A Pansy Always Remembers

Such a tough little flower, the Pansy, also known as Violet, thrives in cooler weather. I want to share some about it with you today. If you are looking to make a pretty Winter container garden, this is the flower for you!

The name Pansy is dervied from the French word pensée, meaning "thought". It was later changed over to the name Viola in the mid 15th century and the small flower became a symbol of remembrance. It is known as the flower with a face, which gained even more popularity when portrayed as part of the flower bed in the film, Alice in Wonderland.

 

You can grow your own flowers with a "face" with ease. If you are starting from seeds, start indoors for 6-8 weeks before you transplant outside. It is best to plant the seeds in Summer for winter flowering, or in late Winter for Spring and Summer blooms. Of course, you can always do like I do, which is realize, too late for seeds, that I would like to plant a garden. I buy my flowers ready to transplant straight from my local flower nursery. Pansy's love the sun and cooler temperatures. They do best in a moist, rich, and well-drained soil. When planting, space them 7-12 inches apart. Pansy's love water, so if they need to be perked up, make sure you are watering regularly...just don't drown them. These tough little flowers can survive light freezes and even short periods of snow cover.

If you are short on space, don't fret, you can still have a beautiful garden. We offer plenty of vertical and wall planters. One of our favorites for a Pansy is the Nancy Jane Self Watering Stacking Planter. It features 9 planting sections, so you can have a variety of flowers, vegetables, and herbs all together. Another unique option is a wall planter. The Flovert is a flexible hanging planter that can be used on walls, railings, or even fences. It gives your small space a big appearance. 5 sturdy pockets means endless possibilities.

Nancy Jane Stacking Planter

You can find these planters and so many more on our website,

www.verticalgardennigsystems.com

Prepare For Frost

Fall is rolling in and before you know it frost will sneak up on us. How will you protect your garden when that time comes? If you are like me, I used to lug my plants inside for the night...or nights..and then cart them right back out. It was time consuming and I found many unexpected guests, such as frogs, lizards, and bugs. I decided enough was enough and found some protection. These innovative products will save you so much time (and backache).

Mini Greenhouse

If you have a large amount of potted plants or a small garden, this Mini-Greenhouse includes an outdoor heat lamp for optimal protection of your precious plants during the frost and Winter. Easy to assemble by just popping it open, placing over your plants, and staking or tying down. Then just let this mini-greenhouse do the rest. This plant guard is 100% wind and water proof, as well as flame retardant. It features a full height zippered door for easy access to your plants. When you are finished for the season, just fold down and store inside its special storage bag until next season.

Clima-Hood

 I love hanging plants, but I don't love climbing to put them up, take them down, put them up...you get the picture. Now, I use Clima-Hoods to protect my hanging plants. The protective cover just slips right over your whole pot and plant then gently secure the drawstring for simple protection. These hoods are perfect for small shrubbery as well.

Do you grow your herbs in a window box? I do, so I use these Window Box Hoods to protect my winter herbs from the frost. Leave your boxes right where they are, slip one of these hoods over and pull the drawstring snug. These hoods are great for spring time to encourage early flowering as well. Don't just use and store, but use them year round.

 

These area few of my favorite products and I have used them year after year. They can all do double duty to protect against frost and encourage early flowering as well.  You can find these and so much more on our website 

www.lawngardeningideas.com 

We also have a lot of great planters and vertical gardening systems over at 

www.verticalgardeningsystems.com

Teach A Child To Garden

 

 Delight on a child's face must be one of the most rewarding feelings that a gardener can have when that sheer happiness is result of your garden. That tops right up there with knowing that you helped teach that child to garden. You are doing something magical for them. They get to see their efforts pay off and have pride in working with their sweet little hands. They are learning a life skill that will serve them well. It is proven that when a child helps you grow vegetables and fruits, they are more likely to eat them. They will beam with pride at what they have accomplished and eat healthier in the process. It reminds me of a proverb, but I am going to change it up a little....

A wonderful thing about working with children is that YOU don't have to be a perfect gardener, you just have to be willing to spend time together. As adults, we sometimes forget that things that are not new to us, are new to them. They see the world as full of amazement and wonder. So, get out there, get dirty, and have fun! What if you don't have a lot of space? That is ok also. Whoever said you have to dig in the ground to have a garden? Container gardens are just as wonderful. Any container that will allow moisture to flow through can work. If you are a beginner gardener yourself or want to teach your child about healthy eating, we have a wonderful middle ground. A garden that sits right on your counter top AND will encourage healthy eating.

A Sprout Garden is simple to start, easy to care for, and shows super fast results. You can go from planting to eating in just a few days. We offer a 3 tray Sprout Garden kit that has everything you need to get started, trays, seeds, and instructions. Add sprouts to your salads, sandwiches, and even in your smoothies for a great boost and pick-me-up. You don't have to limit the kit to only sprouts, grow broccoli, garbanzo, lentils, and much more. The added bonus of stackable trays is that you can not only grow many different things at once, but they take up very little room.

Come visit us at

 www.lawn-gardening-tools.com 

to have your kit shipped right to your front door.

Mulch Obliged

Leaves are starting to fall and soon enough we will be outside raking them up. The question is, What are you going to do with all of those leaves? Use them! They provide a natural and perfect protection for your plant roots.

3 Ways To Use Your Fallen Leaves

1. Add them to your compost bin and mix with the other fruits, vegetables, and grass clippings you already have in there. These things will help break down the leaves quicker.
2. Rake your leaves up and then layer them over your garden or flower beds. You can even use your bagger attachment on your mower to pick up shredded leaves to use. The leaves can be whole or shredded, but do not layer more than 2-3" thick. Any thicker and you may block out important sunlight and rain needed. The leaves serve as mulch to protect the roots, helpful insects, and other things that are growing during the cold months. In the Spring, simply mix with the soil to continue using the benefits of the leaves.
3. Simply use your mower to mulch up the leaves and leave a "dusting" on your lawn. You don't want your lawn to be buried. This light layer will protect your grass roots and provide nutrients.

Do you want help gathering up all of those leaves? We may just have some things that can help over at www.lawn-gardening-tools.com. 

Save your back from the rake with our Grab X Leaf Grabber. It just grabs up the leaves instead of raking them.

Grab X Leaf Grabber

You can also make less trips. Our Sport EZ Leaf Hauler holds 4 times for than a wheelbarrow and our EZ Haul Original holds over twice that! More than just a tarp with sturdy sides and stakes to keep it in place even on the windiest of days. 

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