When you’re done pruning this winter, don’t forget to clean, sharpen and oil your tools so they’ll be ready come spring. Diamond Tool Sharpeners Are Forever Even if you invest in good tools, you still need to keep them sharpened. The first tool sharpener I ever bought was from a major brand, but it was …
Winter is the time to prune back overlapping branches from trees and shrubs. A good quality pruner is your #1 most important gardening tool. Experience shows higher quality pruners hold their sharp edges better, so you work less and save energy while making cuts. Do not try to save money on your pruner. Instead, buy …
Let’s get to it! It’s a New Year and the perfect time to do something new, try something you’ve never tried before, and expand in new directions. I find that the most important thing when I’m “feeling stuck” in the old or “completely overwhelmed” with all the opportunities I’m facing is not making the “correct” …
I love this Reversible Kneeler Seat, as does anybody who owns one. Why? Because it’s strong enough to help me get up when I’m kneeling and when I turn it over, it makes for a handy seat next to my containers, when I’m planting, tending, and harvesting.
Do you have a tendency to bend over more than your body wants you to? Why not consider buying a mobile garden stool to help you move easily around the yard? I often fantasize about having a larger garden to grow everything I want to grow, and then I think about maintaining it and I …
For years, I’ve been looking for the perfect tote bag and I finally found it! As a Master Gardener, we volunteer for workdays at our projects and I love having a tote for my tools, gloves, water bottle, keys, and phone. This Puddle Proof Tote Bag is large enough to carry all that plus it’s …
There are now 78 million baby boomers born in the United States following World War II from 1946 to 1964 who are now becoming seniors. One thing is certain: We are all going to grow older and when we age, natural changes occur in our bodies, which can make gardening more of a challenge instead …
Aging is not for sissies Are you one of the millions of gardeners who have silently wondered how long you can continue gardening because of physical issues in your body? It can happen to any of us … that moment when you suddenly realize you have a ‘new norm’ of what you can no longer …
A few weeks ago, I attended the Garden Writers Association conference in my hometown of Chicago. I joined their organization in 2015 when I discovered it was open to all garden communicators, including speakers, writers, and photographers. Three years ago, I was a garden speaker and I was anxious to hone my craft. Since then, …
It’s been a year in the making, but I was finally able to hit the SEND button to email my manuscript to Timber Press. What a journey this has been! Looking back over my shoulder, when my acquisitions editor, Stacee Gravelle Lawrence, called me to say she saw me speak at the Northwest Flower & …