Spruce Up Your Outdoor Spaces - 2 Easy Ways!!!

Gardener’s Supply Company offered me the chance to review two of their awesome products, a railing planter and double solar spotlights. 

The railing planter is made from UV-stabilized polypropylene, a strong, durable material.  The high-gloss finish and bold color makes it pop next to the house.  I chose the red so that it went with the brick.  As I was surfing through Gardener’s website I had some reservations of the planter looking like cheap plastic, but let me tell you that it is nothing like plastic.  It looks so rich and inviting on my front stairwell.  I decided to plant basil and cilantro in my planter, which are two of my favorite herbs.  They have been in the planter for almost three weeks and they are doing great.  They have already doubled in size.  Besides the high quality material and easy maintenance, I also like the fact this planter comes with plugs on the bottom.  Right now I have the plugs in, since my plants are not exposed to much rain, but if the wind does blow heavy amounts of rain in my planter I can easily pop off the plugs and let it drain.  Did I mention that no tools are required when setting up the planter?  No screws or holes to drill.  It rests firmly on the railing and does not slide or shift in any way. 

The double solar spotlights are also easy to install.  Just hook the spotlight wires up to the solar panel and you have light!  I decided to place my two spotlights in the front garden.  One illuminates my garden spinner and the other illuminates a flowering bush.  The lights come on every night without fail.  Even if we have an overcast day, the high-capacity batteries keep them lit all night.  The wires that connect the spotlights to the panel are long.  This is also an important attribute I must highlight (pun intended), since I was intentional about wanting my spotlights far enough from each other so that two separate sections of my garden were lit.  I considered going with electrical spotlights but did not want the hassle of having to install them.  These spotlights are bright and one would never know that they are solar. 

I am 100% satisfied with both of my products.  Gardener’s Supply Company had the products shipped to my house the same week I ordered them.  I have worked with this company in the past and both times they have always paid special attention to the packaging and delivered my products quickly.  We did have chips in the planter's paint after a week, but we contacted the company and they sent us a replacement. So they stand by their products and have excellent customer service. Kudos to Gardener’s for the great products, great customer service, user-friendly website and being, well, awesome in so many ways.  I smile when I come home and see all of my herbs just waiting to be consumed.  Would anyone like to join me for some Caprese Salad? 

Exclusive | Railing Planters Create an Instant, Self-Watering Balcony Garden

·        Watch: Viva Planter Idea Book

·        Easy-care railing planters in bold colors and a high-gloss finish

·        Self-watering for reduced maintenance and thriving plants

·        Easy to install; no hardware required

·        Your choice of stylish colors

Add a punch of color and instant drama to your balcony. Self-watering planters are a convenient place to grow flowers, herbs and greens, right on your balcony railing. Simply set the planters right over the railing — no mounting hardware, no holes to drill. Self-watering pots minimize maintenance chores and provide plants with the consistent supply of moisture they need to thrive.

World's Brightest Double Solar Spotlights

·        Brilliant, solar-powered spotlight is bright enough to use as a floodlight

·        Most durable, seamless, weatherproof solar spotlight on the market

·        Lights from dusk to dawn on a full day's charge

·        Easy to install; no wiring or extension cords needed

Our Ultra-Bright Double Solar Spotlights are not only brighter than any other solar lights on the market; they also outshine many low-voltage lights. Yet high light output is just part of the story. These lights are superior in every way to the one-season lights you see elsewhere. The anodized aluminum housing is seamless and weather-tight, and won’t crack like plastic casing. The circuitry is soldered by hand, and every unit is tested before it leaves the factory. We’ve also fitted them with new high-capacity batteries that keep them shining even after several cloudy days. Environmentally-friendly NiMH battery pack; cool white LEDs never need replacing.

For more information or to purchase, head over to: http://www.gardeners.com/ 

Smart Scissors

The multi-functional Smart Sizzors by AnySharp are no ordinary scissors.  NOt only are they perfect for the kitchen they are multi-functional sizzors have a bottle opener, nut cracker, and garlic crusher.  What is more, they are ambidextrous and even strip wire and cut through tough material, so these are perfect for any room in your home. 

Made with professional grade hardened steel blades, these guys will not break the bank and are a great kitchen accessory…..or gift for dad, cook, or hobbyist!

