SECOND HOMES
With holiday shopping in full swing, I have a few suggestions for the gardener on your list. When I am working in my yard, I am constantly going back and forth into the house. I hate having to stop and untie my boots before I come inside, so I don’t. Sometimes (my wife says often) I track some dirt into the house. Apparently, a clean floor is more important than the inconvenience of taking off my boots.
I have found the miracle solution: Muck boots. Specifically, the Muckster II Ankle.
These comfortable boots slip on and are easy to kick off when I come inside. I leave them by the back door, and I slip them on every time I am headed to the garden. They are waterproof and have a neoprene lining that is warm in cool weather and cool in the summer.
An Airmesh lining gives the boots breathability that prevents them from collecting sweat during the summer. My feet stay dry even when I am working around the edge of my water garden.
The Muck Boot Company makes sandals, shoes and boots for men, women and kids.
Easy clean-up
There are boots for any kind of outdoor activity and any weather condition. When necessary, they are easy to wash off.
My Mucksters are now part of my standard gardening apparel. They are available in many stores or at www.muckbootcompany.com.
Sticking with the clothing theme, I know many people will be giving and getting T-shirts with pretty pictures on them.
Shirts printed with water-based ink can be ironed without fear of melting the ink, as with plastic ink.
Water-based ink is a part of the fabric, so the design will fade but not crack like plastic ink, which sits on the fabric. Liberty Graphics has the most amazing gardening and nature designs that you will ever see, and it only uses water-based ink.
I have flower and hummingbird designs on shirts that are more than 10 years old and still look nice.
I bought mine at a store that is no longer around, so now I have to order from the company directly. Find out more at http://lgtees.com.
If you live in a rental unit, you may not have a lot of floor space for plants.
And even if you do, you don’t want to get water on the floor. The patio or deck space is probably limited, so you can’t grow too many plants there either. The Plant Tree is a heavy-duty plant stand that can hold up to 24 plants, with each limb holding up to 20 pounds.
The versatile design allows the plant tree to be installed freestanding, in a corner or against a wall. It includes a wall or deck mount that can hold three plants. The plant tree holds a lot of plants in a very small place.
Check it out at theplanttree.com.
Indoor gardens
Many gardeners bring plants indoors for the winter. Sometimes insects come in with the plants. It is hard to find a spray that will kill the insects while not being smelly or potentially harmful to pets. Eco-1 Garden Spray is made from organic botanical oils that not only kills many kinds of insects and spider mites but also prevents and controls many fungal diseases.
It can be used indoors or outdoors, and can be used on ornamental or edible plants. Fruits and vegetables can be sprayed up until the day of harvest.
Eco-1 Garden Spray is made from organic botanical oils that not only kills many kinds of insects and spider mites but also prevents and controls many fungal diseases. It can be used indoors or outdoors...