I am a lazy gardener, but love to garden, so devised a few short-cuts that keep me from procrastinating to the point where the weeds strangle all my flowers and veggies and the bugs gnaw my plants to the ground. I had to find a way to make my gardening tasks as easy and convenient as possible. Here are some ways I've found that keep me from neglecting my garden to death.

THE BUCKET: I purchased a garden tote that's made of fabric and fits into a five-gallon bucket. It has loads of storage pockets and I carry my trowel, pruning shears, garden gloves, seeds, a knife, popsicle sticks for marking plants, sharpie, water crystals, and the like with me at all times when I garden. I keep a bag of bone meal and diatomecious earth (explaned later) in the large center of the bucket so it will be on hand when I plant bulbs or new plants. You can find the Garden Buckets online, or add one to your gift wish list'. I often start out to just pull a few weeds and then discover that I need to prune or dig something up, having the bucket keeps whatever little tools I need handy.

SOAKER HOSES: We had five weeks with no rain this year and I know my plants would have been toast if I hadn't laid soaker hoses in and around my perennials, annuals and veggies (a long time ago). I buy the kind that are made of recycled tires. They work well, are more environmentally friendly and I leave them in the garden all the time, even in winter, and only remove them to till up the soil, then I put them right back. Soakers are a better way of watering your plants as wet leaves can lead to disease and mildew.

A MAILBOX: I have a large yard and because I'm lazy I don't like to walk all the way back to the Bucket' in the barn. If I'm out front getting the mail or chatting with a neighbor and spy weeds or somethng that needs attention, I have my 'mailbox;. I put up an old rural mailbox on a post in the middle of my perennial bed in the front. I keep an extra pair of pruning shears, gloves and a hand trowel in it. I also keep some mosquito repellant the mailbox (and bucket) as well.

Put decals or paint decorative designs on your mailbox if you want it to blend in more with your garden. , I'm hoping to get around to painting foliage and flowers on mine - someday. Probably this winter.

ROUNDUP: THIS IS NOT A BAD THING. I've was taught in Master Gardener classes that Round-Up is perfectly ok to use. It kills only the plants you put it on. It does this by preventing

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