GardenDC Podcast Episode 221: Gifts for Gardeners

In this special holiday episode, we share our favorite gardening tools and products* perfect for gifting the gardeners in your life -- and yourself!

*Disclosure: Some of these items were sent to us free to trial, but many we have repurchased on our own as well as for gifts for other gardeners. The gift ideas here are linked to an Amazon affiliate account, so if you click on them and order any, Washington Gardener Magazine gets a few pennies added to the account for the referral. Our full Amazon storefront is here.

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! 

See how at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/support.

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 177: New Plants and Products 2024

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/01/gardendc-podcast-episode-177-new-plants.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 133: New Plants and Products 2023

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/01/gardendc-podcast-episode-133-new-plants.html

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We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too!

This episode is archived at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/05OnrTPw3wrGW5LVf2ntmB

Show Notes: 02:13 - Dramm 12454 5-Liter Premium High-Grade Plastic Watering Can 03:49 - Gardener's Supply Company Madison Rain Barrel 05:36 - Foxgloves 08:00 - Sloggers Garden Clog 09:40 - Scala Wide Brim Garden Hat 12:08 - Garden Kneeling Pad 14:44 - Corona Long Straight Snips, Stainless Steel 16:22 - CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator 18:46 - O'Keeffe's Working Hands Hand Cream, 3.4 oz., Jar 20:45 - Alaska Fish Fertilizer 5-1-1 Concentrate 1 Quart 23:09 - Garden Fabric Row Cover 25:54 - Dramm One-Touch Rain Wand 27:43 - Mosquito Dunks 30:26 - MuckBoots 32:19 - Copper Plant Labels 33:41 - Shrub Rake 35:05 - Hori Hori Knife 37:05 - Bypass Pruners 38:16 - Deer Repellent Systemic Tablets 41:47 - Tool Sharpener 43:02 - Motorized Spray Bottle 44:25 - Bonus Item: Tenax Deer Net 47:32 - Thank you for listening! Please become a supporter.

See more gift ideas at: https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/11/holiday-gifts-for-gardeners-top.html

and visit https://shop.kathyjentz.com/ to browse our new online plant store

Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz

Interview Edit and Show Notes: Zachary Intrater

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

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• Visit https://shop.kathyjentz.com/ to browse our new online plant store

Holiday Gifts for Gardeners ~ Top Gardening Gifts ~ 21+ Cool Gardening Gift Ideas

The holiday season is here and I bet you have a gardener on your gift list, so we've updated our annual a Holiday Gifts for Gardeners ~ Top Gardening Gifts ~ 21+ Cool Gardening Gift Ideas.

Here are the garden products I use almost every day. These are the tried-and-true work tools that make my garden grow, save my back from breaking, and generally make life a little easier. Buy a few for others, but also treat yourself!

Disclosure: Some of these items were sent to us free to trial, but many we have repurchased on our own as well as for gifts for other gardeners. The gift ideas here are linked to an Amazon affiliate account, so if you click on them and order any, Washington Gardener Magazine gets a few pennies added to the account for the referral. Our full Amazon storefront is at:

https://www.amazon.com/shop/wdcgardener

1. Dramm 12454 5-Liter Premium High-Grade Plastic Watering Can

2. Gardener's Supply Company Madison Rain Barrel

3. Foxgloves - Medium, I like Iris (purple) and Moss green

4. Sloggers Garden Clog

5. Scala Wide Brim Garden Hat

6. Garden Kneeling Pad

7. Corona Long Straight Snips, Stainless Steel

8. CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator

9. O'Keeffe's Working Hands Hand Cream, 3.4 oz., Jar

10. Alaska Fish Fertilizer 5-1-1 Concentrate 1 Quart

11. Garden Fabric Row Cover

12. Dramm One-Touch Rain Wand

13. Mosquito Dunks

14. MuckBoots

15. Copper Plant Labels

16. Shrub Rake

17. Hori Hori Knife

18. Bypass Pruners

19. Deer Repellent Systemic Tablets

20. Tool Sharpener

21. Motorized Spray Bottle

+ One Bonus Item: Tenax Deer Net

Need even more ideas? Here are some more links-

• Visit https://shop.kathyjentz.com/ to browse our new online plant store!
• Beginner Gardening Basics: https://amzn.to/3tS8ATO
• Great Gardening Books: https://www.amazon.com/shop/wdcgardener
• Washington Gardener Magazine's full Amazon storefront is at: https://www.amazon.com/shop/wdcgardener
• Gifts for Garden Cats: https://catsingardens.blogspot.com/2024/11/a-garden-cats-holiday-wish-list-gifts.html

Disclosure: Clicking on these links and then ordering anything from Amazon may put a few pennies in the Washington Gardener Magazine bank account. Thank you for anything you can direct our way. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

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Win a Gardener’s Harvesting Set from Garrett Wade

UPDATE:
The winner is Anamaria Anderson, Arlington, VA!

For our August 2023 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away a Gardener’s Harvesting Set from Garrett Wade. 

   The set includes Forged Carbon Steel Hand Pruners, French Harvesting Knife, and Galvanized Steel Trug (value $103). These three items are beautifully made, highly functional, and built to last.

   Garrett Wade (https://garrettwade.com/) is a Brooklyn-based company that partners with craftsman around the globe for the best-in-class hand tools for the home, garden, and kitchen.

   To enter to win the Gardener’s Harvesting Set, send an email to 

WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com by 5:00pm on August 31 with “Gardener’s Harvesting Set” in the subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what your favorite article was in the August 2023 issue and why. Please also include your full name and mailing address. Winners will be announced and notified on September 1.