MSRP $24 at www.anysharp.com

These scissors are sharp!  I used them in the garden last week while I was pruning bushes and flowers.  They were easy to use, did not stick (like my other clippers) and clearly not made of cheap materials. They fit comfortably in my hand and the bright color made them stand out in the grass.  When in the garden, I feel like I am always on a hunt to find random garden tools I left somewhere. I was not only impressed by the weight and quality of these scissors, but also the many functions it serves. 

Eleanor's VF-11 Plant Food

The Hose End Sprayer (MSRP $12.49) provides an easy and convenient way to feed the entire yard- just connect the sprayer to a hose and cover the whole yard in a matter of moments. The sprayer produces 32 gallons of plant food that is eco- friendly and groundwater safe. The unique formula allows VF-11 to be twice as effective by working as both a foliar feed and soil feed. What’s more, the spray is non-toxic so it is safe to use around children and pets at any time.

Ready to Use Foliar Spray (MRSP $10.99) is also an easy and convenient product that is already mixed for a quick grab and spray application. Foliar application delivers vital nutrients into the plant tissue at the desired rate. Ready to Use Foliar Spray is also non-toxic and perfect for household potted plants. Eleanor’s VF-11 products give gardeners piece of mind as it promotes sustainable growt

Ready to Use Foliar Spray and Hose End Sprayer are easily absorbed and provide key elements for facilitated absorption.

• Contains micronutrients: iron, boron, manganese, zinc, copper, and molybdenum 
• Contains macronutrients: calcium, magnesium and sulfur
• Contains less than 1% of the following: nitrogen (.15%), phosphate (.85%) and soluble potash (.55%)
• Products are nontoxic making them both eco-friendly and groundwater safe.

Eleanor’s VF-11 plant food products are available at major retailers including ACE Hardware, Albertsons, Home Depot, CVS/Pharmacy, Raley’s, RITE AIDE, and FredMeyer. For more information visit http://www.vf11ind.com/

About VF-11

Eleanor's VF-11 Plant Food was developed by a renowned German botanist & chemist, who spent years perfecting the formula that we bottle today. He understood the biological and chemical mechanisms, by which organisms absorb all vital nutrients. With this understanding, he was able to formulate a ground breaking plant food that, to this day, is unrivaled. By providing key elements for facilitated absorption, while simultaneously minimizing ion antagonism, Eleanor's VF-11 works in concert with nature.

Thoughts:

I think these products are really easy to use which is just one of the pro's of using these products. They also are reasonably priced. If you want the benefits of paying a lawn company to come and give you rich green grass, but you don't want to pay the money, why not do it yourself using these products? The other thing I liked is that it was safe around our son and dog. Our dog loves to spend time outside in the grass, so it's nice not to worry about her safety when using these lawncare products.

Burpee - Fragrant Garden Idea

Do you smell that?  We do, and so do all of the neighbors walking past our driveway.  It is the smell of Lady Lavender.  Burpee sent us 15 Lady Lavender plants and 3 Moulin Rouge Astrantia plants to review.  

Our plants arrived within days of ordering them. They were meticulously packaged with delicacy.  We planted the lavender plants along the driveway, that way people passing by can also catch the fragrance as they walk by.  We also chose this location because of the direct sunlight, which lavender does prefer.  

Every year we purchase a few annuals to add color to the garden, but perennials are by far the easiest, since they come up year after year.  Some lavender plants are annuals, but we chose Lady Lavender because it is classified as a perennial.  Burpee offers a vast selection of seeds and plants, ranging from vegetables, herbs, heirlooms, organics and many more.  We have always been satisfied with their products, including their guarantee policy.  They have been in business since 1876, which really says something about their customer service and ability to outdo the competition.  

Thank you Burpee for adding a new element of "eye pleasing" candy in our garden. 

Visit their site here: http://www.burpee.com/

Zero Gravity Chairs from Plow & Hearth

Relax In Zero-Gravity Lounging Chairs: Ultimate Comfort, All-Weather Durability, Affordable Price

You'll feel like you're floating on air in our Adjustable Zero-Gravity Reclining Chair With Padded Headrest - it's perfect for porch, patio, lawn, garden or pool!

