some connection point. That was convoluted, wasn't it? Point is, why not spend $15 on something that is actually designed for humming birds (or $% at a dollar store for something that should work) rather then ruining a perfectly good container and needing to find paint and glue (not advertised in the book, but seems like a smart idea)) and a sharp knife, etc.
Or how about taking a bunch of plastic forks and shoving them in the ground to keep rabbits away? I don't know if the author has met a rabbit, but the majority of them are decently smart and would probably just push them over or pull them out. Now you just A) wasted a bunch of perfectly good forks, B) littered plastic all over your garden, and C) wasted money.
Or the idea that putting soap shavings all over your garden will keep away deer. It's like saying that particular type of flower will keep gophers out. Blatant lie. Plus, that can't be good to the microbes, insects, etc of your garden, or your wallet.
Or sticky traps in your garden. Or a UV/sticky traps in your garden, or spraying vinegar all over your plants repeatedly, OR ANNOMIA!!!!! Or the nematodes being root eater (maybe a different type from the ones advertised and used to combat pests like gnats?)
Moving on. There are a few here and there that seem like they might be a good idea/work. Like using apples or bananas to help your tomatoes ripen. This hack I have seen floating around the gardening community. Have I tried it, no. Not yet. Maybe this year if I need it. Or the half bottle greenhouse idea for baby plants. Or training your tomatoes to withstand wind when starting them inside with a fan...makes sense in theory. Some of these I will try. But the majority of them were...mildly entertaining to read about, I guess. I won't be trying them.
Oh, and there are barely any pictures and the few pictures you do get are these basic drawings that help get an idea of what a semi-complicated 'hack' should look like. Like the DIY birdfeeder and the DIY hummingbird feeder for example.
Conclusion
All in all, entertaining for a morning read when wasting time waiting for the dog to come in so I could go to work. Easy to pick up and put down as most hacks literally takes seconds to read. Most of it is useless information for a semi-experienced plant person, in my opinion, but there are a few I might try. There are some good 'hacks' for complete beginners. I wouldn't really call them all 'hacks' as some are more or less needed knowledge for keeping and caring for certain plants.
For example, leaving a bucket of water out over night will NOT result in the chlorine completely evaporating out. Chlorine takes at least 24 hours at room temperature, depending on how much water and WHAT room temperature is...and if there is chlorine gas in the air around it. Or so some chemist say. If you want it to evaporate faster, boil it. And if any of this was a sure fire way to get rid of chlorine completely in a set amount of time, any halfway organized fish owner would be doing this, yet we still use chemicals because it is a safer bet. Now plants tend to be a little more forgiving than some fish, so...
That said, some of these hacks are useless. The DIY bird feeder, for example, in the best case scenario would leave a huge chuck of bird feed inaccessible to birds. At the worst, you would just end up with bird feed all over the ground as it spills out of the hole. I would also be worried about the hummingbird feeder as the bottle lid holding the lid to the container that is holding the 'trough' for the sugar water would need to be better secured and so would the container lid to the contain lest the whole thing just let go at some connection point. That was convoluted, wasn't it? Point is, why not spend $15 on something that is actually designed for humming birds (or $% at a dollar store for something that should work) rather then ruining a perfectly good container and needing to find paint and glue (not advertised in the book, but seems like a smart idea)) and a sharp knife, etc.
Or how about taking a bunch of plastic forks and shoving them in the ground to keep rabbits away? I don't know if the author has met a rabbit, but the majority of them are decently smart and would probably just push them over or pull them out. Now you just A) wasted a bunch of perfectly good forks, B) littered plastic all over your garden, and C) wasted money.
Or the idea that putting soap shavings all over your garden will keep away deer. It's like saying that particular type of flower will keep gophers out. Blatant lie. Plus, that can't be good to the microbes, insects, etc of your garden, or your wallet.
