Winter Care for Garden Tools

It's that time again:  Tool Time. Time to clean oil and store garden tools for the next growing season. Taking care of your garden tool will greatly diminish the high costs of replacements and make you a much happier gardener when springs roll around again.

What You'll Need

1. Soap
2. Water (hot if you're lucky)
3. Large bucket
4. Clean cloths
5. Wire brush
6. Fine grade stainless steel wool pads
7. Fine grade sandpaper
8. Sharpening file
9. WD-40 lubricate
10. Linseed oil
11. Eye protection for sharpening blades

• Start out giving everything a good cleaning. Dirt left on your tools is a breeding ground for rust and rot.
• Fill your bucket with hot water and dish soap.
• Brush off dirt with the wire brush and remove damaged edges and rust with the stainless steel pads.
• Place your garden tools as space allows for a good 15-20 minute soaking.
• Rinse thoroughly.
• Dry thoroughly with the cloths and leave out until completely dry.
• Tighten nuts, bolts and screws.
• Smooth dull cutting edges with your sharpening file. A few long strokes is all you need. You're only removing roughness, not creating a new blade.
• Use sand paper to smooth wood handles.
• Coat wood handles and metal with oil using dry, clean cloths. Wipe away excess.
• Use WD-40 to lubricate hinges and other moving parts.

Other Tasks

• Sterilize pots and clean garden ornaments (unless you are going for that weathering effect with the latter). Pots need to be free of bacteria, mold and fungus before any replanting occurs so don't skip this final garden chore.
  • Rinse with the garden hose and remove debris with your wire brush.
  • Using your large bucket, prepare a solution of 10 percent bleach and dish soap.
  • Soak your ceramics in the solution for 10-15 minutes.
  • Rinse complete and let dry before put on storage shelves.

• Drain garden hoses, wipe clean with an oily cloth, roll and hand in a dry location.

• If rust is extensive apply a rust-proofing primer and spray paint.

• If you're a novice sharpener, mark your blades with a black felt pen and in long, smooth strokes in one direction file until the blades are free of the black marks. Be sure to lift your file between strokes; no back and forth movements.  If in doubt of your abilities, have your tools professional sharpened.

• Lawn mowers can prove to be in a job within themselves so give yourself plenty of time (or help) to clean out grass, sharpen blades and oil metal and wood parts. It's a good idea to have a professional do the sharpening unless you are well versed in the craft. If a power mower, check the spark plugs and replace the oil in the crankcase to keep the engine protected from winter cold and ready for that spring startup.

• You can store larger metal tools in buckets filled with dry sand and enough oil to create a thoroughly moist environment. At winter's end just brush off the sand and oil.You can save the sand/oil mixture, or prepare a new, clean mixture if necessary, to use throughout the year. Just dunk the tools in the mixture a few times to remove debris, wipe the excess and hang the tool. This wintering and maintenance process will protect rust and corrosion when the elements would have otherwise.

Now put those clean and oiled tools in a protected, dry location preferably on a rack elevated from the floor. Smaller hand tools can be stored in a basket as long as air circulation is possible.

Gardening is so much more rewarding with the right tools in the right condition. Proper care will ensure your tools last for years and do the jobs intended.

Solar Lights Up Your Garden

If you can't get enough of your garden during the day or just love the romance of midnight and roses, solar landscape lighting is for you.

Modern solar lighting is durable and comes in charming, elegance, sculptured and whimsical designs that light not only your roses but your patio, deck and pool while adding safety and security to driveways and walkways.

NO electricity means no fear of weather damage or risk of electrical shock even in water.  Solar lights have panels that absorb sunlight and recharge their NiCad battery during the day. Automatic sensors activate the light at dust and produce a beautiful soft white/blue LED light so you, your love ones and guests are never left out in the dark.

NO wiring, minimal installation effort and made of durable materials such as  stainless steel, polyresin, plastic and copper; solar lights are fast, easy and made to last.  The lights will run for eight to ten hours on one charge.

So What Are You Waiting For. Solar Light up that Garden Now

Solar Light Buying Tips

• To get it right, first scope out your property at sunset. No need to add lights next to a street light or a neighbor's porch light, which you may not even notice during the day!  Look for dark areas, line pathways and highlight your best work in the garden. Mark your spots and sleep on it.

• Next, check out your solar light markers during early, mid and late afternoon. Remember, solar lights need sunlight to charge. So that perfect spot may not be so perfect if it never sees the light of day.

• If you live in an area not so blessed with sunlight, buy solar lights with extra solar panels, more LED lights and longer battery life. Also check recharging time; some are as low as 2 hours while other lights require 6 hours of sunlight.

• Now, stake your solar lights and be patient. It may take several days for the panels to fully charge.  Wait for the brightest light then make any necessary adjustments. So easy, just unstake the light and restake in its new location until you get it just right. Do loosen the soil a bit if the stake doesn't go in easily.

• Solar lights look best when they aren't competing for attention and have something to show off! Don't put them near other artificial light sources or you will be robbed of their true beauty.

• How many do you need? That's a tough one with so many variables so you'll have to try a few and add more as desired. Don't go crazy and get more than you need - you can always get more. Lights usually come in packs  so pick up one or a few packs to get started.

Solar lights are so easy, lovely and inexpensive.
If they're not using solar lights, you're missing half the fun of your garden.

Fall Tips For Your Garden

Winter can be brutal, so take the time in the Fall to prepare for the dark days of winter and ensure a healthy, happy bounty again in the Spring.

