Good gadgets for the gardeners on your list
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What are the “must-haves” in Southern California potting sheds these days? I asked just that to the folks at Gardener’s Supply, a Vermont-based mail-order company. Their most popular tools and gadgets with California consumers are those that support sustainable gardening activities, says Maree Gaetani, Gardener’s Supply spokeswoman. “Our kitchen compost crocks are big – including the new bamboo one,” Gaetani says. The stylish Bamboo Crock, right, with a 3-1/3-quart capacity removable pail is made from “earth-friendly” bamboo and has a snug-fitting lid. It measures 11 inches high by 7 3/4 inches in diameter, $39.95.
Just in time for the rainy season are two rain barrels that appeal to water-wise California gardeners. Made from 25% recycled content, the brown or green Deluxe Rain Barrel stores up to 75 gallons of water. It measures 36 inches high by 28 inches in diameter, $169. The English-Style Rain Barrel, pictured at right, inspired by an English washtub, collects 40 gallons of water. It measures 25-3/4 in. high x 25 in. diameter, $149.
Perhaps because of poor soil in many Los Angeles backyards, raised bed kits are big sellers. The Forever Raised Bed, pictured lower at right, is made from a composite of recycled wood and plastic, with 10 1/2-inch high sides and concealed aluminum corner brackets. Sizes range from 3-by-3-foot ($150) to 3-by-6-foot ($225). The Grow Bed, made of 100% recycled black plastic, features 10-inch-high sides that interlock at the corners to hold soil and plants neatly in place. Sizes range from 18-by-36 inches ($39.95) to 3-by-6-foot ($89.95). Use Gardener’s Supply’s online kitchen garden planner to determine a planting plan and calculate how much produce your raised bed will yield.
Southern California’s abundant supply of sun makes solar-powered products appealing. “The solar string lights are great in summer or in winter to light up a patio or a holiday tree,” Gaetani says. Each 36-foot string has 102 LED bulbs that glow for 8 hours when fully charged. Available in white, blue and red-and-green, $75 each.
People worried about indoor and outdoor flower pots drying out are snapping up a water-smart gadget that works in any round pot. Place the reservoir system, pictured bottom right, in the base of a container, add soil and plants, and water through the filling tube. Roots stay moist without daily watering. A 1-quart kit fits 10- to 14-inch pots ($12.95); a 1-gallon kit fits a 16- to 20-inch pot ($16.95).
Photo credits: Gardner’s Supply