Or sticky traps in your garden. Or a UV/sticky traps in your garden, or spraying vinegar all over your plants repeatedly, OR ANNOMIA!!!!! Or the nematodes being root eater (maybe a different type from the ones advertised and used to combat pests like gnats?)
Moving on. There are a few here and there that seem like they might be a good idea/work. Like using apples or bananas to help your tomatoes ripen. This hack I have seen floating around the gardening community. Have I tried it, no. Not yet. Maybe this year if I need it. Or the half bottle greenhouse idea for baby plants. Or training your tomatoes to withstand wind when starting them inside with a fan...makes sense in theory. Some of these I will try. But the majority of them were...mildly entertaining to read about, I guess. I won't be trying them.
Oh, and there are barely any pictures and the few pictures you do get are these basic drawings that help get an idea of what a semi-complicated 'hack' should look like. Like the DIY birdfeeder and the DIY hummingbird feeder for example.
Conclusion
All in all, entertaining for a morning read when wasting time waiting for the dog to come in so I could go to work. Easy to pick up and put down as most hacks literally takes seconds to read. Most of it is useless information for a semi-experienced plant person, in my opinion, but there are a few I might try. There are some good 'hacks' for complete beginners. I wouldn't really call them all 'hacks' as some are more or less needed knowledge for keeping and caring for certain plants.
May 13, 2023
I came quite late to the joys of gardening. It was only about a year ago, with my anxiety and stress at a high point, that I realised how soothing and rewarding it was to work in a garden. It was, admittedly, also the first time in years that I even had a garden. As such, While I was mostly working on removing weeds and making our little terrace accessible, I was intrigued to learn more ways to work in a garden, which is what brought me to VanZile's Gardening Hacks. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The first section focuses on gardening, the second on indoor plants, and the third on fighting/combating pests and insects. As pretty much a beginner, I found each of these sections interesting. I'm currently working on keeping 4 indoor plants alive (a fifth has unfortunately recently passed), and as such the second section was of special interest to me. I'm not quite at the stage where I'm capable of working with seedlings but I found the chapter, the first one, dedicated to that very interesting. The chapter on gardening tricks was a little outside of my current skillset or garden space, especially as I'm hesitant about aggressive pruning as I'm convinced I'll kill a plant, but I'm definitely curious enough to give these things a try in the future. As I don't have a whole lot of garden experience but am a very big fan of re-wilding I wasn't too sure on the final chapter on combating pests etc, but this also isn't an area I know a whole lot about yet.
At times the structure of the book did feel a little repetitive. A lot of attention is paid to various things which can be reused as containers or as pest-repellents (who knew beer can be used to kill slugs...). I'd have preferred to have this all collected under one "hack" or one heading, rather than getting it repeated because my brain then tends to gloss over it rather than remember it. I'd have also loved more illustrations or even photos, but that's just me!
Overall, I think this is a very interesting book for beginners in gardening who want to hack their way into a happy garden.
The first section focuses on gardening, the second on indoor plants, and the third on fighting/combating pests and insects. As pretty much a beginner, I found each of these sections interesting. I'm currently working on keeping 4 indoor plants alive (a fifth has unfortunately recently passed), and as such the second section was of special interest to me. I'm not quite at the stage where I'm capable of working with seedlings but I found the chapter, the first one, dedicated to that very interesting. The chapter on gardening tricks was a little outside of my current skillset or garden space, especially as I'm hesitant about aggressive pruning as I'm convinced I'll kill a plant, but I'm definitely curious enough to give these things a try in the future. As I don't have a whole lot of garden experience but am a very big fan of re-wilding I wasn't too sure on the final chapter on combating pests etc, but this also isn't an area I know a whole lot about yet.
At times the structure of the book did feel a little repetitive. A lot of attention is paid to various things which can be reused as containers or as pest-repellents (who knew beer can be used to kill slugs...). I'd have preferred to have this all collected under one "hack" or one heading, rather than getting it repeated because my brain then tends to gloss over it rather than remember it. I'd have also loved more illustrations or even photos, but that's just me!
