Ethnic Garden Seed Packs
The folks at Kitchen Garden Seeds have come up with a wonderfully creative idea. They sell these ethnic and special events seed packs that include a collection of flowers, herbs, fruits, and veggies all centered on a central theme. For example, on their site you can find the Hanukkah Seed Gift Bag, Nonne’s Italian Garden Gift Bag, the Cozy Thanksgiving Garden, and the Passionate Red Flower Garden gift bag. They’ve got about 20 different seed collections, so you’re sure to find something for everyone!
Saturday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Hard to Find Seeds | Add Your Comments
Hanging Baskets and Accessories
At Garden Xtras, you’ll find hanging baskets, ornate hanging plant cages, and hanging basket accessories like secure brackets that will ensure that your plants are safe and sturdy. Their baskets are available in black and green and are built to last!
Friday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Uncategorized | Add Your Comments
Gardening With Ease
Life With Ease is a gardening store which offers ergonomic gardening tools with a difference. There are dozens of tools on their site, including pruners, clippers, rakes, bulb planters, etc. If you or a loved one suffers from sore muscles while gardening, these tools are just for you!
Wednesday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Ergonomic Gardening, Garden Tools | Add Your Comments
Permaculture Book
Permaculture takes gardening to a whole new level by turning your landscaping into a self-sustaining micro-ecosystem. By integrating your home into your garden through the use of grey water, rainwater storage, and good design, you, your house and your landscaping can work in harmony to be sustainable and have less impact on the environment. The classic book by Bill Mollison Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual is still the best guide to basic permaculture design. Check it out here.
Tuesday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Books | Add Your Comments
Prize Winning Tomatoes Book
Looking for a good read? Try out Jerry Baker’s Terrific Tomatoes, Sensational Spuds, and Mouth-Watering Melons: 1,274 Super Secrets for Growing Prize-Winning Vegetables. And try saying the title 3 times fast! There are lots of great gardening tips in this book (some say 1,274!), including lots of organic and natural gardening advice to get your tomatoes and other veggies to grow up big, fat, and happy. Available from Powell?s Books, America’s biggest, best, and thankfully independent bookstore!
Monday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Books, Vegetables | Add Your Comments
Nyglass 12′ Tree Pruner
Fiskars is a company known for making great gardening tools. This Nyglass 12′ Tree Pruner is another excellent example. With this tool you get a 12′ extension, and an easy to use quick release. The blade is coated so that it will never stick, and the pole is made of sturdy fiberglass. You can replace the pruning blade and the lopper has a cutting capacity of 1″.
Friday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Garden Tools, Gardening Lifestyle | Add Your Comments
American Meadows Wildflower Seeds
In 1981 in Charlotte, Vermont, the Vermont Wildflower Farm was born. Although they now go by the name of the American Meadows Seed Company, they still provide the same great collection of wildflower seeds that they did back in 1981. This is the place to shop for hard to find wildflower seeds and much more. They’ve got an excellent collection of native plants, hybrids and spring bulbs. They also have a full-time horticulturist on staff, which means that they know what they’re doing and can provide whatever technical assistance you need to get your flowers growing.
Wednesday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Hard to Find Seeds | Add Your Comments
Cool Solar Turtle Lights
What could be better than solar-powered landscaping lights in the shape of a turtle? The shell of this turtle lights up with a soft orange light at night and charges during the day. A very cool idea. In the day, this attractive piece of garden sculpture will fit in among your flowers and shrubs.
Tuesday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Garden Sculpture, Gardening Lifestyle | Add Your Comments
Whiskey Barrel Fountain
Transforming a whisky barrel from a garden planter into an attractive fountain is a great idea. You can plant attractive flowers around the barrel and enjoy the sounds of water gently splashing through your fountain. 
Monday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Gardening Lifestyle | Add Your Comments
Rootfriends Picture Book for Kids
Looking for a way to educate your kids about plants, trees, gardening, and the environment? The Rootfriends Picture Book is a delightful childrens book with full color illustrations that detail the lives of the trees around us through such colorful characters as the Root Doctor, Willow Snapper, Maple Sprout and Rooty. For 20 bucks your kids will be immersed in this fantastical world, and will be learning in the process!
Saturday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Books, Kids | Add Your Comments
Garden Tool Organizers
If you’ve got a huge collection of garden tools that get lost somewhere in your garden shed, you should consider purchasing one of these excellent garden tool organizers. There are a number to choose from, including rolling carts that go where you go. There are organizers for every budget, as well.
