Editor's note: Every week The Week's editors survey product reviews and articles in websites, newspapers, and magazines, to find cool and useful new items we think you'll like. We're now making it easier to purchase these selections through affiliate partnerships with certain retailers. The Week may get a share of the revenue from these purchases.
1. Edyn Garden Sensor ($100)
"Guesswork begone," says April Glaser at Wired. Set this solar-powered sensor in your garden, and it will read soil, light, and moisture conditions and send actionable information to your phone — including when to water or add nutrients. Buy it at Home Depot.
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2. Bernzomatic 19425 JT850 Self-Igniting 20,000 BTU Outdoor Torch ($40)
Tired of the usual solutions for eliminating the weeds that grow between patio or pathway pavers? Hook this torch to a small propane cylinder, and you can burn them away without even bending over. Besides, "fire makes everything more fun," says Brett Martin at Popular Mechanics. Buy it at Amazon.
3. Wireless Deer Fence ($60 per pack)
The plastic post above uses a sweet scent to lure deer in, then delivers "an annoying but ultimately nonharmful" electric shock that will scare them into keeping a safe distance, says Glaser at Wired. AA batteries not included. Buy it at Amazon.
4. Cub Cadet Cordless String Trimmer ($249)
This quiet cordless tool "churns out the cutting power of a gas trimmer," says Max Fischer at Men's Journal, and its hour-long run time underscores the gains suddenly being made because of improved lithium battery technology. Buy it at Cub Cadet.
5. Blossom 8 ($99)
No smart sprinkler system has a lower entry cost than the new Blossom 8. The controller attaches to an existing in-ground irrigation system and uses web-based weather information to provide a lawn or garden with only as much water as it needs. Buy it at My Blossom.