Win a Cobrahead Weeder and Cultivator tool in the August 2022 Washington Gardener Reader Contest

UPDATE: Congratulations to our winner, Jennifer Whalen of Silver Spring MD!

For our August 2022 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away a Cobrahead Weeder and Cultivator tool. The prize value is $28.

   Gardening is a relaxing and enjoyable hobby, but it comes with some tedious tasks. Pulling out reluctant weeds or breaking up tough soil can be frustrating and time-consuming without the right tools. The Original CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator is here to make those jobs easier so that you can focus on planting and nurturing your garden. This hand cultivator comes with a blade designed to cut through any soil, even clay. Its slender design gives it an unprecedented level of precision without sacrificing durability.  The combination of the specialized blade and the comfortable, ergonomic handle let you get at every weed in your garden without worrying about damaging your flowers. Whether you need to get in between rows of vegetables or cracks in your walkway, the CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator will get the job done. See more at https://www.cobrahead.com/.

   To enter to win the Cobrahead tool, send an email by 5:00pm on August 31 to 

WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com with “Cobrahead” in the Subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what your favorite article was in the August 2022 Washington Gardener issue and why. Please include your full name and mailing address. Winners will be announced and notified on/about September 1.

Win the Centurion Tools collapsible bucket and watering can set in the August 2020 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest

For our August 2020 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away a set of the Centurion Tools collapsible bucket and watering can (value $55, centurionbrands.com).
   The Centurion collapsible bucket and collapsible watering can are made to work well and store easily. The bucket is made of alternating silicone and plastic layers that fold into each other, so when collapsed, the product is 2–3 inches tall. It also has a pour spout at one spot, to make pouring water and other liquids easy. The watering can, on the other hand, stays tall, but skinny. The plastic exo-skeleton is colorful and features a handle and spout. The middle is a clear, flexible plastic that fills with water and when empty, slims down to less than the width of the exterior shape.
   To enter to win the Centurion Tools bucket and watering can, send an email to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com by 5:00pm on Monday, August 31, with “Centurion” in the subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what your favorite article was in the August 2020 Washington Gardener issue and why. Include your full name and address. Winners will be announced on September 1.

UPDATE: Congratulations to Michael Kelley of Berwyn Heights, MD!

DIY: Herb Drying Rack

Drying chamomile and lavender
(garlic bulbs are in the onion bag).

Don't throw out those old garden tools! They can always have a new use. For instance, the heads of old garden rakes, forks, and spades make great hanging hooks for other things. I use one of my old rake-heads as an herb rack.

Just saw off what is left of the end of the handle (the wood on mine had rotted and shattered). Then hang the rake-head up and bundle and dry your herbs.

If you don't happen have an old rake-head, there are lots of other herb rack projects. You can take an old board or branch then tack in a row of nails for the hangers. If you want to get fancy, replace the nails with drawer pulls or cabinet knobs. 

I also use old brass curtain rings - the kind with a clip on one end - threaded on a string and then you clip on the herb bundles.

Old chandeliers and pot racks are also great for herb drying. You can buy S-hooks at the hardware store or create your own from wire hangers.

Laundry drying racks are a natural for this use as well. I like to lay an old window screen across the  rack levels to place beans, okra, cotton, and other things small I'm drying for seed.

Finally, any unused coat hook or coat rack can be re-purposed for herb drying duty. It can be just that simple! Once you start looking for herb hanging ideas, the possibilities are endless!

Make sure your herb drying rack is in a well-ventilated area away from small children and pets (who cannot resist playing with the crinkly, rustling dried leaves) and you'll soon be harvesting dried herbs to use all year-round.

This is a monthly blog series on DIY projects for the beginning home gardener. Look for the other installments in this DIY blog series by putting "DIY" in the search box here at washingtongardener.blogspot.com. 

Top 10 Gifts for Gardeners

As the holiday season is upon  us, I find my email inbox filling up with requests from product companies and PR companies urging me to share their wares with you all. Yet, I cannot in good conscience, promote anything that I have not used and tested myself. 
   This year, I was honored to be asked to be a judge of the Direct Gardening Association's Green Thumb Awards for the best new garden products and plants. The first seven gifts on this list that I am recommending come from these product evaluations that I did and I can highly endorse these as I tested them in my own home garden. The winning Green Thumb products were selected based on their uniqueness, technological innovation, ability to solve a gardening problem or provide a gardening opportunity, and potential appeal to gardeners.
   The last few gift recommendations are for tried-and-true products that I have used over many years and that I have come to trust and cherish. These are the ones I buy for fellow gardeners and that I am loathe to let anyone borrow lest they not be speedily returned.
   What garden tools do you love? Feel free to share in the comments section below.

1.  Kitchen Garden Kit - Grow Microgreens & Baby Greens - Botanical Interests




2. Plant A Bar, 28217; x 48217;



3. Happy Leaf LED V2 Grow Light



4. Purple Pillar Hibiscus - 4" pot - Rose of Sharon



5. Proven Winners Invincibelle Ruby Smooth Hydrangea (Arborescens) Live Shrub, Pink and Red Flowers, 1 gallon


6.  Hazzard's Seeds Calendula Snow Princess 250 seeds



7.  Fingerling Potato Molly Black - 10 certified ORGANIC Purple Heirloom Potato Seeds



8. CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator


9. O'Keeffe's Working Hands Hand Cream, 3.4 oz., Jar


10. Alaska Fish Fertilizer 5-1-1 Concentrate 1 Quart



and one bonus stocking-stuffer pick:

Corona AG4930SS Long Straight Snip, Stainless Steel