Handy Tool Guide

Strap on the lawn aerator shoes/sandals available from Improvements and aerate your lawn while walking over the grass. 'Lawn aerators help create healthy lawns. Without lawn aerators, the grass roots can knot up and fail to grow vertically into the soil. Lawn grass can become vulnerable to worms and insects if not properly aerated. Lawns that are not aerated also become susceptible to dandelions or crabgrass. With lawn aerators, a walk across your grass will rejuvenate your yard. Cultivate the lush green lawn your neighbors will envy by walking around your yard in lawn aerator shoes/sandals.' Price $12.99

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C.Crane has reduced the price of their Ratchet Pruner to $12.95 plus shipping. 'Equally adept at pruning 7/8-inch diameter green wood or the most delicate flower is what makes this pruner an all-around excellent garden tool. It also makes for a great weapon to combat those errant berry canes, poison oak or ivy branches or other intruders. The efficient ratchet design lets a person of moderate strength cut a 1/2-inch branch with ease. The lightweight, aluminum handles are coated with an ergonomic, non-slip grip and the anvil type blade is made of tough, high carbon steel. Emanuel, our resident survivalist, reported our Ratchet Pruner even came through with flying colors when he used it to gather small wood kindling to build a fire. Weight: 7.4 oz. Size: 8" L x 2.25" H.'

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The “trowel-like “ 7-in-1 Planter's Buddy (pictured above) is one the several new gardening products reviewed over at The San Jose Mercury News. ‘You'll probably find way more than seven ways to use this slick new stainless steel tool (and the fact that it could double as a weapon of self-defense isn't even one of them). The serrated edge of the six-inch blade makes quick work of opening balky bags of soil and mulch. The blade tip reaches hard-to-get weed roots. The straight edge cuts sod and a sharpened notch nips twine. The blade is embossed with measurement markings for planting depth (one to six inches), and it's a guide for plant spacing (the tool is exactly one foot long). The plastic handle has a flat end that can be used to whomp in stakes or fertilizer spikes. And this baby makes quick work of planting bulbs and seedlings.’

Continue reading "New products enhance gardening experience" »

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PopularMechanics have compiled their list of the top six lawnmowers for the year. 'Mowers are no different from other consumer products in that homeowners demand better equipment, and they're getting it. Gone are the days when a homeowner pumped the primer bulb and then repeatedly yanked on the starter handle while tinkering with a choke — all that before manually fine-tuning the engine speed. With half the mowers we tested — the Husqvarna, Lawn-Boy and Troy-Bilt — all the user does is move the engine control lever to Start, pull once or twice, then shift the lever to a single Run setting. The Poulan and the Toro have a primer bulb that you first pump to fill the carburetor, but only the Snapper has both the bulb and a throttle lever — the equivalent of a rotary dial telephone in today's world.'

Continue reading "Review: Best Lawnmowers of 2007 - PopularMechanics" »

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The Winged Weeder is a simple tool which can be used to trim weeds or assist in the removal of ice from you driveway without the need to place undue strain on your lower back. 'The Creative Enterprises Winged Weeder© is a versatile and labor saving garden tool that replaces the common hoe and other gardening tools. To cut down on back strain, it was designed with a long handle so that weeding could be done without stooping over. In addition to the many uses in the garden, it also works as an ice scraper for sidewalks and driveways. Whatever the job, there is a Winged Weeder© to make it easier.'

Continue reading "Winged Weeder: Grass Cutter & Ice Scraper" »

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Joe Provey writing over at Popular Mechanics previews the features of computer controlled and ET-based irrigation systems, available for use by home owners to manipulate the use of water on their lawns. 'Automatic lawn irrigation systems are a wonderful luxury. In fact, they work so well that many people just forget about them, and that explains why you sometimes see these systems watering a lawn right after a rain.New irrigation controls are a better way to water. They adjust themselves or allow you to make changes to their schedule from a home computer. Although manufacturers have been experimenting with these products for the past couple of years, they are just now reaching the market.'

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There is a lot that can be said for any physical activity in your garden or yard. You get to sense that feeling of accomplishment from executing the various tasks and in the process benefit from the physical exercise expended on the cleaning, pruning and grass-cutting involved. If for some reason you are unable to cut the grass on your lawn, you could probably consider the purchase of a RoboMower which would do the job for you but as a consequence you may have to engage in alternative tasks to make up for the deficit.in physical exercise.

Continue reading "RoboMower: Remote Lawn Care With Automatic Mower" »

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The Swiss Army Knife has apparently come in for a massive upgrade with the addition of several new miniature tools to the traditional toolset. I am not so sure of how the added weight of this item will agree with those who like to lug around with these "tools" in their pockets but the flexibility of having new capabilities should override any concern. 'Wenger, the manufacturer of the classic Swiss Army Knife, has revealed a 9-inch long, 2-pound "knife" which carries 85 instruments, or: almost every tool that has ever been on a Swiss Army Knife, ever. The list includes seven different knives, a golf shoe spike wrench, a bike chain rivet setter, and a laser pointer with a 300ft range (but where's the freakin' USB flash drive?).'