Our Zero-Gravity Reclining Chair With Padded Headrest adjusts to nearly any position, from straight up to totally reclined for the perfect seat every time. The ergonomic design offers superior support and pressure-point relief.

Powder-coat steel frames with textilene fabric, a tough polyester fiber covered with a sheath of PVC that is impervious to UV rays. Chair has a padded head rest for extra comfort. Folds for storage. Imported.

• Zero-gravity reclining chair with padded headrest
• Feels like you're floating on air with adjustable ergonomic support and pressure-point relief
• Powder-coated steel frame with breathable, all-weather textilene mesh fabric
• Great for use anywhere outside - pool, porch, patio and more
• Folding design for easy transport and storage 

We had a chance to try out these chairs, and while we love plow and hearth as a whole we weren't completely sold on these chairs. While they're a great concept, in reality they aren't.

Pros: Lightweight, compact and thus doesn't take up much space. They are made with breathable material so you aren't sitting in pools of your own sweat on hot days. Also the chair stays in place once you're positioned so you don't have to work hard to keep yourself balanced in that position. The other nice feature is the built in headrest.

Cons: We found these chairs hard to get in and out of. To me it was the equivalent of a 9 month old pregnant woman trying to get in and out of bed...it's just not an easy feat. They also aren't very durable, as the bungee is already fraying and if the paint chips it will rust very quickly. I know that nothing can last forever, but with only having them a few months they're already showing signs of wear and tear.

http://www.plowhearth.com/ is a great site with some really unique and great products, so head on over and check out their products for yourself!

Gardening Must-Have!

I recently had the chance to review the Border Edger and the Steppin' Edger from HoundDog.  The Border Edger was described as being "ideal to create clean borders around beds and walkways."  I was completely satisfied with the ease of using this tool to form a trench around my flower beds.  The steel blade was sharp and cut right through the sod.  My only qualm was that the soil, which was mildly moist, tended to stick to the steel.  The Steppin' Edger was great to use along our sidewalks and driveway.  One of the benefits of using the Steppin' Edger is that it is much lighter in comparison to your average trimmer, in addition to not dealing with filling a gas tank, dealing with tangled cords and worrying about charging a battery.  Both HoundDog products were sturdy and clearly made of high quality materials.  They were not flimsy, like other things you may find at your local hardware store.  Speaking of flimsy, I recently went through two shovels.  Having durable garden tools is a must have for the avid gardener and HoundDog delivers!!!  

Check out all their products here: http://www.hound-dog.com/

Gardener's Supply

Spring has sprung and what a great time to get down and dirty with Mother Earth.  Every year, we aim to add a new element to our outdoor living area, and this year we decided to focus on lighting.  Gardeners was gracious enough to send us several products for review, including dual solar spotlights and a solar shed light.  Instead of spending time wiring and dealing with electrical stuff (which we are totally clueless about), we decided to entertain the idea of solar lighting.  Keep in mind, one of the draw backs to solar-powered lights is that they are noticeably dimmer than your average wired spotlights.  The solar lights were easy to install and within minutes, we were all set up.  As noted in the instructions, it is important that you place the solar panel in direct sunlight.  We were sure to place our panel in the front of the house with full sunlight.  The panel is able to store enough energy to keep the lights on throughout the night.  I can testify to this, because I got up at 4:00 AM to check for myself.  They were going strong!  The dual solar spotlights (Item #38-622) are not as bright as I hoped, but they are aesthetically appealing.  As previously stated, this is one of the cons of solar lights, but Gardeners does sell a brighter model that I probably would have preferred. 

 

In addition, I had the chance to review the Flexzilla hose and the outlet faucet adaptor.  The adaptor is definitely something I should have purchased a long time ago.  I am able to connect two hoses to one outdoor faucet.  Gone are the days of lugging my hose back and forth from the front yard to the back yard.  This is worth it!  I was not as impressed with the Flexzilla hose.  It is lightweight, as described, but I had major issues with kinking and storing it back on the hose stand.  The hose does kink.  When trying to place it on the hose stand, it tends to curl up and is not very versatile.  I was satisfied with all of my review products, except for the hose.  In my opinion, this hose is not worth the money. 

As always, Gardeners shipped my products quickly and they did a great job with packaging.  I have worked with them in the past and would highly recommend their site for all of your outdoor/gardening needs.  They are always running specials and offer a broad array of products to choose from.  

