wherein the writer has his say
I usually use only two garden tools for the vast majority of my summer gardening chores. The simplicity of each makes them long-term winners for me. I just had to replace the Hoe-Mi as I lost my original tool in one of the moves I’ve just made. (leevalley.com) but my hand-pruners have been with me since I got off the arc.
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Once again, I see the spectre of age-rage happening around the blogosphere. What’s with all the let’s-get-the-young-people-gardening angst and counter-angst? It might help by starting with a quote from Marshall Macluhan to set the stage, “Youth instinctively understands the present environment – the electric drama. It lives mythically and in depth.” When you and I [...]
Ever notice how your body feels in the morning? How only a few short years ago you only needed coffee to jumpstart your went-to-bed at 3am mind but now it’s aspirin-for-the-knees and coffee-for-the-head after a cocktail at 6 and a bedtime of 11 ? Ever notice how you congratulate yourself on your hand-speed catching the [...]
Over the last few months, I’ve written long essays in my morning notes and never got around to publishing them. Once I had them written, they mostly moved out of my interest (publishing seems to be optional for some reason) The key here is “mostly moved” out – but not entirely. So here’s a short [...]
In the past month or so, I’ve made a sea-change in my way of thinking about advice to new writers – in advice to myself as well. Herewith: 1) Want to be a writer? First step. Write. It’s that simple. Every morning, start your day with a pen and coil-spring notebook, fill 2-4 pages at [...]
A long time ago, in a universe far, far away I confess I was the President of a local Liberal Party Provincial Association in the Province of Ontario. I was also on the provincial board of directors for the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. This made me a minor bit player on the stage, but I [...]
William Carr Stewart – born 1898 in Aberdeen Scotland – enlisted in the English army to serve in the first world war. Sent to the Dardenelles, to Gallipoli, that charnel house where old generals discovered old tactics didn’t work against new weaponry. Where the 7th Light Brigade cavalry thundered into history charging artillery. Where Florence [...]
Like a lot of us, I have choices about where to spend my time and energy – and where I take this body of mine. Here’s yet another reason why I don’t fly much anymore. Why I avoid going to conferences or vacations that force me to fly instead of take the train or drive. [...]
“Lots of people will ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” Oprah Winfrey I’m thinking about partnerships right now because I’m involved in two publishing startups and they each contain a mix of people – from marketing to [...]
The Perennial Plant of the Year for 2009 has just been announced and it’s Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’. I’ve been growing this wonderful grass for some time now in both USDA 4 and 5 gardens and it has done well for me. Well…. in a tough year in Zone 4 it won’t be really happy. Here’s [...]
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Thanks Doug, I’ve been wondering what kind of cultivator to get for awhile. Do you think the Ho-Mi would go through Bermuda grass roots?
@Katharine -
it will go through anything you have the strength to propel it through. It’s not the tool in that case, it’s the strength of the armstrong weeding system behind it.
Opps, that should have been Hoe-Mi, good thing I caught the typo before I googled it!
Hmmmmm, if you got off the ark with your pruners, shouldn’t you have a pair?
Jenny Bs last blog post..Finding Balance
@Jenny B -
Do you guys listen to “everything” I say? ??? LOL
You’re still killing me here Jenny B.
What brand of pruners would you suggest??? Haven’t seen your coultivator anywhere but with a small hand and small armstrong I am thinking my digger will do just fine.
@Sandy McLeod -
Felco are the undisputed best kind of pruners – worn and used by all pro nurserypeople
I agree 100% on the Falco pruners… they live in my back pocket! But I love my Cultivating Mattock … one side has a cutting edge which works great on roots (big & small) and cuts through our Virginia clay nicely… and the other side has 3 sturdy prongs for deep tilling & cultivating. I have even used the cutting edge for breaking up stones & slates.
@Kellie P. -
I can see where a mattock like you’re describing would be really useful in clay soils and hard “stuff”. I’ve seen them around, they were a little heavy to go into my belt loops and be carried when I work (my pants would droop way too much for my comfort)