Continue reading "Giant Swiss Army Knife At Engadget" »

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The wetting of gardens and lawns is becoming less of a bother nowadays with the launch of new and exciting products to handle this monotonous task. The Rain Train Traveling Sprinkler certainly seems an intelligent upgrade to the traditional sprinkler which not only wasted water when it was left unattended but became a nuisance when positioned too close to areas traversed by neighbors.

Continue reading "Rain Train Sprinkler Allows For Intelligent Wetting" »

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Cool Tools highlights what must be one of the most 'masculine" of gardener tools, the Weed Wrench "woody plant puller". The Weed Wrench is a "manually-operated, all-steel tool designed to remove woody plants by uprooting". I am however convinced that female gardeners who employ the correct technique should experience minimum difficulty in extricating unwanted "growths" from their gardens. 'Built like a cast-iron frying pan, the Weed Wrench is a seriously macho tool. Its fierce jaws grip the miscreant plant or small tree by the throat (base of stem), and big leverage yanks it bodily out of the ground. If you get the smallest (mini) and the largest Weed Wrenches, you've got everything covered up to 2 inch diameter (beyond that, use a saw).'

Continue reading "Uproot Small Plants With The Aid Of A Weed Wrench" »

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Andrew Liszewsk over at Oh Gizmo.com sings the praises of the 'Weed Burner' available from Amazon.com for $34.95. 'The Weed Burner is a lightweight propane-fired burner designed for clearing weeds right down to the roots in driveways or walkways and includes a regulator valve for controlling the flame intensity depending on how vengeful you feel. It’s also suggested the burner can be used to melt dangerous patches of ice in the winter but I’m sure our intrepid readers will be able to think of thousands of other uses for the device.' Of course I am not so sure just how gardeners would respond to such a device but as the pangs of arthritis set in whenever a posture is adopted with the intention of removing a patch of weeds, the Weed Burner would seem an ever more attractive option.

Continue reading "Eliminate Weeds With The Weed Burner" »

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Mariana Greene writing for the The Dallas Morning News shares her impressions of some new garden tools including the Mantis Electric Tiller, Mosquito Magnet, Bulb Hound (bulb planter) and Weed Hound. 'Gardening, unfortunately, is more about dreary but necessary chores than tiptoeing through dewy grass snipping flowers to fill a beribboned basket. Unless you're the Duchess of Devonshire, which I definitely am not. There's only so much time my patient husband, a gardening widower, will devote to landscaping, especially when all he gets for his trouble is criticism. He's cut the grass too short. He's weed-whacked bald spots in the turf. He's mowed over brittle, brown magnolia leaves instead of bagging them. I could go on.'

Continue reading "Projo.com: New Garden Tools Taken Through Their Paces" »

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Popular Mechanics.com provides an alternative do-it-yourself solution for constructing an irrigation system around your garden. 'If you’re tired of dragging that old lawn sprinkler around every few days, you may want to consider installing your own underground sprinkler system. By doing the job yourself, you can save 30 to 40 percent of the cost of a professional installation, and today’s sprinkler components are easier than ever to assemble. Once your system is in place, you can program it to water your lawn on a regular schedule, and also set the startup time and watering duration.

Continue reading "Popular Mechanics.com: How To Install Your Own Underground Sprinkler System" »

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Are you considering to purchase a trimmer but cant decide whether to choose the string or blade version? At one time or another if the query was made as to the ranking of "weed whackers" the verdict would have been unanimous in favor of the Stihl machines. The competition has however intensified and there are now some not-so-well-known brands delivering top quality performance. Roy Berendsohn writing for Popular Mechanics.com, provides a review of twelve of "fastest and toughest" string trimmers on the market as well as some pointers on the mechanisms that make up the machines.

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With the wide variety of pruning tools on the market, chopping and shaping the vegetation around the home can be both enjoyable and relatively easy. Popular Mechanics outlines some relevant information which should assist significantly in informing you on pruning basics. 'Pruning doesn't have any of the complexity of home maintenance jobs such as replacing leaking pipes or asphalting the driveway. Almost the only way to go wrong is to cut a tree or shrub at the wrong time of year (though healthy plants usually survive even that). The best knowledge about when to prune is local. Consult a nursery or a county extension office--a resource that's underused by most homeowners.'