It's time to trim and toss in the compost pile, foliage that will not survive the winter. Don't ever waste nature's bounty by tossing the clipping in the trash.

Your lawn mower can make quick mulch of large jobs and hand crushing is just fine for small ones. The clippings will soon break down into carbon and nitrogen rich material to use either as a last pre-winter feeding or a superior mulch for next Spring.

Cut back stems so plants can go fully dormant. This will encourage new growth at the bottom of the plant in the Spring.  Start protecting the soil with mulch to discourage weeds, retain warmth and moisture and prevent pest infestation. Depending on your climate, you will start this in either early or late autumn.

Use natural mulches such as leaves, pine needs, straw and bark. They will naturally enrich the soil preparing it for your Spring bloom. If you live in an especially wet climate, to prevent water retention and rot use stones and add non-organic materials such as burlap, plastic, felt and paper.

In extreme cold climates, use up to six inches mulch but avoid covering the plants, which still need light and fresh air. Snow itself is a good insulator and makes for strong,  hardy plants but should snow, winds or freezing require additional plant protection lay some evergreen boughs lightly over and around your plants, still allowing for some light and circulation.

Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower. Albert Camus

Now it's time to plant your bulbs, daffodils and crocus. Make sure you get them in before the ground freezes, not just for your own sake for the digging but so that these spring surprises have time to root before winter hits.

Most people fertilize their lawn in the summer but fall is the best time for this chore.  Like bears, grasses store food for the long winter and, if fertilized in Fall, they will awake in the Spring ready to go.  Don't wait until the first freeze through, early Fall is the best time.

Mustn't forget the birds in autumn.  In your trimming and tossing process, don't include the plants' seeds. Leave them as a snack for your feathered friends and let them spread the harvest al natural.

Finally, make time for your garden decorations and, especially, your tools. Clean, oil, polish, dry and store as necessary and you will save yourself time and money when spring arrives.

Gargoyles to Protect & Enchant

Who doesn't love a gargoyle. These little grotesque creatures  add character and intrigue to any garden.  If your garden is lacking one (or several) of these mystical friends, pick one up today.

Gargoyles stir our imagination. Where did the concept of these strange looking creatures come from and why were they cherished by so many different cultures. Their legend has been lost over time keeping their mystery alive forever. You can find gargoyles all over the world and while each is a product of artist liberty, over the centuries and across the globe, gargoyles remain unmistakingly gargoylic in makeup.

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Originally, gargoyles were artistic sculptures that served as waterspouts to project rainfall from roofs. The word gargoyle is derived from the French word for throat: gargouille. It's also where the word gargle originated. Gargoyles were used until the early eighteenth century when their adoring faces were replaced with functional and quite blasé looking downpipes.

The Egyptians used gargoyle water streams for washing their sacred vessels. The Greeks decorated their building with lion faces. East Indians called their gargoyles Yali and made them a welcome addition to their temples.

The creatures have also been discovered keeping watch in Japan, the Czech Republic, France, the U.S., Canada, Italy, England and South American. Their diligent eyes are likely keeping watch throughout the world, if not the universe.

Far from the demonic association that their reputation has fallen victim to over the years, the sole purpose of the gargoyles' villainy looks was meant as protection to its owners from evil spirits. As a testament to their gentle and benevolent nature, gargoyles stand watch as guardians on many churches and cathedrals.

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There are just a few caveats for owning a gargoyle:

• Due to their unique personalities and infused mystical spirit you would be wise to let your creature pick you.

• Make eye contact, gargoyles have no fear but to fully protect you, they will need to see through all of yours.

• Listen and through your own throat you will hear the intelligence of your new friend.

• Keep them in areas that need protection, they like to work for a living.

• Not all gargoyles like the great outdoors so if yours is an indoor creature, by all means let his protection be an inside job.

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If gargoyles aren't watching over you and your love ones, better get your protector today.

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Gardening Hand Tools

To get the job done right, you need the right tool. When ancient man, and likely woman, first decided to plant roots and cultivate instead of hunt and forage for food, they used their bare hands.

They soon found that running after gazelles was easier than digging in the dirt and soon the first gardening tool was born. Innovations in gardening tools have made all the difference in whether you struggle to maintain your garden or enjoy the fruits and beauty of it.

If it has been awhile since you updated your tool inventory, take a look at what's available.

Basic Tools Check List:

• Scissors: small, heavy duty and sharp for thinning. Don't try to get by with fabric or household shears, they simply won’t cut it.
• Pruners: small, heavy duty, comfortable hand held for managing overgrowth and thinning thicker and larger stems.
• Loppers: your basic hand pruner with long handles, for thinning the higher growth.
• Forks: hand held for weeding and loosening soil.
• Trowels: hand held mini-shovels to dig holes for seeding and transplanting.
• Dibbles: when forks are not enough you need this sharp pointed bladed tool for breaking through and turning hard soil.
• Bulb planter: get your bulb planting done correctly with this precise and quick digger.
• Hoses and trigger nozzles: retractable hoses and adjustable sprays will keep your garden area neat and your plants happy.
• Gloves and kneeling pads: connect to Mother Earth in comfortable with hand and knee protection.
• Hand caddy or carrier: keeping your tools organized, clean, and protected and always in reach will greatly enhance your gardening experience.

NOW GET YOUR TOOLS AND GET GARDENING!