Overall, I think this is a very interesting book for beginners in gardening who want to hack their way into a happy garden.
March 23, 2021
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Gardening Hacks is a very well curated encyclopedic collections of tips and tricks (or "hacks" if you prefer) for gardening more easily and effectively, presented by Jon VanZile. Due out 6th April 2021 from Simon & Schuster on their Adams Media imprint, it's 256 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.
This is a well written and accessible collection with a bit of something-for-everyone. I've been gardening the better part of 6 decades and I learned some new tricks. The tips are arranged thematically into chapters: seeds seedlings & cuttings, containers, outdoor gardening, indoor gardening, tools pests & harvesting.
The hacks are all numbered and arranged in easily understood short entries. There are no photos included, but the book is well illustrated with clear and restfully rendered simple line drawings and pictures to enhance the text. In fact, I really liked the sort of retro-vibe of the entire book's graphics with small drawings in the footers, nicely typeset chapter and section headings, and a calm friendly aesthetic throughout. There is a short cross-referenced index included, so specific information is easy to find as well as an abbreviated links and resources list for further reading.
This would make a good choice for library acquisition, gardening groups' lending libraries, makers and activity groups (all-ages), home library use, or for gifting to a gardening friend.
Four stars. Lots of good info here.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Gardening Hacks is a very well curated encyclopedic collections of tips and tricks (or "hacks" if you prefer) for gardening more easily and effectively, presented by Jon VanZile. Due out 6th April 2021 from Simon & Schuster on their Adams Media imprint, it's 256 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.
This is a well written and accessible collection with a bit of something-for-everyone. I've been gardening the better part of 6 decades and I learned some new tricks. The tips are arranged thematically into chapters: seeds seedlings & cuttings, containers, outdoor gardening, indoor gardening, tools pests & harvesting.
The hacks are all numbered and arranged in easily understood short entries. There are no photos included, but the book is well illustrated with clear and restfully rendered simple line drawings and pictures to enhance the text. In fact, I really liked the sort of retro-vibe of the entire book's graphics with small drawings in the footers, nicely typeset chapter and section headings, and a calm friendly aesthetic throughout. There is a short cross-referenced index included, so specific information is easy to find as well as an abbreviated links and resources list for further reading.
This would make a good choice for library acquisition, gardening groups' lending libraries, makers and activity groups (all-ages), home library use, or for gifting to a gardening friend.
Four stars. Lots of good info here.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
February 16, 2021
*I was kindly sent this in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley*
Gardening hacks and advice for starting your first garden, expanding the one you already have, or if you are just looking for general tips to take better care of your house plants (both indoors and outdoors).
I can’t keep my plants alive and the cover is cute. Also I think it is nice to just know things, even if I don’t need this information right now I want to be able to keep plants alive in the future.
The edition is gorgeous; the titles typography is fun while still easy to read, and the small illustrations (plants, leaves, gardening related tools, etc.) give the book the cutest little touch.
The tips it gives are very useful, but some of them could’ve been condensed in just one point instead of various. Some tips are very obvious, but sometimes we don’t thing of these things, and it is helpful to read them somewhere. That said, I think this is helpful for a beginner (like me), someone who barely knows anything about the gardening world, but I don’t know how helpful it would be for someone with some experience.
Gardening hacks and advice for starting your first garden, expanding the one you already have, or if you are just looking for general tips to take better care of your house plants (both indoors and outdoors).
I can’t keep my plants alive and the cover is cute. Also I think it is nice to just know things, even if I don’t need this information right now I want to be able to keep plants alive in the future.
The edition is gorgeous; the titles typography is fun while still easy to read, and the small illustrations (plants, leaves, gardening related tools, etc.) give the book the cutest little touch.