Friday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Garden Tools, Gardening Lifestyle | Add Your Comments
Botanical Note Cards
Professional botanical artists have created these beautiful flower and plant note cards. There are 20 cards in each set, with a variety of plants and flowers represented. This is an impressive collection, illustrated with amazing detail. Buy the set for yourself and send out the cards individually, or give the set to a friend or loved one for a very special gift. They?re not expensive either, $12.95! 
Thursday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Gardening Lifestyle | Add Your Comments
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Handbooks
These pocket-sized books from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden are just the thing for a stocking stuffer or for the gardener who likes to have a gardening guide handy while they’re actually gardening! These are ultra-compact books that don’t skimp on useful information. The authors are top-notch and the illustrations are gorgeous! Topics include propagation, gardening techniques, pest control, container gardening, gardening indoors, and more!
Wednesday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Books | Add Your Comments
Kids Gardening Tools
Kids love to help out in the garden. But sometimes it’s hard to find tools their size and designed just for them. We just found an excellent solution to this problem! With Rumford Gardener’s tools for kids, your children can now enjoy working in the garden with tools built just for them. They offer rakes, watering cans, shovels, colorful kneelers, and even a gift set with a variety of cool tools. And while they’re made for kids, these are serious, well-built tools that will last! They come in bright playful colors.
Tuesday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Garden Tools, Kids | Add Your Comments
Glass Terrarium
Looking for a cool indoor garden gadget? This hip terrarium is just the thing. It looks like something out of a Jetsons cartoon, with its sleek plastic frame and bubble glass top. You can grow a huge variety of plants in this ultra-mini microclimate. This high quality design is the work of Jorge Luis. It is available in different styles from Bleach Design.
Monday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Houseplants | Add Your Comments
Electric Chain Saws
Electric chain saws are a great option for the gardener who needs to do some tree trimming or other similar projects in the yard or garden. They are also more ecologically sound and more efficient than your typical gas-powered chain saw. You don’t have to gas these babies up or struggle to get them started. Their motors require less maintenance, and they are generally quieter than traditional chain saws. The number one reason we like these chain saws is no nasty fumes! One disadvantage is that they often have a cord you have to watch out for, but other than that, we think they’re great! While they aren’t as powerful as gas chain saws, they will work great for the serious gardener in your family who likes to do a little heavy work in the garden every now and then. Husqvarna Forest and Garden is a great place to shop for electric chain saws.
Friday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Garden Tools, Serious Gardener | Add Your Comments
Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul
While I’m not a fan of the “Chicken Soup” book series, Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul is actually an excellent book, if not a bit sappy, about the trials and tribulations of gardening. The book focuses on the spiritual and physical rewards of working with the earth, and how gardening can enrich individuals, families, and communities. Here’s an example of the chapters: Blossoming Friendships, The Family Tree, Love in Bloom, The Seasons of Life, Overcoming Obstacles and Potpourri. The book is available on-line through Powell?s Books, one of the largest independent bookstores in the United States.
Thursday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Books | Add Your Comments
Organic Fertilizer Tea Bags
We recently discovered an interesting product for those environmentally conscious gardeners out there. It’s called PlanTea, and is a kelp-based organic fertilizer that comes in tea bags. Actually, this product has been available since 1996, so it goes to show you how long it takes us to learn about cool products sometimes. While I’ve read the testimonials (a flattering review from the magazine Better Homes and Gardens), I’m going to try this product out myself soon, so I’ll keep you posted. This organic fertilizing tea was developed in Kodiak, Alaska. It’s safe for ornamentals and for edibles, and won’t affect your pets, kids, or neighbors. A cool thing that got me interested in the product is actually the Better Homes and Gardens review which states, “PlanTea combines the ceremony of making and taking tea with the process of gardening–it has that quality of sacredness.” A quality of sacredness? Wow, if that isn’t a rockin’ testimonial, I don’t know what is! And based on the studies we?ve read on kelp as an organic gardening ingredient , we?re pretty convinced that this stuff will work like a charm.
Wednesday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Organic Gardening | Add Your Comments
Flower Greeting Cards
Check out these beautiful pressed-flower greeting cards from Elizabeth. She also makes wreaths, wedding albums and other unique gifts using plants and flowers.
Tuesday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Gardening Lifestyle | Add Your Comments
Ladies’ Gardening Gloves
These durable and extremely comfortable Ladies’ Gardening Gloves come in three different unique styles for that special lady in your life. They are designed to maximize comfort and sensitivity for detail work in the garden. The micro-dots on the fingers mean that you won’t lose your grip on your garden tools. From the Pepita Classic to the Pepita Professional, you’re bound to find the gloves to fit your needs. 
Monday ~ December 12, 2005 by kswanson56 Posted in Gardening Gifts for Women, Gardening Lifestyle | Add Your Comments
