The best of...innovative yard tools
Rapitest 3-Way Soil Analyzer, The Pocket Hose, and more
Rapitest 3-Way Soil Analyzer
This probe measures soil temperature, pH, and fertility, “taking the guesswork out of when to plant and what soil amendments to add.”
$30, walmart.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
The Pocket Hose
Fill this light-duty garden hose with water and it’ll expand to 25 feet. Allow water to drain and the hose shrinks back down to a size that’s ideal for quick storage.
$13, pockethose.com
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Tomita Hori Hori
A Japanese-style soil-digging knife can be “a life changer.” Perfect for planting and weeding, the stainless-steel blade is tough enough to pry out stones; its serrated edge cuts through roots.
$32, amazon.com
Source: Real Simple
Ryobi Leaf Blower
This 42 cc backpack blower delivers more wind force than its rivals because of a simple innovation: The air tube doesn’t take the standard detour up and over the engine.
$199, homedepot.com
Source: Popular Science
Zippo 4-in-1 Woodsman
This “awesome” multi-use saw can cut through four-inch oak branches. But fold away the blade and the tool also functions as a mallet, hatchet, or stake puller.
$78, opticsplanet.com
Source: TrendHunter.com
-
Russian drone tests Romania as Trump spins
Speed Read Trump is ‘resisting congressional plans to impose newer and tougher penalties on Russia’s energy sector’
-
Trump renews push to fire Cook before Fed meeting
Speed Read The push to remove Cook has ‘quickly become the defining battle in Trump’s effort to take control of the Fed’
-
September 15 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Monday’s political cartoons include publisher advice for Kamala Harris, the radicalization pipeline, and flu season guidelines