Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Tools & Planners

Both of my hands today have blisters.  Sunday I spent quite some time in the garden and yard.  I got 2 rows weeded with my favorite tool.  I cut back my hydrangea, hibiscus and sebum.  Yesterday I promised to share with you my favorite garden tool.  I just found it last year after asking a friend what she used in her garden.  She would post pictures and her ground was so clean looking with no sign of weeds.  She politely shared her secret with me and I quickly made my way to the closest store that sold them.

 
It is called an action hoe.  It slides right under the dirt and chops the roots from the weeds.  It also cultivates the first layer of dirt helping to aerate the soil.  It is by far my favorite tool.  It took me less than 30 minutes to weed 2 rows. 

Another gem that I stumbled onto a few years back is a company that sells seeds but also has a garden layout planner online.  You put in the dimensions of your space, figure out row lengths, row spacing and what vegetable/plant/herb you want to plant and it will tell you how many you could potentially put in.  One of the great things about the planner is that if you take the time to put in your last years garden it will tell you where not to plant something the next year based on crop rotation.  They will also send you a monthly newsletter letting you know what you should be doing that month. Give it a try the first month is free!


 
 
What are your favorite tools for the garden?  Leave a comment.
 
Sign up to follow my by email and be sure to come back tomorrow I will be sharing the herbs I plan to grow this year and a couple of uses for them. 


The gardening series started yesterday so don't forget to hop over and read that one too!

Contributing,
Angela


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2 comments:

  1. I'm enjoying your blog! Now I also know what tool I simply have to have this year. May I ask where you found your action hoe?

    My favorite garden "tool" is probably mulch. We used lots of straw and aged/composted chicken bedding and it worked really well.

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  2. We looked at our local hardware but they didn't carry it so we got it at Home Depot.

    I am glad you are enjoying it. I have to say I am enjoying doing it.

    Love compost! We had all our old chicken stuff that over wintered that we just added to our garden. Nice stuff!

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