Check out their products here: http://www.gardeners.com/Double-Solar-Spotlight/38-622,default,pd.html

Win Garden Clogs!

Garden Clogs and Gardening Shoes by Jollys are for anyone working in the garden, around the house, or in the garage. Jollys garden clogs are great easy-on, easy off house shoes too. Gardening shoes are invaluable during the early spring, the mud just rinses off. Jollys garden clogs are convenient and totally comfortable for both men’s garden clogs and women’s gardening shoes. Garden clogs offer the durability of work boots with the ease of slippers.

My husband's thoughts:

These sturdy, simple clogs are definitely something each gardener should own. Before I head out to the garden, I quickly slip my feet into the clogs and get on with my day. Gone are the days of tying shoes or using my fingers to hold the backing of the shoe while I get my feet in them. They are durable on differing types of terrain (i.e., grass, cement, stones, etc.) and my feet do not tire as easily. Although I am constantly bending down and kneeling in my garden, my clogs always stay in place. My only qualm is that the sole is hard and takes some getting used to the feel. I found that wearing socks for awhile helped me get used to them. Happy gardening!

Now offering Picture Clogs!!!

WIN IT: One pair of your choice

HOW TO ENTER:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Glass Mosaic Hummingbird Feeder - GIVEAWAY

Plow and Hearth makes a beautiful hummingbird feeder. It's a beautiful kaleidoscope of color and light made from recycled, crushed glass which is hand-applied so each one is unique. It offers a removable, soft-plastic flower feed port and S-hook for hanging.

While all of the above information is correct it doesn't look quite like pictured, but that is because each one is unique. Ours was almost completely pink, but that wasn't a problem, we have a plethora of colors in our garden. I did have one issue with the feeder and that was that it leaked. Once filled, which was easy to do, it continually leaked for about a day until all the nectar was gone. This was unfortunate as we will need to feel it every other day to keep up, but it's beautiful and I am excited about having hummingbirds coming to our garden!

WIN IT: One reader will win this hummingbird feeder for themselves!

HOW TO ENTER:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jolly's Garden Shoes

Garden Clogs and Gardening Shoes by Jollys are for anyone working in the garden, around the house, or in the garage. Jollys garden clogs are great easy-on, easy off house shoes too. Gardening shoes are invaluable during the early spring, the mud just rinses off. Jollys garden clogs are convenient and totally comfortable for both men’s garden clogs and women’s gardening shoes. Garden clogs offer the durability of work boots with the ease of slippers.

My husband's thoughts:

These sturdy, simple clogs are definitely something each gardener should own. Before I head out to the garden, I quickly slip my feet into the clogs and get on with my day. Gone are the days of tying shoes or using my fingers to hold the backing of the shoe while I get my feet in them. They are durable on differing types of terrain (i.e., grass, cement, stones, etc.) and my feet do not tire as easily. Although I am constantly bending down and kneeling in my garden, my clogs always stay in place. My only qualm is that the sole is hard and takes some getting used to the feel. I found that wearing socks for awhile helped me get used to them. Happy gardening!

Now offering Picture Clogs!!!

A New Grass Seed - Sta-Green with Nitro-Fuze

Have you heard of this new brand of grass seed (yes, grass seed) that is designed to make fixing your yard as easy and convenient as possible? The brand is called Sta-Green with Nitro-Fuze. It's a grass seed that is coated with nitrogen so that homeowners don't have to buy a separate starter fertilizer. Plus, the coating holds water so you don't have to water it as often to get it growing.

MY THOUGHTS:
We decided to use this to fill in the bare spots in our front yard and around our sidewalk. We planted it a few weeks ago and then watered it every couple of days, but sadly it did not come up for us, but I would say this was user error. We planted the seed when it was a warm 70 degree day, and then it dropped back down into the 40s and we were not outside as much to remember to water it, so our daily watering went down to once a week watering, if that, and eventually we gave up on it. I do think that the concept is terrific - fertilizer and seed in one!

Easy to Use

1. By eliminating the need for starter fertilizer, homeowners save money by not having to buy starter fertilizer and time by not having to apply it.

2. The super-absorbent Nitro-Fuze™ polymer coating allows for successful lawn establishment, even with erratic watering practices.

