Customizable Tool Belt

CONGRATULATIONS

✿Gail✿

Gail loves to plant an English Garden!

And now she has a customizable Tool Belt to help her in the garden!

Customizable Tool Belt Lets You Carry as Much (or as Little) as You Need!

Someone is going to win it!

I am delighted to be part of the Gardener’s Supply Company’s product review program. Recently they sent me this FABULOUS tool belt to review for our honest feedback. Well, if you can’t tell already, it was love at first sight! This high quality tool best is exactly what me and my team of gardeners needed! And, I am excited to host this giveaway because one lucky reader is going to WIN their very own must have tool belt!

gardeners tool belt

This belt holds everything you need! NOW we are ready to work!

 

Are you ready to win?

✿To enter today’s giveaway, leave a comment below – tell me your favorite thing to plant! One entry per person, please.

✿Comments will close by 9:00 a.m. EST on Friday, May 25th.

✿The winner will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly thereafter.

Here’s some highlights:

8592383_5747_cotton-canvas-garden-tool-belt

  • Pruners, notepad, seed packets and more are literally at your side!
  • Pockets slip on and off and snap in place so you can customize and use only the ones you need
  • Frees up your hands to carry seedling flats, plants, etc.

The ingenious design includes four separate pockets; use as many as you need and slide the others off. The pockets snap into place so they stay put — you can slide them to the back, out of the way when you’re crouching or bending. And never again set down your pruners and then forget where you left them — with this tool belt you can safely stow them between uses. Four pockets. One has a hook-and-loop flap closure for phone or keys. One has a netted pocket for your water bottle. Two have double openings for hand tools and small supplies. The adjustable belt has a durable clip so it’s easy on, easy off. Fits waists up to 49″.

8592383_6158_cotton-canvas-garden-tool-belt-khaki-green

  • Nylon belt, laminated cotton canvas, cotton twill tape, polyester mesh, plastic clip
  • 4 pockets, each 11-1/4″ L X 5-3/4″ W
  • Fits waists up to 49″
  • Weighs 12 oz.
  • Machine wash in cool water, delicate cycle
  • Imported
  • Gardener’s Supply Exclusive

FYI: Gardener’s Supply Company is on Facebook, Twitter: @gardenerssupply and Instagram: gardeners.

Friends, I am so excited for you all. Please tell your friends, share the love and joy because someone is going to be a winner…good luck!

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When Pruning is Necessary

When Pruning is Necessary

pruning

I am not a big fan of pruning; it is probably my least favorite garden chore. In fact, I believe many shrubs and trees are over-pruned. In most cases, dead, diseased, weak or broken branches can be pruned any time of year. If additional pruning is needed on an ornamental shrub, I encourage you to thin out at the base rather than hedge off the top. It is not only healthier for the plant but more aesthetically pleasing.

Pruning is often necessary to maintain a plant’s health and natural beauty. Following are my cutting-edge practices on pruning:

The best time to prune most plants and trees is when they are dormant; winter or early spring is ideal. This is my favorite time because there are no leaves and it is easy to see the plant’s branch structure.

Early spring -flowering shrubs should be pruned after they have bloomed, preferably before July 4th. If you prune flowering shrubs or trees, like Lilac and Forsythia, before they have produced blooms, you will forfeit blooms for that season only.

Early and late summer flowering shrubs like Hydrangea and Hibiscus should be pruned in late winter or early spring.

Excerpt from Late Bloomer: How to Garden with Comfort, Ease and Simplicity in the Second Half of Life by Jan Coppola Bills, St. Lynn’s Press, Fall 2016

Books make lovely gifts for gardeners! Order one for yourself and one for a friend here: http://ow.ly/FiG63071bdW

Happy Holidays!

