Courtesy of Roo Apron
Stay clean and hands-free as you collect fruits, flowers, herbs, and veggies from your garden this summer! The Roo and Joey Aprons both supply ample pouches spacious enough for holding a serious collection of acorn squash — or even watermelon! The pouch size is adjustable, and the pouch release at the bottom allows for a gentle unloading of your harvest.
Editor and garden group leader Christianna McCracken says, “A good apron makes gardening efficient, especially when gardening at work! Here at Ogden Publications, it makes for a successful transition from the office to the garden. I like the Joey Apron. It fits comfortably around my waist and holds everything I need to take out with me to the garden. No more lost pruners, holes in jeans pockets, or clumsy hauling!”
TheRoo offers ample front coverage for extra-dirty work. Though it’s a one-size-fits-all, it has adjustable back and waist straps for a more individualized fit. For hot days when you don’t want to wear a full apron, consider the Joey waist apron.
$29.95 to $32.95
Roo Apron
First Saturday Lime is a natural solution for your garden. The high pH of limestone (calcium carbonate) works miracles in the garden, increasing the soil’s basicity — for those plants that like basic soil — to yield sweeter-tasting fruits. But, there’s so much more to it! Lime acts as a buffer, which maintains neutral pH levels in birdbaths and ponds, keeping algae and bacteria from taking over. It’s a natural insecticide, too.
Courtesy of First Saturday Lime
The powdery consistency of the lime is a double-bonus for chickens: dissolving it in their water dishes adds calcium to their diets for healthy eggshell production, and they revel in a lime dust bath, which protects them from bacteria and disease. Sprinkle it on the ground, or use as a wash when mixed with water, for pests, for barn odors, dog kennels, and cleaning chicken coops.
Editor Blair Gordon says, “This fine-grain lime allows me to dust the soil and leaves of plants to deter pests and mosquitoes naturally, keeping the grounds safe for my children and pets.” Monthly shipments are available for reapplying the lime the first Saturday of each month!
$14.99 for 5 pounds
First Saturday Lime
The various blends of Bug Bouncer natural insect repellent contain essential oils of geranium, lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, neem oil, and witch hazel, which have effectively fought off mosquitoes, chiggers, no-see-ums, and ticks for over 30 years. Forest Blend is the most highly concentrated repellent for fighting off denser populations of biters in the woods. The Garden and Forest blends also contain citronella oil in addition to the aforementioned ingredients, while the Park Blend doesn’t contain citronella oil, so its overall fragrance smells more like a bouquet.
Courtesy of Bug Bouncer
Our advertising executive, Angie Taylor, says “I was VERY impressed with how well Bug Bouncer worked. Now all I need is a way to keep the flying critters out of my wine when I’m relaxing outside!”
$12.00
Heirloom Gardener store
Neptune’s Harvest organic fish and seaweed blend fertilizer sweeps away the competition by producing outstanding crop yields, controlling pests, and contributing to planetary health by using the inedible parts of fish, caught off the coast of Massachusetts. Neptune’s Harvest also ensures healthy seed germination, luscious lawns, flourishing flowers, and enhanced compost strength. A gallon of liquid fertilizer will cover 8,000 square feet of crops.
Courtesy of Neptune’s Harvest
Digital content assistant Queren King-Orozco says: “We love the fact that Neptune’s Harvest fertilizer is organic and made with a blend of seaweed and fish, providing all the fertilization nutrients needed for the healthy plants we plan to grow in our garden plot here at Ogden Publications. We’ve already seen growth in the seedlings started with the fertilizer just 10 days ago, whereas the unfertilized seedlings haven’t all sprouted yet.”
$49.75 per gallon
Neptune’s Harvest
Meditate with the moonflowers, or host an evening garden party, with the help of this subtle, handcrafted, ceramic garden lantern from Stone Creek Trading. Delicate light filters through its abstract design which invites interpretation as a sun, crescent moon, or a flower blossom. Choose your brightness level by placing a candle or an LED light on the base plate beneath the lantern. Made in small batches in a ceramic studio in Poland, no lantern is made exactly like another.
Courtesy of Stone Creek Trading
Editor Blair Gordon says, “I like to sit by the garden pond during summer nights, when everything’s quiet except for the tree frogs, and watch the moon rise. This summer, the garden lantern will shine a little path so my feet can find their way to my peaceful place for moon musings.”
$19.00
Stone Creek Trading
Is there a garden product you can’t live without? Tell us about it! Email a short description toLetters@HeirloomGardener.com, and you may see your top tool featured in an upcoming issue.