3. The nitrogen-infused seeds are easy to see when applied.

4. Sta-Green with Nitro-Fuze™ is easily applied through standard spreaders that are readily available to the consumer.

Better for the Environment

1. Sta-Green with Nitro-Fuze™ is safer for planting near lakes and waterways since only the amount of nutrients required by the seed is present.

2. The correct amount of nitrogen is fused to the seed, resulting in less fertilizer leeching and fewer negative environmental impacts.

A Strong, Healthy Lawn

1. The nutrients that Nitro-Fuze™ provides promote thicker root masses, resulting in healthier lawns with fewer weeds and less disease.

2. Unlike other seed coatings, Nitro-Fuze™ is scientifically proven to not slow down seed germination and emergence. 

For more information visit: http://www.nitrofuze.com/

Garden Series - Lifetime 130-Gallon Deck Box at Lowe's

I absolutely love this storage deck box. If you are anything like us, we tend to fill up the shed rather quickly and are always left with too much stuff and too little space. While looking for the perfect storage box, I was not only focused on the price, but also easy assembly, durability and the ability to keep my belongings safe from the outdoor elements. I read many reviews of other competitor’s products and one of the ongoing problems customers had with similar products was the fact they were made of cheap plastic and water ended up getting inside of their storage box. On the contrary, I have not experienced those problems with my storage box. This box is made of thick plastic and is an attractive piece of furniture to our patio. Both my husband and I sat on the storage box at the same time, with a combined total weight of 295 pounds. In addition, over the past few weeks we have had some major storms in our area. Despite heavy rainfalls, the contents of the container remained dry. I am extremely satisfied with this product. Assembly was also a snap.

A big thank you to Lowe's for allowing us the opportunity to review this product!

To purchase this item, visit Lowe's site or store: http://www.lowes.com/pd_322576-75128-60040_4294936624+5003703_4294937087?productId=3169925

disclaimer: sample product received

Garden Series - West County Gardener

About this company (from their site):
From Planting Seedlings, to laying a patio, or cleaning gutters, West County Gardener® has a glove for every season and task. Through an innovative combination of materials and construction techniques once found only in premium athletic apparel, we've created the world's first high performance gardening gloves for both weekend and professional gardeners and landscapers. Like all great tools, their design and functionality help you work with comfort and ease
West County Gloves® are known for their signature snug fit. Frustrated by the 'one size fits all' model found in most work gloves, we've developed a wide range of sizes in both men's and women's gardening gloves. Our women's gloves are tailored specifically to fit a woman's narrower hand and longer fingers. Having the right fit means no blisters and no extra bulk to get in the way.
Our Goal is to design and engineer the best fitting high performance gloves for you and your needs. We listen to our customers and continually make small 'running changes' based on user feedback. Which means, we make the best gloves you'll ever wear. More than that, West County continues to invent and innovate to help make your time outdoors more enjoyable, productive and comfortable.

West County offers 6 different types of gloves, pictured above. I loved the concept of the Rose glove (below in rose), which protects your hands and arms from thorny branches while tending to your rose garden. Although I loved the sound of this glove, we don't have any roses, so I decided to try the Work glove and the landscape glove. The Work glove is their most popular multi-purpose glove. I used the work glove (below in iris) for general yard maintenance, light hauling, pruning, and planting. Our garden was started back in April and just completed in late June. These gloves have been a life saver. Not only do I not need to spend hours cleaning my fingernail beds, but I also didn't have to deal with the bugs and critters living beneath the ground, which has always made me hesitant to work in the garden - problem solved! My husband had a chance to try the landscape glove, meant for heavy hauling, moving, or pruning which he definitely did. My husband is such a trooper; He dug and installed a wall around our entire garden, and those bricks are probably about 5 pounds each, so he used these gloves for this project and then some.

This company was a pleasure to work with, and had very speedy delivery. If you are looking for gloves this is the place to go!

Disclaimer: sample products received for this review

Garden Series - Katz Garden Gloves - CLOSED

At KatzGardenGloves:

* You can find a great selection of womens gardening gloves. No longer will you have to make do with what you can find in town or do without.

