Gardening: Plant, Seed, & Tool Reviews
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NEWS:
The First Restroom for Dogs! Polly Patch Solves Dog Waste Problems
Dog waste can often be a frustrating problem related to lawn care. Small amounts may produce a green up or fertilizer effect, while larger amounts often result in lawn burn or dead patches.
Keep your lawn, kids and pets clean by curbing your dog with a Potty Patch. Typically used as an indoor bathroom, new puppies can be trained to go on the Potty Patch outdoors this summer too and the great news is that the Potty Patch is perfect for patios and indoor use.
How?
The Potty Patch helps avoid urine marks on well-manicured lawns and deck where families usually play. Supported by the American Kennel Club, the PottyPatch is a necessary item for keeping your lawn in tip-top condition.
Here are a few key tips to keep your lawn and dog healthy with use of the Potty Patch:
Consistency for at least 2-3 weeks is important to establish this as a routine, trained behavior.
Dogs should not be unsupervised in the yard while this initial training is occurring.
Train your dog to an elimination command such as: Potty, Piddle, Do Your Business or Hurry Up, etc.
It's perfect for patios and indoor use - you'll love not going out in the rain or snow!
It's easy to clean. Just rinse it with soapy water.
It feels natural because the top portion is made of a soft artificial grass specifically designed to let liquid flow through. It's available for small or big dogs in either 17" x 27" or the large size, 27" x 34" and is made up of three tiers -- Tier one is made of a soft artificial grass specifically designed to let liquid flow through; Tier 2 has a grate to keep the grass dry and above any liquid, and Tier 3 has a collection tray that holds up to a gallon of liquid allowing multiple uses - great when you are away for the day!
This cool invention solves pet accidents indoors with its unique technology to keep odors and bacteria locked inside the device.
The Potty Patch is available at all PETCO and PetSmart locations or online at www.pottypatch.com for $39.99.
ThermaCELL Area Mosquito Repellent
If mosquitoes have been biting you as you garden, They can pose a serious problem, especially during dawn and dusk, the peak times they look for victims. Mosquito borne illnesses are a real concern, for juveniles and seniors, who make up more than 25 percent of vegetable gardeners.
Fear no more -- for ThermaCELL has the solution -- the ThermaCELL Area Mosquito Repellent! No more swatting, no more lotions or sprays, and no need to buy expensive bug tents or suits. Best of all, no more insect bites! The ThermaCELL appliances and lanterns provide 98% protection from biting insects within a 15 x 15 foot radius which is perfect for gardening or sitting on the deck or patio.
How it works: ThermaCELL area mosquito repellent appliances are small and portable, weigh less than a pound and are approximately the same size as a television remote. The ThermaCELL butane cartridge heats a mat releasing allethrin, an insect repellent that is a synthetic copy of a natural insecticide found in chrysanthemum flowers. Each mat contains enough repellent for four hours of protection.
Outdoor enthusiasts have a choice of hand-held ThermaCELL devices that include the , a tabletop lantern that keeps uninvited bugs at bay. All appliances are portable and provide the same 15 ft. x 15 ft. zone of 98% protection according to tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Defense. And the protection is applied in just minutes and lasts for hours, while with just the press of a button, these products can be turned on or off.
For more information on ThermaCELL's complete line of products or store locations, visit www.thermacell.com or call 1-8-NO-SKEETERS (866-753-3837).
The Armpocket -- Just the item to make gardening a joy -- (For details go below to Accessories)
ACCESSORIES
The Sport 20 Armpocket
The Armpocket SPORT 20 is great for the environment. Why? Because it's made from recycled materials. The Armpocket Sport 20 is also great when you're gardening because you can insert your Ipod, cell phone, PDA, keys, anything - right inside the roomy pocket and have it out of your way.
Stylish and ultra comfortable SPORT 20 has 20 cubic inches of storage capacity, and provides easy-access to your music, cell phone or PDA, keys, ID and more when at the gym, or a training run. It's Also great when attending sport events, concerts, a day of shopping or a walk on the beach. Safe and secure from theft, pick-pockets, or purse-snatchers.
Available with a window for touch-sensitive electronics, or an easy-access front pocket it sells for approximately $29.95, you can select the strap size (Medium for arm size 10-15 inches; Small for arm size 8-11 inches), or even smaller straps. Available in black and pink it's a must-have. Options include recycled PET fabric and natural bamboo; touch-thru screen or easy-access front pocket; 4 sizes and 6 popular colors; and you can add your company, club or school logo.
Available with a window for touch-sensitive electronics, or an easy-access front pocket it sells for approximately $29.95, you can select the strap size (Medium for arm size 10-15 inches; Small for arm size 8-11 inches), or even smaller straps. Available in black and pink it's a must-have.