Continue reading "Popular Mechanics.com: Pruning Basics For Foliage Around The Home" »

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Call me lazy but I never took to the chore of lifting, ferrying and unwinding the garden hose when the occasion arose for its use. This tedious ritual would have to be repeated after wetting only this time the hose would be much heavier. I have seen wall mounted hoses before but they were manually operated which offered little respite but the Hozelock 2490 Auto-Rewind is a tremendous improvement especially for aging gardeners who would rather expend their energy with on chores. 'Well-suited for large lawns and gardens, this hose reel mounts to the wall of the house and comes equipped with a 65-foot hose--complete with a tap connector and nozzle. Its clever design allows you to unwind only as much hose as you need for watering. The reel's internal spring system automatically rewinds the hose when you're done--so there's no need to crank it or guide the hose as it's rewinding. A wall-mounting bracket, meanwhile, pivots 180 degrees for maximum range. The unit comes fully assembled.'

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Popular Mechanics reporting from the 2006 National Hardware Show has highlighted some of the innovative tools we can expect to see in stores anytime soon. The Worx 18V Line Trimmer is one of the new items for the garden and while this tool is cordless it is not gas operated but is powered by a 18.8 volt Lithium Ion battery. 'The Worx 18 Volt line trimmer takes the work out of yard work. The 7-lb tool has a fully articulating head that turns easily to the side, converting to an edger in the process. Its adjustable front handle and telescoping shaft make it a perfect fit for any user'.

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Dan Cannon cites an excerpt from the Orlando Sentinel to highlight basically just what every gardener should be aware of, ergonomics and gardening tools make a difficult fit. We love to give new tools a try-out, who doesn't, but in the end I suspect many garden enthusiasts pay more attention to the ergonomics at work than in their favored hobby. "In 2004, Thomas and a student, Alysun Brown Tebben, reported research results in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy. Their study compared a regular trowel with one billed as ergonomic. The ergonomic trowel was twice as heavy (not a good start) but had a longer handle (which is usually a plus). The researchers invited 64 women between the ages of 20 and 50 to try the trowels by scooping dirt from a plastic tub into an 8-inch flower pot while wearing special instruments to measure their wrist movements.'

Continue reading "Reality Check: Gardening Will Always Be "Hard Work"!" »

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C Crane's Ratchet Pruner would make for a very handy tool in keeping those protruding stalks in check. 'A lumberjack would love this pruner. It's the best of the six pruners we tested. We gave our Ratchet Pruner to a professional landscaper to test, and let him use it on the job. He wouldn't give it back. That's not surprising. As a former landscaper, I know that average pruners leave tears in branches that let in disease. Our Ratchet Pruner consistently gave us good, clean, healthy cuts. Equally adept at pruning 7/8-inch diameter green wood or the most delicate flower is what makes this pruner an all-around excellent garden tool.'

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Joel M Lerner reports in the Washington Post on some of the innovative gardening products which should add some excitement to the normal routine of gardening chores. There is the One-Hand Sprayer with Telescoping Wand which is a two-liter capacity, easy-to-use tool that performs like larger pump sprayers, and the Good Grips Pour & Store Watering Can which has a clear pour spout that rotates 360 degrees and will turn in toward the can to tuck out of the way when you're filling it. 'The rubber textured coating on the handle keeps the can from slipping out of your hand. When you are finished watering, the spout spins back to fit the contour of the can for compact storage.'

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I think the "green thumbs" among us may have a concern or two about the Ambrogio Evolution robotic lawn mower other than the asking price of $2499.99. 'This machine is a robot that automatically mows the grass in your lawn. It can freely move within an enclosed area, detecting the signal transmitted by the perimeter cable located on the ground all around the area to be mowed; it can also work without a perimeter cable as long as the working area is enclosed by a fence at least 10 cm. high. When work autonomy has expired the robot returns to the base to automatically recharge the batteries. When this operation is over, the machine restarts mowing. It follows a "random" pattern, with no fixed plan; periodically and randomly, the spiral function, particularly efficient on obstacle free areas, is activated. It covers an area of up to 33,000 sq/ft; two or more robots can work simultaneously to cover a wider area. It is equipped with a keyboard with a user-friendly and easy-to-program display.'

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There are many explanations that can be given why you should use a push rather than electric or gas powered mower for your garden, however, you should be informed that the job will be several times harder. Cool Tools has recorded the views of two users which should give you some idea of just what you will be getting yourself into when you purchase one of these devices.

Continue reading "Brill Reel Mower: Going easy on the Environment" »

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Dean Fosdick writing in The Associated Press examines the growing trend among gardeners to integrate the use of their camera-enabled cellphones, computers and the internet in the quest to improve gardening methods. 'Gardeners are using computers for everything from operating lawn-sized irrigation systems to determining how much insecticide should be dusted on tomato plants, from running digital weather stations to logging the return of the first migrating hummingbird. Some people use their computers to track the average dates of killing frosts. Many others buy special software to help landscape their property, plot the shape of their vegetable plots and flowerbeds or suggest how to rotate their plants from year to year.'

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