Late Bloomer: How to Garden with Comfort, Ease and Simplicity

Late Bloomer: How to Garden with Comfort, Ease and Simplicity

 

 

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I am thankful for…

Today I had the honor and privilege to speak at the Farmington Garden Club. Prior to my presentation, one of the lovely garden members read this poem. I was so incredibly moved and inspired, I wanted to share it with you.

On this day, November 7, 2016, I thought the timing was perfect. Please enjoy.

I am thankful for… thankful

…the mess to clean up after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.
…the taxes I pay because it means that I’m employed.
…the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.
…my shadow who watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.
…the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.
…all the complaining I hear about our government because it means we have freedom of speech.
…that lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means that I can hear.
…lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.
…my huge heating bill because it means that I am warm.
…weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means that I have been productive.
…the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I am alive.
~Nancy J. Carmody
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How to garden with comfort, ease and simplicity

Late Bloomer

With much gratitude, I am excited to share Late Bloomer is now available for purchase! My wonderful publisher, St. Lynn’s Press, is offering 10% off Late Bloomer + FREE shipping on their website! Click here==> http://ow.ly/ynJ9305Rmpn to purchase a copy and use CODE: latebloom10 at checkout.

Late Bloomer is packed with practical, hands-on tips and techniques for gardeners of all levels. P.S. the holiday season is right around the corner, Late Bloomer would make a lovely gift or stocking stuffer!

 

Late Bloomer: How to Garden with Comfort, Ease and Simplicity

Late Bloomer: How to Garden with Comfort, Ease and Simplicity

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Outdoor bar

Congratulations Kathy Garrity!!

Please email your shipping address to:

ja*@tw*************.com











Thank you for participating!

Happy Summer, Friends!

✿✿✿

 

Happy First Day of Summer, Friends!

Once again I am delighted to be part of the Gardener’s Supply Company’s product review program. This high quality outdoor bar is a perfect way to kick off the summer! I am excited to host this giveaway because one lucky reader is going to WIN their very own outdoor bar! Are you ready to play?

✿To enter today’s giveaway, leave a comment below – tell me your favorite herb to plant! One entry per person, please.

✿Comments will close by 9:00 p.m. EST on Friday, June 24th.

✿The winner will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly thereafter.

Outdoor Bar

Outdoor bar

The reclaimed wood outdoor bar is a 2’ x 4’ elevated raised bed made in Vermont with a bar shelf to hold drinks and snacks. When not in use, simply fold the shelf down. Either way, it’s attractive in any outdoor space! Bonus: the planting area is large enough to grow vegetables like tomatoes and your favorite herbs for cocktails. Now you and your friends can pick and sip!

Reclaimed wood

The reclaimed wood is high-quality North American cedar and perfect for outdoor use. The bar is 3.5 feet high – an ideal height for standing or leaning on while sipping your favorite beverage of choice!

Assembly is easy – follow the directions carefully and take your time. I recommend asking a friend to help with the assembly – it’s definitely easier with two people.

Product Details

  • Assembly required
  • ​Butcher-block cedar, aluminum
  • 4′ L x 39-1/4″ W (including shelf) x 42″ H
  • 9-3/4″ planting depth
  • Holds 180 quarts of potting mix
  • Weighs 123 lbs.
  • Ships in two 60-70 lb. boxes
  • Stools sold separately
  • Gardener’s Supply Exclusive

FYI: Gardener’s Supply Company is on Facebook, Twitter: @gardenerssupply and Instagram: gardeners.

Friends, I am so excited for you all. Please tell your friends, share the summer fun because someone is going to be a winner…good luck! Cheers!

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It’s planting time

Dave Thompson’s Healthy Grow

This time of year in Michigan we literally plant hundreds of annuals for our clients. We call it ‘flower day’! Our garden practices are strictly organic and sustainable, we never use harmful pesticides or herbicides so we fed the new plantings with Bulbs & Blooms by Dave Thompson’s Organic Healthy Grow. 