For details check web site www.armpocket.com.
PLANTS
DUTCH GARDENS
To place your order by phone, call 1-888-821-0448 and mention code KKA7009A. Or write to Dutch Gardens, 144 Intervale Road, Burlington, VT 05401
PARK SEED COMPANY
Top Container Plants For Autumn
Container plants offer gardeners a great way to save space in the yard. They also provide wonderful decoration for a sunny porch or deck. Ideal for first-time gardeners, container plants can be mixed together in larger pots to create mini-gardens. This fall, Park Seed is offering eleven container classics that are sure to spice up the fall garden.
Princess Lilies®
Absolutely the top container plants of the season, these miniature Peruvian Lilies cover themselves with blooms for over two long seasons. Best in dappled sun in most climates, they need no special care to flower continuously for 4 months or more.
Princess Oxana -Burgundy flowers highlighted with a yellow center
Princess Isabella -Rich golden-orange blooms
Princess Fabiana -A narrow band of white edges each dark green leaf, complimenting the white blooms that are striped and streaked with soft yellow
Princess Paola -Rosy-pink stripes decorate the center of each white petal, finished with a cluster of streaked red and yellow in the center
These products can be viewed on www.parkseed.com.
Park Seed Offers A Giant Bloom with a Ruffled, Starry Look-- the Kingfisher™ Clematis
This plant was developed by Raymond J. Evison, a master Clematarian. Reblooming Clematis are a rare delight, but seldom do you see such a giant-flowered variety repeat . . . with just as many flowers the second time around as the first! Kingfisher™ is a magnificent new Clematis from the master of the Queen of Climbers, Raymond J. Evison. It sets huge 6- to 7-inch blue blooms with thick petals that overlap at the base, creating a ruffled, three-dimensional look before tapering to a point for a starry silhouette. A single flush of these flowers is a treat, but two a year is almost embarrassing!
The flowers arise first in spring on plants 6 to 8 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. Ideal for cutting, they dwarf the foliage and steal the show in any setting. Then they repeat in late summer to early autumn, followed by large, silvery-white seedheads that impart an airy look to the late-season garden. Whether you grow it up a lamppost, let it thread through a fence, or train it up a trellis, this Clematis is nothing short of stunning.
Content with its roots shady and cool while its tops (aboveground growth) are sunny and warm, Kingfisher™ thrives in well-mulched soil in full sun in all but the hottest climates. It is in Pruning Group II, so needs a hard pruning in late winter. Very vigorous and floriferous, it is an outstanding climber for any garden or large container. Zones 4-9.
Send for Bareroot Item # 49915 Clematis Kingfisher
1 for $9.95 each.
3 for $8.95 each. You save $3.00
6 for $7.95 each. You save $12.00
For more information or to order, contact Park Seed Company, 1 Parkton Ave , Greenwood, SC 29647; 800-213-0076 or check web site www.parkseed.com
Order Veggies Online
There's nothing more convenient than ordering your vegetable plants online and having them shipped straight to your front door. Park sends only the biggest and strongest of the bunch to ensure your success and get your vegetable garden started off right. Simply plant them, water them in, and watch them take off. It's that simple!
The company's original Whopper has been a classic variety for decades, and now they've improved it for bigger harvests and even meatier flavor. 'Park's Whopper CR Improved VFFNT' Hybrid Tomato offers greater disease resistance, a longer season, and more succulent tomato flavor in every slice.
Add garden accessories like Tomato AlgoFlash to your order, and you'll have earlier and bigger harvests of fresh sun-ripe veggies. And don't forget - you still have time to start vegetable seeds. Choose from hundreds of different vegetable varieties for the tastiest, most productive crops ever!
Tomato 'Park's Beefy Boy'
Hybrid
Annual Plants. #41266
3 for $6.95
Save! 6 for $12.98
Pepper Sweet Rainbow
Mix
Annual Plants. #40472
6 for $12.95
Save! 12 for $24.95
Pepper 'Park's Whopper Improved'
Annual Plants. #41332
3 for $6.95
Save! 6 for $12.95
Park's Tomato Trio
Annual Plants. #42467
2 plants each of Cherry Sweet Baby Girl,
Beefy Boy, and Park's Whopper.
1 collection of 6 plants for only $14.95
Whopping Big Vegetable Collection
Annual Plants. #42190
2 plants each of Tomato Park's Whopper,
Tomato Beefy Boy, and Pepper Park's Whopper.
1 collection of 6 plants for only $12.95
Plants and bulbs will be
shipped at the proper planting time for your area.
