Beginner Gardening Tips Blog

Yesterday Karina (Canadian Gardening magazine’s associate editor) and I met with Brent McHenry from Fiskars. Brent made his annual visit to our office to show us what’s new for 2010. We started with the crafty stuff – border/corner punches, scissors for crafting and dressmaking, and more. Craft stores make me SO happy, so having a private preview was pretty cool. Then we moved on to what’s new in gardening. The highlights for me were the following two products: the Momentum reel mower and the Sit & Store…

What’s interesting about this mower compared to other reel mowers is that the blade will last way longer – there is no metal on metal contact, so it could be upwards of seven years before you have to sharpen it. This lightweight little number can also work as an edger and is apparently 30 per cent easier to push! The Momentum will be exclusive to Canadian Tire, will retail for about $279 and will be available in January.

I carry a little basket around the yard with my tools, generally a glass of water and sometimes the phone. But what excites me about this cart is I can attach my bucket to the back and lug around bags of dirt and other heavy stuff. The top comes off, too, so you can protect your knees while you dig in the dirt!

Despite the rather chilly temperatures this past long weekend, I still managed to get out in the garden and cross a few tasks off my list. It’s not very often I have two straight days in a row to get things done. So with a new pink pair of gardening gloves that I got for my birthday, I set out with my basket of tools to weed, plant, prune and dig.

This is what left me with a sense of accomplishment:

1. We planted two five to six-foot cedars: I bought these about a month ago and have been waiting for a chance to dig them in. Fingers crossed that they make it. They still look lovely and green.
2. I dug out a ton of dandelions and other annoying weeds that magically appeared after all that rain we got these last couple of weeks. Talk about eco-friendly pest control, it was also a workout!
3. Give my boyfriend a pair of loppers or pruning shears and I come back to a twig with a root, so I kindly pointed out what I wanted pruned and how. Lorraine Flanigan’s article on how to prune spring-flowering shrubs, was helpful for my forsythias.
4. I spread around some compost in a couple of my beds to prepare them for the lovely plants I have in store for them.
5. I’m not sure if it was the fungus gnats or the fact that they’d outgrown the little peat pellets, but all of a sudden, my seedlings were looking sad and limp—and they didn’t need water. So I transplanted my seedlings into bigger pots until I’ll be able to plant them right into the garden.
6. I have always felt bad about tossing away those wooden mandarin orange containers, so this winter I kept them because I knew they’d come in handy for something. And in one of them I planted salad greens. Yesterday the squirrels made a couple of holes in it, but if things start to grow, I’ll take a picture.
7. I had some herb plants I was trying to protect from frost, but I just couldn’t wait any longer, so I planted them.
8. I dug out a ton of lily of the valley and their network of roots—they are so pretty and smell so nice, but they’re a pain in the butt every spring when they’re in the middle of my garden and I’m wanting to plant things. So I had to be ruthless.

And that sums up my list. A few tasks down, a few hundred to go!

Now I can’t tell you what I’m getting my mom (because hopefully she reads my blog, like every day), but I can share some neat products I sourced for a Mother’s Day article.

What are you buying for your mom this year?

I drew a name this afternoon to win a pair of Gloveables and the winner is Brenda! Thank you to everyone who entered. I wish I had a pair for all of you. Please check in once in awhile as I’ll be doing more giveaways throughout the spring and summer months.

Brenda, please email me at hgwebeditor@transcontinental.ca with your mailing address.

On Monday, a package arrived on my desk that brightened my day. I got these amazing pairs of multi-coloured gloves from Gloveables. These cheerful, waterproof gloves are similar to what you’d use to avoid dishpan hands, but with a fashionable twist. They come in several colours and have a lovely cuff detail in a variety of designs, including polka dots, gingham, leopard and lace. I’ve posted a photo from the website for you to take a look.

Now they may not be suitable to tame my rosebush, but these will definitely come in handy in the garden for most other tasks that don’t involve sharp thorns – they’re so pretty I won’t want to get them dirty! My favourite pair is pink with zebra cuffs and a cute bow.

Suddenly I’m inspired to trade my normal grubby garden gear and dress instead like Bree on Desperate Housewives, who has worn Gloveables on the show. What would the neighbours say!

Furthermore, while flipping through the catalogue, I learned that Gloveables’ parent company, Grandway, built a wooden fabrication facility and a sewing factory to employ residents in Cholutecca, Honduras, a rural city with few employment opportunities. So by purchasing these gloves, you are helping to support the community where they are made.

Just another reason I can’t wait for spring!

I have a pair to give away to one lucky reader. Tell me what you’d use your Gloveables for by posting a comment and I’ll randomly choose a winner!

Note: Open to all residents of Canada, except those in Quebec. Not open to any Transcontinental Media employees, their families, or any other persons with whom they reside.

My web producer, Jen Murray, just posted this great article she wrote on gifts to give to the gardener on your list. From the necessary (like secateurs) to pampering presents to the whimsical, you’re sure to find something for the green thumb on your list.

Jen couldn’t have found a more perfect present for me. As per Anne Marie’s recommendation, I asked for a protective glove to deal with my roses in the spring. And Jen found me this pair from West Country Gloves and get this… they’re pink! My fave colour.

Mom, if you’re reading this…