The tips it gives are very useful, but some of them could’ve been condensed in just one point instead of various. Some tips are very obvious, but sometimes we don’t thing of these things, and it is helpful to read them somewhere. That said, I think this is helpful for a beginner (like me), someone who barely knows anything about the gardening world, but I don’t know how helpful it would be for someone with some experience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2021
I am a first-time gardener this year, and I was very excited to use Gardening Hacks to see me through, especially when I feel unsure and need an encyclopedia of gardening knowledge in book format! The hacks in this book were helpful, indeed. However reading it on an e-reader format as opposed to a physical book was very difficult to understand, and the sequence of order was very scattered. I also would have appreciated more pictures to follow the descriptions, especially as I have never done this before, nor have the experience of a seasoned gardener. This is not to say that this Gardening Hacks book did not help me, for it did!
I received an ARC from the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC from the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 25, 2021
What a wealth of information for amateur and experienced gardeners alike. Gardening Hacks by Jon VanZile is filled with useful tips and tricks for all types of gardening.
There are several tips in here I already use and that I know work. There are several others I am super anxious to try come the beginning of growing season, which for me is not until late summer.
Such a wealth of information that I feel anyone can learn something from.
My only complaint is that I wish sometimes the tips and tricks had a little more information,
I received an eARC from Adams Media through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.
There are several tips in here I already use and that I know work. There are several others I am super anxious to try come the beginning of growing season, which for me is not until late summer.
Such a wealth of information that I feel anyone can learn something from.
My only complaint is that I wish sometimes the tips and tricks had a little more information,
I received an eARC from Adams Media through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.
February 26, 2021
With more than 300 simple hacks, this book is a great guide to less work and expense, and to express more creativity in your garden. The author also represents DIY projects that solve specific problems or offer new ways of doing old things.
The book contains chapters about:
- seeds, seedlings, and cuttings;
- container gardening;
- outdoor gardening;
- indoor gardening;
- tools, pests, and harvesting.
Very useful guide for hobby gardeners with garden outside or few plants inside which supports environmentally friendly gardening principles.
It encourages us to try new things and make gardening easier and less expensive.
The book contains chapters about:
- seeds, seedlings, and cuttings;
- container gardening;
- outdoor gardening;
- indoor gardening;
- tools, pests, and harvesting.
Very useful guide for hobby gardeners with garden outside or few plants inside which supports environmentally friendly gardening principles.
It encourages us to try new things and make gardening easier and less expensive.
April 20, 2021
Thank you @NetGalley and @adams_media for allowing me to preview the book, Gardening Hacks: 300+ Time
And Money Saving Hacks. This book caught my eye because I just can’t wait to get back outside and plant something. I am always thinking of ways to improve my outdoor garden space and my indoor plants. Gardening Hacks is for the gardener who likes to use every scrap available. There are so many great ideas for using recycled items and food that you have around your house. I really liked all the practical suggestions that you can do to fertilize your plants and keep pests away from your plants with simple things around the house.
And Money Saving Hacks. This book caught my eye because I just can’t wait to get back outside and plant something. I am always thinking of ways to improve my outdoor garden space and my indoor plants. Gardening Hacks is for the gardener who likes to use every scrap available. There are so many great ideas for using recycled items and food that you have around your house. I really liked all the practical suggestions that you can do to fertilize your plants and keep pests away from your plants with simple things around the house.
April 29, 2021
I thought this was an informative book that had some great tips! Most of the tips are actually great hacks. Sometimes gardening "hack" books throw some pretty useless and random tips in there so I was pleasantly surprised that this one did not. There are many green friendly tips of how to reuse typical one use trash items that I especially enjoyed. The one thing I wasn't delighted about was the lack of pictures. The book looked polished throughout, but there were very few pictures. This made some of the how to's unclear to me since I'm a visual learner. I still really loved this book though and learned quite a few new hacks to try out in my garden!
