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Comments Off on Christmas gifts for gardeners – AG Week
Maybe if I had worn gloves more often while gardening, my hands would look nicer, but for now I’ll pass on the claw-tipped gloves. There are other items higher up on my Christmas wish list.
Gardeners are easy to buy for. Who else would be tickled to find potting soil under the tree? And if you want to go all out, add a few clay pots to go with it.
When choosing gifts, don’t worry that a gardener might already have an item. We’d like a second watering can for the upstairs houseplants. And a second pruning shears is always welcome, which we’ll use until we remember where we set our other one.
Gardeners tend to be thrifty, and we don’t always buy ourselves top-shelf items. We’ll appreciate a high-quality gift or tool that’ll last for years.
Many new gift ideas for gardeners are introduced each year. One that caught my eye this year is the Seed Keeper, which is a three-ring binder with pockets for saving your garden seed packets. No longer will we wonder what variety we planted the previous year, and there’s also room for notes.
Another is the Gardener’s One Line A Day diary, which could make an incredible record of our gardening years.
Consider these gifts for houseplant enthusiasts: clay pots; potting mix; drainage saucers; rooting hormone for cuttings; an extra houseplant-type watering can; insecticidal soap; neem oil; systemic houseplant insecticide granules; kits for indoor herbs or microgreens; plant lights; houseplant identification books; small starter-type houseplants; an orchid plant; terrarium supplies; seed starting supplies; self-watering devices for vacation time; humidity gauges; and fern stands.
For the fruit grower in the family, consider these: a long-handled apple picker; pruning shears or lopper; a pole pruner; tree wrap; home orchard spray; a pump-type sprayer; and a hose-end sprayer.
ARCHIVE: Read more of Don Kinzler’s Growing Together columns
For those growing flowers or vegetables in containers: Osmocote slow-release fertilizer beads; water-soluble fertilizer; a watering wand; or a high-quality potting mix.
For the vegetable gardener: a high-quality hoe; twine plus wooden stakes for marking rows; a soaker hose; a book describing square foot gardening; a raised bed construction kit; a soil thermometer; and tomato cages.
Flower bed gardeners will enjoy: a reference book on perennial types; peat moss; a decorative bench on which to relax; plant labels; ornaments such as gazing balls, sundials and statuary; a rain barrel; or hose guides to steer hoses around flower bed edges.
Anyone with a lawn will find these useful: a long-handled dandelion digger; a drop-type fertilizer spreader; a lawnmower blade sharpener; and an accurate rain gauge with a 3-inch opening.
Favorite gifts for all gardeners: amaryllis bulbs; rabbit and deer repellent; a gift certificate from a locally owned garden center; a wheelbarrow; a garden hose; a heavy-duty sprinkler; pond and waterfall kits; any tools; membership in a local garden club; a subscription to a gardening magazine; and gardening books of all kinds.
Don Kinzler, a lifelong gardener, is the horticulturist with North Dakota State University Extension for Cass County. Readers can reach him at [email protected] or call 701-241-5707.
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Public gardening a thankless endeavor – Winston-Salem Journal
Author: House Decor Club
Date: December 8, 2019
Comments Off on Public gardening a thankless endeavor – Winston-Salem Journal
Laura Weaver sank countless hours — and thousands of her own dollars — into trying to beautify a small corner of Winston-Salem.
In two years of caring for a triangular plot of land leading into the Sandersted neighborhood, she moved and raked several truckloads of mulch prepping the ground. She planted hundreds of different plants, mostly native species, to create something special.
“I’m a plant geek,” she said Friday morning. “That’s my thing. I wanted to plant a garden that once it fills in, would be low maintenance, drought resistant and a habitat.
“A garden is the slowest art form. It takes years.”
It will take years longer now. A vandal — or vandals plural — ripped up by the roots and root balls a chunk of her hard work.
“Why?” she asked. “It just hurts my heart.”
Encouraging volunteers
Weaver, who recently moved out of the neighborhood where she’d lived for nearly 30 years, started tending the land in 2017.
In a way, she was carrying on an informal tradition. Other residents had invested their time, talent and money in years past but had grown too old and so it had fallen into disrepair.
Azaleas died in an extended drought and a tree that had shaded the area was taken down when it grew too large.
She wanted to do things the right way, so Weaver took the time to contact the city to seek permission. Everything done properly and within city regulations.
“We encourage participation from the community wherever possible, as we are limited in the amount of time and resources we can commit to an area,” wrote Keith Finch, the director of the city’s vegetation management department.
