New Tools That Make Gardening
Less of a Chore for 'Geezers'

Gardening is for geezers.

The people who spent the most on their gardens in 2005 were 55 or older, while those in the most prized demographic -- 18 to 34 -- were more interested in playing video games than planting petunias, says Bruce Butterfield, research director for the National Gardening Association.

This is probably why these days, I see more items designed to help graying gardeners save steps, muscles and aching backs. Here are some new items this season:

LawnBott ($2,900, Lawnbott.com)

What is it: A rechargeable lawn-mowing robot that can be controlled from any Bluetooth-capable device.

Comment: Lawnbott's manufacturers say it quietly mows a 33,000-square-foot lawn using less than $10 worth of electricity a year. However, the robot can't handle slopes greater than 27 degrees.

Portable Automatic Hose Reel ($110; ImprovementsCatalog.com)

What is it: A rolling hose case and 65-foot PVC hose that rewinds automatically after use. The handle retracts into the housing.

Comment: The cart doesn't need electricity or batteries to operate, but you need to yank the hose sharply to get it to retract.

Garden Cart ($100; Brookstone.com)

What is it: A rolling cart that carries tools with a removable nylon liner for leaves. The liner can be replaced with a trash can.

Comment: The cart is sturdy and is made of powder-coated steel. But the basket has a large grid, so small items like small bulbs may slip through.

Planters Buddy Garden Tool ($15; Lowe's, Home Depot and True Value)

What is it: A Garden trowel with a weeder, serrated edges, a tamper and measuring marks.

Comment: The multipurpose trowel is quite handy, particularly when planting bulbs or opening bags of dirt. By combining several tools in one, it can also lighten a gardener’s load. But be careful: The serrated edge is sharp enough to cut through gardening gloves.

Automatic Plant-Watering System ($100; Hammacher.com)

What is it: A reservoir that drip-waters up to 20 plants.

Comment: More sophisticated than the usual upturned empty milk bottle with a few holes punched in the top, the device doesn't need a power outlet or a spigot and has a filter to remove rust and water impurities.

-- June Fletcher is a staff reporter at The Wall Street Journal and the author of "House Poor" (Harper Collins, 2005). Her "House Talk" column appears most Mondays on RealEstateJournal.com. Email your questions about the residential real-estate market. Please include your name, city and state. If you don't want your name used in our column, please indicate that. Due to volume of mail received, we regret that we cannot answer every question.

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