Fab Garden Tools For Women; Our Last CSA Basket For Season

It has been one long hot summer but we managed to have a pretty darn decent farm garden for our CSA (Community Supportive Ag) members.  This last week, we delivered our final basket which had in it eggplant, onion, squashes, potatoes, cucumbers, peppers, beans, apples, pluots, plums, dried apples, dried peaches and a bit of basil.  A few members received a watermelon, others received different varieties of summer squash as there wasn't enough of the summer squash for all the members.

I received some calls to back to back make anniversary bouquets and a dinner party bouquet.  These arrangements are always fun to do because most of the people who call me just give me some color preferences and let me at it!!!

It makes me feel good that a customer trusts me enough to give me the colors, a price range and why the flowers are needed.  And it is a good feeling that our flowers, grown right here in Butte County are local and picked usually minutes before they are placed in the vase or arrangement.  Did you know that the #1 country to supply the US with flowers is-Netherlands.  #2 US flowers are sent from Columbia.  If those flowers could talk, I bet they would tell a story of possible pesticides; cold storage; forced growing and much worse. If you need flowers, check your local farmer's markets; there are several websites now that list specific farms that grow flowers; or even a neighbor who has a fabulous garden.  Everyone can use a little extra money to buy more seeds or pay for the water, why not give it to them to cut you some beautiful, country, fresh flowers!

In my years of hard gardening and yard work, your tools are what make your job easier.  Frank is so wonderful, he keeps all my hand tools, weed eaters, mowers, weed whackers, you name it ready to go for me, maintained, gassed, fixed.  Several times a year, I need the "hedger" to prune my crepe myrtle bushes; my butterfly bushes; corn stalks; and to use on my privet hedge around the house.  The hedger had a very long blade on it and is gas powered.  It is so heavy, ill balanced and when I turn it side ways to cut the front of the hedge, it would blow fumes in my face.  Honestly, I needed a nap after doing the hedging and my arms and neck hurt so bad. 

One evening I saw an advertisement for a battery powered hedger.  They may have been out there forever, but it occurred to me that possibly there was one powerful enough for really hard labor, not just a postage stamp subdivision back yard, but lighter and easier than the gas powered one.  Frank did some research on the size and weight on-line and found one that he thought I would like.  Now I am not paid to endorse any of these suggestions, I am only passing on my experience and suggestions for some really great gardening tools, because I bought them, used them and love them!!!

My very, very most important gardening tool that I love the most is called the Cobra Weeder/Cultivator.  It is a hand tool that I use every time I garden to not only weed, but I dig holes; plant seeds; plant plants; and even cultivate the soil around plants. If I am in my vegetable or flower gardens, the cobra is in my hands.

We bought this Black and Decker 22nd blade electric hedger for under $50 at Home Depot.  The battery is rechargeable.  Within a few hours of getting it out of the box, I have the side of my house huge butterfly bushes; sucker trees; volunteer blackberry; too tall camellias; AND my privet hedge done.  The ground looks like a cyclone had come through with cut down branches and garden debris.  It was easy to use, no fumes, no real fear of cutting off my leg or arm with the blade; well balanced.  I even had my arms up in the air cutting down the out of control wisteria hanging over the porch and wasn't covered in gas, it was very light weight.

The third tool I have found to be very useful and "woman" friendly to use is the Homelite 7.2volt Electric Scrubber (don't know why they call it that, it says it is used for hedging and trimming).  This tool has only a 6" blade and is so light you can use your other hand to use to control the plant you are cutting.  It isn't as powerful as the B&D hedger by any means, but a great one for small jobs.

I just remembered what else I hated about the gas powered tools besides smelling, heavy and hard to handle.  They are noisy!!!  The electric ones just hummed along quietly.  This little Homelite is also rechargeable but the battery doesn't come out, you just plug it into the unit to re-charge it.

Frank would always offer to do these jobs for me, but he is busy with even heavier work and repairs than this and besides, I like to do it myself.  Frank usually will have me tell him which plants to cut, which ones not to cut and we would be yelling back and forth to each other over the loud gas engine hedger.  Now I can have my own "woman" tools ready to go, plugged in, in my garden shed, handy for whatever cutting I need done in a hurry.

Oh, did I mention I have my own blower?  Yes, one that is easy to start, it is gas, but quieter than most, not as heavy, short nozzle to it, well balanced.  Did you ever notice how most tools are meant for people who are much taller or longer arms or something, my goodness!!!  Who needs a blower that has a plastic nozzle 4 feet long???  I will pass on the make/model next time as I can't remember it now.  I always call it my orange blower.  Doesn't everyone have 3 blowers?

Until next time-

Giving The Front Of The House a DIY Update Painting Project

It wasn't that many years ago that we painted our house and all the trim.  That included the front porch areas of our house.  The house was built originally around 1926 but added on and remodeled in the 1930s which gives it the Arts & Craft architectural look.

We replaced the rotting square columns with round columns; and the concrete steps and front porch had flaking gray concrete paint.  When choosing our paint color, which is a sage green, I picked white and black trim. But after completing the paint job, I realized the front needed a punch of color so selected a dark red for the porch paint.  The porch faces south and gets all the driving winds and rains resulting in the porch was looking pretty shabby lately.  Time for a color boost.

I went into the garage looking, hopefully for a paint can left over with the original color name.  I was in luck because I not only had a can but it was 3/4 full.  I recalled the original painting took 2 coats so I must have purchased 2 gallons of paint, only using 1 gallon and part of the one left over.  Lucky me, I saved myself some money by being able to use what I had left over.

I took everything off the porch, washed it down and waited for it to completely dry.  I have two concrete planters that weigh a good 100 pounds each filled with dirt and plants.  Frank put them up on blocks so I could paint underneath them.  When the porch was dry, I started painting.  I had really thought it would take me about 3 hours.  After I cut in around the side of the house and front door, I rounded up a good new roller and pan and finished up the main surface and part of the steps.  I used my paint brush to get the risers of the steps and the corners where the steps meet the side walk which is NOT painted.  It turned out pretty well and only took 1 hour.

Then I realized that my dogs go to the front door to be let in if the back door is closed.  Back to the garage again and I found the collapsible gates we used to use to keep the grand kids out of areas that were dangerous for them.

After looking at the wicker furniture that was on the porch, I realized they needed a coat of paint too.  Back to the garage to see if I happen to have some spray cans of gloss black.  I had a can and Frank found one in his shop too.  Since the chairs had already been painted several times, the two cans were enough to paint them and the Antique French Plant Stand I have had for over 45 years.

Letting everything dry for another day, I removed the gates, put the furniture back on the porch and looked back to admire.  Now the fabric on the chair pillows looked faded and shabby and the front door needed something.

That night I went on line to Joanns and found some really cute outdoor fabric, on sale and ordered what I needed for $20.  In the mean time, I found a galvanized bucket, flat on one side and filled it with silk flowers.

 Within a couple of days, the fabric arrived thanks to the marvel of the Internet, I never needed to leave home!!!  I spent a few hours sewing up some cushions and viola, the front porch is fun, inviting and a fresh look to bring in the future fall decorations.

I tried a couple different containers for door arrangement, one a wicker basket, the other the galvanized bucket.  What do you think?
This last photo is taken around the time the Finnie Family, (original family owners of our house from the 1920's- 1980s) remodeled house in the 1930s.  Don't you just love old houses?  There is really something special about an old house and charm, you just can't reproduce it.