In other words, the city can’t be everywhere and take care of everything, so if volunteers want to maintain otherwise drab rights-of-way, have at it. As long as a few simple guidelines are followed.
The city can provide mulch, spray sometimes for weed control and provide water. In exchange, volunteer gardeners agree not to plant anything that would grow large enough to obscure sight lines or that requires digging too deep.
And Weaver, an avid gardener, knew all too well what it would take. So two years ago, she set to work.
“There used to be just the one box,” she said, gesturing toward three waist-high utility boxes. “It had some grass on it, but it wasn’t much to look at.”
Neighbors noticed that it had fallen into disrepair. And some noticed, too, the short-haired woman who took it upon herself to do something about it.
“I have seen her work tirelessly in and through the heat,” said neighbor Kelly Hinsley. “It’s such a beautiful area. So attractive. It lifts me up to see her care and put in the effort she has.”
But not everyone felt the same way. Some grumbling made its way into the social media biosphere.
Insults were exchanged. Over a garden. Planted by a volunteer.
And perhaps that’s why someone dug up some of Weaver’s work last week. A police report was filed, Weaver said, on the advice of city officials.
“There was an 8-foot-by 3-foot pile of roots over there,” she said, gesturing toward the offending spot. “$3,000-$5,000 worth, my money, just left to die. It took some backbone to pull out. It was not accidentally raked up.”
Rotten way to say thanks
While Weaver was talking, another neighbor approached. She was upset that a friend of hers may have been unfairly blamed and so she stopped to say so.
“I don’t think any of it was done maliciously,” said neighbor Mary Mahoney.
Maybe; maybe not. Leaf blowers and rakes usually don’t pull up plants up by the roots.
But it is late fall, and some of the plants had turned brown and dormant. Fallen leaves had accumulated, and not everyone agrees on what to do with them. Some prefer to rake them to the curb, and others use them as mulch to provide a thin layer of warmth over winter.
Not everyone agreed on the aesthetics of the garden. Weaver acknowledged as much.
But, it’s a garden for crying out loud, a labor of love for someone who invested their own time, sweat and money.
“Who hates thyme?” Weaver asked. “I mean, I just wanted something nice for the neighborhood. Something positive.”
In the grand scheme of life, the vandalism — and hard feelings that resulted from it — are hyper local, the “debate” one for social media and neighborhood apps.
“It’s not worth a neighborhood fight,” Mahoney said.
Still, it’s a sad symptom of the confrontational times in which we live. Everything is a battle, and everything is personal. The anonymity of social media doesn’t help.
It’s a garden grown from nothing in a small plot of public land leading into an established neighborhood.
And the reward for all that hard work is to see a chunk of it torn up?
What’s wrong with a simple thank you?
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Winter Weather Gardening – WNEP Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
Author: House Decor Club
Date: December 8, 2019
Comments Off on Winter Weather Gardening – WNEP Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
Paul has many tips for your winter gardening. Paul shows you what to do to protect your young trees in the winter months.
If you are looking for long life battery care for your electric garden tools, Paul has the perfect solutions.
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Comments Off on IZZE Christmas Gift Tag Printable
These IZZE Christmas gift tags are perfect for creating a cute and fun Christmas gift! Give them to neighbors, friends, co-workers, family. They are also great to have your kids give out to their teachers or friends.
Hello and happy December! My name is Shani and I blog over at Sunshine & Munchkins. I’m so excited to be here on Design Dazzle as part of the Christmas Wonderful 2019 series. Christmas really is a wonderful time of year! I’m so excited to share these fun and easy gift tags you can attach to and IZZE soda and give away this Christmas season.
To put together your Christmas gifts, you’ll need the following:
- IZZE sodas (any flavor)
- printer
- white card stock
- printable (see below)
- baker’s twine or ribbon
- hole punch
- scissors or paper trimmer
- pen or fine marker (optional, used to sign your name)
First, download the free printable with the IZZE Christmas gift tags and save it to your computer. I’ve created it to be printed on a regular 8.5×11 sheet of paper.
Next, make sure you load the white card stock into your printer and that your printer has enough ink. (If you are low on any colors, it won’t come out looking like the image below.) Open the printable in the document program on your computer and send it to be printed. Or you could send it to a local printing shop like I did.
Once your tags are printed, use scissors or a paper trimmer to cut out the tags. I simply cut the tags into rectangles and then rounded the corners using my Crop-a-Dile corner tool (totally optional of course).