* Your kids or grandkids who love to play in the garden along side you will find an awesome selection of children's gardening gloves, gardening accessories like hats, aprons and kneeling pads, as well as children's garden tools to look through. We even have some combination glove sets available in a package with a matching parent’s set of gloves.

* You will find we are a good online source of men's gardening gloves, work gloves, and household or chemical gloves too.

* You can find cotton jersey gloves to protect your hands as you go about your basic day-to-day garden chores. We also have bamboo gloves. We have stronger, more durable leather, leather-palmed, or canvas gloves for heavier yard work or landscaping here too. There are nitrile and neoprene gloves for handling pesticides and herbicides and neoprene- or rubber-dipped cotton gloves for working with wet soils and gripping slippery items.

*You will find a neat selection of gardening accessories for both women and children to go along with your garden gloves and gardening footwear for everyone in the family. We have a nice selection of gardening supplies as well.

Katz Garden Gloves doesn't just carry garden gloves, which I really like. It's nice to be able to visit one site, and buy all your garden tools/supplies at once. While they don't carry plants, they have everything that I need to be comfortable while gardening - shoes, kneeling pad, and strong gloves.

All of the products we received from Katz Garden Gloves have proved stylish and durable. In the past few weeks, my husband and I have spent endless hours in the garden, meaning that my gloves, kneeling pad and garden tools have taken a beating, day after day, but have held up wonderfully. Katz delivered all the items in a timely manner and their customer service was impeccable.


BUY IT: 10% discount code on any order for $25 or more: 24a4f74db6

WIN IT: One reader will win a pair of women's EZ grip gloves (medium) and a pair of men's knit gloves with rubber coating (large) - pictured below!

HOW TO ENTER:
1) Visit Katz website and tell me one item you would love to own! (please limit repeat items in comments - visit site and select a new item)
2) Subscribe to Katz Garden Gloves Newsletter: http://katzgardengloves.com/ (on right side column)
3) Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link
4) Follow my blog (blogger/FB)
5) Follow Me on Twitter, and leave a comment with your twitter name
6) Tweet about this giveaway @melindajoy926 (This can be done DAILY)
"Katz Garden Gloves Giveaway @melindajoy926 here: _____(link)_____"
7) Post my button on your side bar and leave me the link
8) Subscribe to my blog via email/google reader
9) Send this giveaway link to 5 of your friends and let me know you did or post this link as your FB status - honor system
10) Sign up for Sponsored Tweets, get paid to tweet: http://bit.ly/cJ16rs (not spam, it really works)
11) Comment on one of my non-giveaway posts (up to 5 posts, for up to 5 extra entries - leave comment for each post you commented on)
12) Join swagbucks - search and earn prizes (it's great)

13) Join Groupon - a site where if groups of people buy, you benefit from the discount - for ever major city! http://www.groupon.com/r/uu3910417

Deadline: August 5th , at noon EST

Good Luck!

Disclaimer: I received sample products in exchange for this post

Garden Series - Wireless Weather Thermometer

Awhile back we received a wonderful indoor/outdoor wireless weather forecaster. I had always admired these products in the homes of our friends and family members and wandered how accurate they were and if they every looked at them. It turns out that they are very accurate, and we use ours almost every day, to know how to plan for our day. This item can be found at IVG online.


I am highly satisfied with the 4 Day Internet Powered Wireless Forecaster with Forecast Alerts and E.L. Backlight. This product by far makes my life simpler and more efficient; gone are the days of waking up early to watch the weather. I set the forecaster up in my bedroom, and despite it being on a completely different floor then my router, it picks up reception clearly without any breaks in the signal strength. The backlight is something that I definitely could not live without. Best of all, there is no subscription required. Just plug it in, register the product online and receive your weather forecast.

It has been so helpful in knowing when we should water our garden and when we can let it be, as this forecaster tells us the chance of precipitation for the day. It's a handy and very useful product to own!

Disclaimer: Sample product was provided for this review

Garden Series - All Things Cedar

About the company:
All Things Cedar is a world leader in fine patio furniture, outdoor furniture and garden furniture offering quality products like: porch swings, garden benches and picnic tables. Our craftsman use clear grade Western Red Cedar to hand produce quality patio furniture. All Things Cedar - patio furniture is a smart choice for all your outdoor garden furniture.