December 13, 2021
Lots of great tips here! I especially appreciate the zero waste ideas like using citrus rinds, eggshells and cardboard tubes as seed containers among other repurposing ideas. Some things I'm already doing - plants are the only reason I have bamboo skewers and coffee filters on hand! While many of the tips apply to outdoor gardening, many can be applied to indoor plants as well or are directly related to houseplants. I will say, there are a few questionable tips. I know that it's commonly suggested to water orchids with an ice cube. This book suggests using ice cubes to water succulents. How does this make sense? These plants are native to hot climates. Ice is not natural and I can't imagine any roots like ice cold water. Overall though, I think this book is full of interesting and helpful tips for both indoor and outdoor gardening.
Thank you Adams Media and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you Adams Media and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 16, 2021
A really useful book for gardeners. It's well set out and I have already implemented some of the tips - growing tomatoes from a slice of tomato (who knew?!), I've given my houseplants a shower (they seemed to like it), and have put some old sponges to use in some large pots. There's tons of different ideas for all different gardeners - container gardeners, veg gardeners, houseplant lovers etc... I will revert back to this book time after time.
Thank you to netgalley for the digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Thank you to netgalley for the digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.
August 23, 2021
'Gardening Hacks' is a book that you will love from the very first page. The illustrations and the general outline of the book are really lovely. It's simple and a little bit vintage. Most of the ideas presented in the book are very practical and I must admit that this book clarified many of my gardening - related doubts. But not all of the ideas from the book are for everyone since some of them require special materials and tools. I really enjoyed reading it and borrow some ideas from the book. I do recommend for any gardening lover.
January 22, 2022
~~~ I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~~~
I found Gardening Hacks: 300+ Time and Money Saving Hacks to be a great resource to help me improve my garden. It is well organized into 5 chapters: Seeds, Seedling, and Cuttings; Container Gardening; Outdoor Gardening; Indoor Gardening; and Tools, Pests and Harvesting. The format makes it easy to read. The tip/hacks are very useful to help gardeners be more successful and save money. This book is definitely something any gardener would be happy to peruse.
I found Gardening Hacks: 300+ Time and Money Saving Hacks to be a great resource to help me improve my garden. It is well organized into 5 chapters: Seeds, Seedling, and Cuttings; Container Gardening; Outdoor Gardening; Indoor Gardening; and Tools, Pests and Harvesting. The format makes it easy to read. The tip/hacks are very useful to help gardeners be more successful and save money. This book is definitely something any gardener would be happy to peruse.
April 1, 2022
Love this book, just an honest book with heaps of information -no photos or fancy stuff, just information to save money in the garden with simple things.. Starting with seed, seedling and cutting and progressing through container gardens, indoor gardens, outdoor gardens and finally ending with tools, pests and harvesting.
Some of my favorite tips range from starting rose cuttings in a potatoes, adding perlite to potting mix to help drainage, and the best one, deter snails and slugs with copper. There are many other, but you will need to get the book.
Some of my favorite tips range from starting rose cuttings in a potatoes, adding perlite to potting mix to help drainage, and the best one, deter snails and slugs with copper. There are many other, but you will need to get the book.
February 26, 2025
A mix of good and bad advice. The worst advice was using sticky boards to catch garden pests. Sticky boards, indiscriminately, kill everything that touches them. They are also very cruel. They catch snakes, lizards, good bugs
. this is just bad advice. The best advice was to bag your fruit while it’s ripening on the tree. The bad part of this advice is to use plastic bags. Small wedding favor bags are better and can be used several seasons in a row typically. They shed less micro plastics. Plastics should be minimized in the garden, unless you enjoy eating them.
. this is just bad advice. The best advice was to bag your fruit while it’s ripening on the tree. The bad part of this advice is to use plastic bags. Small wedding favor bags are better and can be used several seasons in a row typically. They shed less micro plastics. Plastics should be minimized in the garden, unless you enjoy eating them.
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