I like this product because it’s easy to apply to very large garden beds. We simply mixed it into the soil as we planted. But what I love most about Organic Healthy Grow is where it comes from and I think you will, too!

Here’s how it’s made:

“Every bag of Dave Thompson’s Organic Healthy Grow starts simply – with a chicken. The chickens we house at Pearl Valley Farms provide the eggs we sell under our Pearl Valley Eggs, Phil’s Fresh Eggs and Eggology liquid eggs brands, while the waste they produce is the main ingredient in our organic composted fertilizer.

We start with chicken litter from healthy, egg-laying chickens fed a calcium-rich diet. This litter is mixed with organic materials and left to air-dry and break down in our indoor composting facility. Our compost is regularly, and carefully, turned during the aerobic composting process to ensure complete aeration, a vital aspect behind promoting microbial growth. Once the composting process has been completed, we test and bag the finished product. Because we believe so much in the quality and effectiveness of Dave Thompson’s Organic Healthy Grow, we ensure that every bag of fertilizer we sell is of the utmost quality. To us, “The Way its Made Matters,” and we won’t have it any other way.”

I agree with Organic Healthy Grow, the way it’s made does matter! In a few months, we will give the plantings another feed with their Bone Meal AND update you on the results.

We are expecting big healthy flower blooms this year! We’ll post pictures of the beautiful flower beds and let you be the judge. Stay tuned!

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Potting bench

Cedar Potting Bench

Congratulations Shara Podobinski!!

Please email your shipping address to:

ja*@tw*************.com











Thank you for participating!

Happy Spring, Friends!

✿✿✿

Cedar potting bench, potting table, call it what you want! Someone is going to win it!

I am delighted to be part of the Gardener’s Supply Company’s product review program. Recently they sent me this FABULOUS potting bench to review for my honest feedback. Well, if you can’t tell already, it was love at first sight! This high quality, easy to assemble potting table was exactly what I needed. And, I am excited to host this giveaway because one lucky reader is going to WIN their very own bench!

Are you ready to win?

✿To enter today’s giveaway, leave a comment below – tell me your favorite thing to plant! One entry per person, please.

✿Comments will close by 9:00 a.m. EST on Friday, March 25th.

✿The winner will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly thereafter.

Here’s my story:

Many years ago I purchased a potting bench from a local antique dealer. The bench was made from 100 year old barn wood; it was big and heavy (not very functional) but I liked it. However, the antique piece was more like art in the garden then a ‘true’ functional gardening essential. I placed the bench in the far corner of my backyard knowing I would never really use it; it was very cool looking, don’t get me wrong.

After ten years or so, the old bench rotted away and was dismantled for fire wood. Since then, I have wanted a new potting bench for years – one I could actually use for gardening! I see many DIY tables on the Internet and they are quite nice. But I am not crafty enough to build my own so I admire them from afar. Then Gardener’s Supply Company asked if I thought my friends (YOU) would be interested in winning one. Well, as you can imagine, I squealed ‘YES!

A few days later, two large boxes were delivered to my home. Guess what was in them? This lovely cedar potting bench for me to assemble and review. Now it’s March in Michigan; there’s not a lot of gardening happening so receiving anything garden related this time of year is like Christmas all over again. I didn’t care how cold it was outside, my new gardening toy would soon be assembled in my family room and placed outside immediately.

Let’s get down to business:

My job was to assemble the bench first and swoon over it later. I mentioned earlier, I am not super handy at building things but this was easy to assemble, I even surprised myself. There were eight screws for the base and a few others, that’s it! Here’s some pictures of not-so-handy me effortlessly assembling my new bench.

Potting Bench Assembly 2

There are only eight screws to assemble the base. Easy peasy!

 

Potting Bench Assembly 3

An Allen wrench was included. It made assembling so easy!

 

Potting Bench Assemby 1

I used a power drill for the 4 screws that hold the top shelf to the base, that’s all!