Then you punch a hole in the gift tag, string some ribbon or twine through it and tie it onto your IZZE soda. Ta-da! Instant Christmas gift. The printable has a total of 9 tags and once it’s printed, it shouldn’t take more than 5-10 minutes to put it all together.
IZZE sparkling drinks are a fun gift idea and I love all the flavors they have! You could give these fizzy drinks to anyone, including having your kids give them to friends or teachers.
I hope this printable makes your Christmas gift giving a little bit easier and stress free.
Thank you so much for having me and I hope to see you around!
Keep in touch with Shani by connecting with her via her blog, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!
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Comments Off on Decorating The Kitchen For The Holidays
Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DamageFreeHolidayDecor #CommandDoNoHarm #CollectiveBias. For further information, please see our disclosure policy.
One of the things I had in mind when designing my kitchen was the fun I was going to have decorating for different seasons and the holidays. I wanted a white neutral kitchen with plain white subway tile so I could add various decor from the holidays. The tile backsplash is the perfect backdrop for changing out various artwork and goodies.
As you can see, I need a way to hang holiday decorations. For many years I have been using Command™ Products to hang the decor on tile. I found out about this NEW technology from Command™ Brand – Command® Adjustables™ Repositionable 1 lb Hooks and Command® Adjustables™ Repositionable 1 lb Clips I loved using them! The fact they are repositionable is amazing!
So, how do you hang decor on TILE? Tile, is not anything you want to place a permanent screw in. My decor is all different sizes so I would have to change out the hooks. But what I’ve found over the years, hanging decor on tile is so easy! It goes up easy and comes down easy with Command™ Products. In the image above, I’ve shown the Command® Adjustables™ Repositionable 1 lb Hook that sticks to the tile and secures my wood “North Pole Welcome” sign.
Wowza, I love the repositionable hooks and clips! They can be repositioned up to 3x in the first 20 minutes so you can get it just right. No tools required and it holds strong! I had to reposition the hook a couple of times when hanging the wood sign on the backsplash tile – just to get it in the correct position.
Did you know you can find Command™ Hooks products at Walmart? Walmart also has a great selection of Holiday Decor! Wow, I found some really cute decorations. I purchased the following items at Walmart:
- “Santa is Coming to Town” sign
- Black and White check bow
- greenery
- Merry Christmas rug
- Milk for Santa (purchased last year)
I was also excited to learn that there are so many various Command™ products created for just your project. The item I found was a Command™ Bath Squeegee with Water-Resistant Strips. I need this for the shower! Check all the Command™ Hook products here.
I found the Command® Adjustables™ Repositionable 1 lb Hooks and Command® Adjustables™ Repositionable 1 lb Clips on the endcap in Walmart. They were located near the hardware and paint section.
Above is a clear picture of how I attach bulky items to Command™ Products. I use a pipe cleaner to help attach items such as greenery, etc. The image below shows the Command® Adjustables™ Repositionable 1 lb Clip attached to the top of the kitchen mantle. A green pipe cleaner is used to “tie” the greenery on to the clip.
Did you know that Command™ Products stick to painted, stained, or varnished wood, glass, tile, painted cinder block, plaster, metal, and painted wallboard. You can also use Command™ Outdoor Products outside on smooth, sealed and finished surfaces including vinyl siding and fences, doors, windows, decks, gutters and trim.
Every season I change out my signs on my tile backsplash. It is so easy. The Command™ products are a lifesaver for my decorating!
Check out the above image to see how I use the products. I purchased the plate hanger at Walmart (same section as the Command™ Products). I attached the plate hanger to the back of the black and white plate.
After reading the instructions, I then hung the Command® Adjustables™ Repositionable 1 lb Clip on the white subway tile. Attaching the plate hanger onto the clip took all of 3 seconds! Quick and easy!
That is how to hang decorations onto a hard surface like tile!
I love decorating with holiday decor damage-free so you don’t have to see holes or nails for the rest of the year. #CommandDoNoHarm
The kitchen is the heart of every home, I enjoy making the kitchen welcoming and festive for the holidays. I’ve come up with some ideas that are easy, and I hope it gives you some ideas, too! You can check out to see how I decorate for Spring and last Christmas. Notice how I hang unique decor on my backsplash? How do I do it? Of course, I use Command™ Strips. Completely easy to use! When using Command™ Products make sure to follow all package instructions or visit command.com/howtouse
I enjoy decorating for the holidays and I know my walls/tile will have #DamageFreeHolidayDecor
#CommandDoNoHarm
How do you use Command™ Products?
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