One of the items that I was particularly interested in was their selection of planters. Planters and window boxes have become an economical way to beautify many patios, verandas and windowsills. There is no match for an attractively arranged, Western Red Cedar planter or window box. Wherever placed our cedar planters are an excellent addition to any ranch, backyard, front yard, cottage, or apartment balcony. Seeing as this is a Garden Series we wanted to try out one of their beautiful planters to see how we liked it, and Brian from All Things Cedar kindly offered to send us the square box to try out.
This planter box is an eye catcher. I really like the unique look of real wood and it is not like the other “cookie cutter” planters you see at most stores. I have a vision of our garden being that “one of a kind” garden that people walk by and say, “Wow!” This box really stands out and smells great. As soon as I opened the box, it reminded me of my father’s cedar closet. It was fun assembling the four walls, and positing the wood panels the way I wanted them to look. It allowed me to add my own spin of creativity. Assembly did require help from my wonderful husband. Some of you may be worried about the fact it is wood, but no worries, the western red cedar fibers contain oils that act as natural preservatives to help the wood resist rot and decay making it an excellent material for outdoor furniture. We really love this addition to our garden, and would love to add a beautiful Cedar bench to our landscape down the road...isn't it a beauty? (see below from the website)


For more information, or to purchase an item, visit their website: http://www.allthingscedar.com/index.htm

Disclaimer: sample product received for review

Garden Series - Seeds of Change

Seeds of change is an online nursery/garden supply store. Their products consist of 100% certified organic seed: vegetables, flowers, and herbs, and thehy carry over 1,200 varieties: many heirloom, native and hard-to-find. Each product's quality and performance in your garden or farm guaranteed! They have so much to choose from - seeds, seedlings, apple trees, asparagas crowns, carrot seet, potatoes, strawberries, garlic plants, tools and more!



We were sent some products to review and both items came securely packaged in a timely fashion. Sometimes when ordering via mail, I tend to worry about my plants not being watered enough or dying during shipment. That was not the case with Seeds of Change products.



The strawberry crowns were our favorite product, and they arrived moist and ready to be planted. I am a strawberry lover and can hardly wait until they are fully-grown. I love to bake with fresh strawberries - straberry muffins, pancakes, breads etc. These plants took off. They began to grow within weeks of planting them. I hate waiting weeks and weeks for my plants to grow, only to find out they decided to wilt away. The strawberries aren't ready to be picked yet, but I'm hoping they'll be delicious.



For more information or to place and order visit their website: http://www.seedsofchange.com/



Disclaimer: Sample products received for this review

Garden Series - Birdfeeders.com

About the company:

"We are Perky Pet®, Birdscapes®, Garden Song®, and Avant Garden® - four strong brands recognized as world leaders in the wild bird feeding category!

We offer the broadest and deepest selection of quality bird feeding
products at competitive prices.
Our wild bird feeders are targeted to meet the varying needs of you, the consumer! So, whether you are an experienced hobbyist or an amateur bird watcher, there is a feeder to fit each and every lifestyle.

Perky Pet®, Birdscapes®, Garden Song®, and Avant Garden® are registered trade marks of Woodstream Corp."
One of the things that I love about this site is that they offer "squirrel-be-gone" feeders, like the one pictured below, that deter squirrels from eating the bird seed. With no large perches the squirrel has a very hard time getting to the birdseed. Growing up we often had that problem with our bird feeder, and we often saw more squirrels than birds at the bird feeder.

If you live in an area that has hummingbirds then you may want to look into their selection of hummingbird feeders. I've seen these beautiful creatures a few times in my life, and they're amazing to watch (and listen to).



We were send the Copper Sip and Seed (model #389) bird feeder to include in this garden series, and we love it:

Since we recently began landscaping around our home, we decided we wanted to attract birds to our humble abode. This bird feeder looks stunning! The copper finish and scroll work hanger adds that special touch to the garden. We recently had a yard sale a few weeks ago, and received compliments on the uniqueness of this bird feeder. Not only is it aesthetic, but it is also versatile. There are also two members of our family who adore this new addition to our garden, yes, Abby and Dewey (our two kittens - see below). One can only imagine their excitement when the birds began to feast on their abundance of seeds.

For more information, visit their website:http://www.birdfeeders.com/

Disclaimer: Sample product received for this review