The Call Center is Open on Weekends! Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time at 800-213-0076
Or contact Park Seed Co., 1 Parkton Ave., Greenwood, SC 29647, 800-213-0076 web site www.parkseed.com; E-Mail info@parkscs.com
WAYSIDE GARDENS
Wayside Gardens Clematis - "Queen of the Climbers
Clematis has long been hailed as the Queen of the Climbers, and Wayside's selections prove exactly why. With extravagant blooms, lush foliage, and a versatility in color and form that is seen in no other vine, they'll weave adaptable, hardy beauty into your landscape for a lifetime of outstanding garden performance.
Award-winning Clematis 'Broughton Star' offers thousands of semi-double blooms over a long season. Its new spring foliage emerges in bright bronzy tones and remains as flowers begin to appear, creating a stunning display! This popular vine never needs pruning and is a favorite for clambering over walls, through open-habit shrubs, and alongside climbing roses.
For details and information on Wayside's new contest, check out Wayside Gardens: America's Premier Source of Choice Plants and Bulbsm Garden Lane, Hodges, SC 29695-0001 | 800-213-0379; info@waysidecs.com
Wayside Hostas - An Exceptional Array of Colors and Textures
Far from ordinary, today's Hostas stand out as the perfect shade perennial for hardy, low-maintenance beauty and an endless variety in shape, color, texture, and size. Whether you need a large, bold specimen to catch attention as a focal point or a ground cover that blends in with other shade dwellers, there's a Hosta to suit every garden's style and growing conditions.
To order or for more information, contact Wayside Gardens at 1 Garden Lane, Hodges, SC 29695-0001 | 800-213-0379 or go to web site info@waysidecs.com
TOOLS
SOIL MATES - Great for potting & other big jobs!
SOIL MATES are ideal for moving potting soil from a bag to a pot or planter. Each
of the specially shaped SOIL MATES holds 3-5 times more soil than an average size trowel or a hand. Use them also for any other loose materials such as fertilizers,
bird seeds, etc.
How to Use for Potting:
Very easy, fast and virtually spill-free --- here are some ideas:
• Place plant in the center of the pot.
• Insert the smaller SOIL MATE between the plant and the inside of the
pot or planter and push it against the root ball to create an opening.
• Using the larger SOIL MATE as a scoop, drop potting soil into the space
you created.
SOIL MATES are great with planters which have liners of moss and coconut fibers.
How to Dig a Perfect Hole in Seconds:
• Using one or both SOIL MATES, push them into the ground to define the
size of the hole you want to create (optimum size 5-10").
• Then insert the SOIL MATES, on opposing sides of the area you defined.
• Push the bottoms together and lift the soil out of the ground.
Because of the unique shape of the SOIL MATES, the bottom of the hole will be flat
and ready for planting. Recommended only for soft soil.
Transplanting - Root Ball Stays Intact
In much the same manner as described to dig a hole, work on both sides of the
plant you wish to move. The fairly sharp bottoms of the SOIL MATES make them
ideally suited for breaking up root balls before planting. They are also perfect for
dividing and transplanting small to medium size perennials.
Empty Pots or Planters Fast and Clean:
If you wish to prepare a previously used large pot or planter for a new plant, simply
use the SOIL MATES for quick and spill-free removal of existing soil. It is similar to
digging a hole as shown above. You may either use one or both SOIL MATES.
Scooping up Dirt:
SOIL MATES are perfectly suited for picking up any loose material (dirt, pebbles,
seeds, etc.) from a flat surface such as a table, floor or terrace. Just push the two
SOIL MATES together as shown in the picture and lift them up.
More Uses for SOIL MATES:
• Use them for bird seeds and pet food
• Spread salt to de-ice driveway and walkways
• Remove cold ashes from a fireplace
• Remove snow and ice from a windshield
• Mix concrete
• Scoop up compost
• Stir potting mix when adding water
• Mixing up soil components such as peat moss,
compost, sand etc.
What distinguishes our patented SOIL MATES from other regular trowels or scoops is their flat bottom and slightly curved design. This makes them ideal for potting, transplanting and digging holes. They are made of strong, light-weight nylon, have
colorful PVC foam grips for added comfort and are practically unbreakable. As you can see in the pictures on web site www.innovativegardenproducts.com, they are a
truly multi-purpose tool for house and garden.
Available on-line for $13.95 (set of 2), plus shipping and handling, from INNOVATIVE GARDEN PRODUCTS, INC. 6 Spielman Road, Fairfield, NJ 07004;
973-227-3135 or 973-882-8877, Fax: 973-882-8918 or via E-mail: igpinc@yahoo.com, Attention: Dieter Baars
Please note: All information is copyrighted and may not be used without permission
For more product reviews, please see our main product review page.