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Tough glove
Garden gloves are essential to avoid blisters and protect the skin from chemicals, bacteria, pests and thorns. But not just any glove will do. Skip the cotton ones decorated with ladybugs, and go for power. Ironclad, a company that specializes in hand wear, has developed the Evolution especially for women. They have seamless fingertips, reinforced fingernail guards, and rubberized knuckle protection. For men, the company’s best seller is the Heavy Utility Landscaper with abrasion-resistant palm pads and reinforced thumb, saddle and fingertips. Both are washable and resist stretching, shrinking and hardening. They cost about $20 and are available at retailers nationwide. For a dealer near you, visit iclad.com.
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What color is your garden?
Colors can evoke a variety of emotions, especially in a garden, where types of plants and their blooms say calm, or enthusiastic or fresh and natural. What does your garden say? If you need a little color therapy, trust Jill Billington to steer you in the proper direction. Billington, a garden designer, approaches “Color Your Garden” (Watson-Guptill, $29.95) somewhat like an art instructor. If you want those pastels to work, you’ll need to know something about value and tone and intensity. From there, strive for balance or contrast, tension or unity. If you find the text too scholarly, take heart; the photos of plant combinations are inspirational.
READER TIP
READER TIP
Mix a little sand into fertilizer
When fertilizing the lawn, mix play sand with your feed. The sand will break up the clay in the ground. It also will allow fertilizer and water to be absorbed into the ground easier, providing savings on your water bill.
– Tom Albo, Thornton
Have a gardening tip to share with others? Send it to GROW, c/o Cynthia Pasquale, The Denver Post, 1560 Broadway, Denver, CO 80202. Include name address and telephone number. If we use your tip, we’ll send you a gardening book as a thank-you.