 

Potting bench with dry sink

Dry sink with a plastic bin for soil! Just what the gardener ordered!

 

Potting bench with tool hooks

There are 4 forged hooks for gardening tools. The power drill came in handy here, too!

 

My new potting bench

Ta Da! That’s me and my new potting bench – hurry up spring!

Here are some highlights:

  • Lovely potting station with a lot of work surface for gardening
  • Both sides on top slide open for easy access to the dry sink
  • Bottom shelf is perfect for storing watering cans and extra pots
  • Upper shelves add more storage
  • Handy hooks for gardening tools
  • Rot resistant attractive Western red cedar with plated steel hardware

FYI: Gardener’s Supply Company is on Facebook, Twitter: @gardenerssupply and Instagram: gardeners.

Friends, I am so excited for you all. Please tell your friends, share the love and joy because someone is going to be a winner…good luck!

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How to design dog-friendly gardens

Designing dog-friendly gardens

For the love of Fido, design dog-friendly gardens

You don’t have to forego a garden if you have a dog. And, you don’t have to forego a dog if you have a garden. With a little planning you can have both. Here’s a quick story:

One of my clients has beautiful gardens in front of her charming bungalow home. Running along her driveway from the public sidewalk up to her entrance is a lovely hedge of neatly manicured Green Gem Boxwoods. Unfortunately, the neighborhood dogs have taken a liking to the first Boxwood closest to the city sidewalk. Years of ‘leg lifting’ activity eventually killed the entire side of the shrub. Roberta wanted to replace it with another Boxwood but a new one would eventually look like the old one – there’s a lot of dogs and walkers in her neighborhood.

I knew planting a new Boxwood was a quick fix and not a long-term solution, so here’s what I did: I dug out the old shrub, rolled an average size boulder (about 1 ½“ x 1 ½“) from her backyard to the front, and placed it where the dead Boxwood was. Ta da! Now, the neighborhood dogs stop, sniff, and lift on the indestructible boulder. Problem solved! The boulder was a great solution in this case, plus Roberta did not have to buy anything. Bonus: a boulder adds another texture and element to the garden.

Here are a few tips if you need to design dog-friendly gardens:

1. If your dog likes to run along the fence line, be extra diligent in planting things away from the fence so Fido has room to run without leveling your plants. Don’t be afraid to pull the gardens out.

2. Plant things that are indestructible. Delicate perennials in Fido’s path will not last long.

3. Usually dogs do not like to ‘step up’ onto something to relieve themselves. Elevating your gardens may stop your dog from urinating on your plants.

4. Using boulders, like I did at Robert’s house, helps in many ways when strategically placed in the garden. Boulders are also good to stop or slow down a dog’s routine running path.

5. Research plant selections to ensure they are dog-friendly and not poisonous to man’s best friend. I included a list below, but still check before buying. Some plants can be deadly.

How to design dog-friendly gardens

Annie, a Standard Poodle, loves her pink Drift roses.

Poisonous Plants to Dogs

  • Autumn Crocus Bleeding Heart Foxglove
  • Iris Larkspur Lily-of-the-Valley
  • Monkshood Star o Bethlehem Rhubarb
  • Black Locust Elderberry Oak trees
  • Moonseed Azaleas Daphne
  • Golden Chain Jasmine Lantana camara (Red Sage)
  • Laurels Rhododendrons Wisteria
  • Yew Castor Bean Daffodil
  • Hyacinth Elephant Ear Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane)
  • Narcissus Oleander Rosary Pea
  • Water Hemlock Buttercups Jimson Weed (Thorn Apple)
  • Nightshade Poison Hemlock Jack-in-the-Pulpit
  • Mayapple Mistletoe Wild and cultivated cherries

*Reference: Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Lastly, knowing your dog’s run patterns and behavior in the yard is helpful to design dog-friendly gardens. Careful planning and indestructible plants will leave you and your best friend happy, healthy and safe.

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