My favourite gardening products I have purchased and tested 2026

This was a long time coming! After spending so many years fighting with a wind-up hose each night after watering, I finally saved up and bought this retractable hose last year — and I'd never go back.

It just makes the whole watering session so much more pleasant. No more wrestling with a hose at the end of a long session in the garden. Absolute game changer.

When you have a packed garden like mine, the importance of watering at the base of plants becomes really tricky. This lance means you don't have to bend down awkwardly and you can get right to the soil where it matters.

It's also brilliant for hanging baskets — reaches right up without needing to grab a ladder or stretch uncomfortably. A brilliant piece of kit.

When you have young seedlings, the last thing you want is to blast them with a full hose — but I got this City Gardening sprayer last year and it is gentle enough even for seedlings in the greenhouse.

The soft spray is perfect for delicate plants and it's a really handy size. A really thoughtful bit of kit for anyone growing from seed.

I needed to replace my outside tap last year and getting a double outlet was an absolute game changer. The hose stays permanently attached on one side and you still have a free tap on the other.

I love the pull handle — so easy to use. A top tip: I also have an old bit of hose attached to the second outlet just for filling watering cans. No more faffing!

I switched over to coco coir compost last year and absolutely love it. You can get a few different types — for growing seeds, young plants, and established plants — so it covers everything.

It comes dehydrated in a block and you simply add water, which is really satisfying! The only thing to be aware of is it sells out each year, so you need to get in early and order what you need for the season.

If you're a gardener, you know the slug struggle is very real — especially once the seedlings start going out. These slug traps are a simple, effective, and eco-friendly way to protect your plants without reaching for harsh chemicals.

A garden essential that I wouldn't be without!

I bought this on a complete whim in the garden centre and it is brilliant. When you're kneeling down digging holes to add plants into pots, it is exactly the right size — and the sharp end makes it so much easier.

I now reach for it for all planting. What started as an impulse buy has become one of my most-used tools!

I got this last year after seeing people rave about it — and yes, it really is as good as everyone says. It is so sharp that it cuts right through the bases of weeds, and it just makes clearing areas and general weeding so quick and easy.

I was slightly sceptical given the hype, but it is fully deserved. If you do any amount of weeding this is an absolute must-have.

I am a mosquito magnet. After several years of infected bites I was actually diagnosed with Skeeter syndrome — a genuine allergic reaction to mosquito bites. I had tried every recommended product over the years and was fed up of the strong, oily, heavily chemical ones that weren't even that effective.

Last year I discovered Mrs White's Unstung Hero. It's all natural, you can use it on kids, yourself, and animals, and I was very dubious — but the reviews were amazing. I can now fully confirm: it is a game changer.

Before using it I was getting multiple bites every gardening session. Using this I was getting one or less. This week I stupidly ran out and went into the garden unprotected for a few hours — I now have 25 bites on my legs and feet. The proof is absolutely in the pudding. Don't be me. Don't run out. 😬