Seasonal Wisdom turns to Southern California’s renowned farming heritage for the next Spring Fling Garden Giveaway prize package. Both Corona Tools and Authentic Haven Brand Teas share deep historic roots in California’s agricultural and gardening communities. Enter to win prizes from both of these companies today!
Born in the orange groves of California in the 1920s, Corona Tools has become known for a variety of professional and consumer gardening tools with lasting performance. In fact, the company’s well-made garden tools and pruning equipment come with a limited lifetime guarantee.
At Authentic Haven Brand, owner Annie Haven knows plenty about growing healthy plants at her family’s Haven Ranch. She comes from a long line of early Southern California orange growers. In the early 1930s, her ancestors helped build the citrus and seed industries in California, and they relied on Corona Tools to get the work done. Today, she creates soil-conditioning teas with alfalfa and premium manures from her own grassfed livestock on the ranch.
Win this Package: Here’s your second chance to enter the Spring Fling Garden Giveaway. This prize package includes:
- Corona Tools Dual Cut Bypass Pruner: The hard-working pruner is part of the new flagship Dual Cut series. Thanks to patent-pending technology, the Dual Cut pruner delivers up to 20 % more cutting power over traditional designs, according to Corona Tools. You’ll like the way it’s made of forged steel for maximum sharpness, durability and dependability. Watch how this pruner works. The dual bevel design features a Power Zone portion on the bottom blade, which bites into a plant branch on the outer-most edge and forces it backwards for more cutting power with less effort. A pronounced notch in the hook holds a branch in place, so the blade slices through it with a clean cut, using less force. The pruner’s Precision Zone on the top blade delivers sharpness for detailed and fine cuts, such as pruning flowers. Suggested retail price: $29.95.
- Authentic Haven Brand: This three-pack of premium soil-conditioning teas is made from high quality alfalfa as well as cow and horse manure. Use the alfalfa tea to jump-start your roses this spring. The cow and horse manure can be used throughout your garden, including vegetables, flowers and turf, for a healthy garden. Here’s how to brew and how to use this tea. Suggested retail price: $12.95.
Enter to Win: It’s easy to enter. Just share your “favorite ways to save time on garden chores” in the comment section below. You’ll be automatically entered to win. But hurry! This contest closes at midnight tonight (April 4, 2011). Please note: This random drawing is limited to U.S. and Canadian citizens. Don’t forget to leave a way for me to contact you, in case you win. Good luck.
What’s Next? The Spring Fling Garden Giveaway continues. Seasonal Wisdom is hosting new giveaways every day this week! Come back tomorrow to enter to win a sustainable (and gorgeous) Soji solar lantern from aHaModernLiving.
And One More Thing About Pruners… If the forsythia is blooming, it’s time to prune the roses.
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I like mulching my perrenials when they are just a few inches out of the ground. It’s easy to see where all my plants are but mulching goes faster if it’s done before the plants get up to full size.
Lisa, That’s a good idea to get started with mulching early in the season. Especially if you keep the mulch a bit away from the plant stem as it grows. Thanks for sharing and entering the giveaway. Good luck!
My fave way to save time on garden chores, ie weeding, is to use a thick layer of newspaper under mulched beds and wood-chipped pathways. It helps smother the weeds, at least for a little while.
You are so right, Lisa. Mulching really saves time on weeding and watering chores. Thanks for entering this giveaway. And don’t forget to check back later. We’re having giveaways every day this week.
Keep a small notebook and pencil with you when working outside. It will help you later when you can’t remember that brilliant idea you had 6 hours ago!
Use an old mailbox to store hand tools in those distant parts of your garden or property. It will keep you from having to make that long treck back to the garage for the one tool you forget to grab.
@SolakNC
Tom, those are all great ideas. I never thought of using an old mailbox in that way before… but it makes sense. I can greatly recommend keeping notes about your garden. We can’t always rely on our memories. 😉 Thanks for entering.
I recently hung hooks on the inside door of my potting shed so that my tools are all easy to find.
I also have a garden tote that has lots of pockets and I like to fill it when I first go outside to carry around with me so that I don’t have to keep stopping to go back to the shed for things.
Lastly I like to I love to get my little girls involved in the chores, because 3 sets of hands are better than one
Hi Melanie. Those are all great ideas … especially getting your little girls involved in gardening at a young age. Thanks for entering.
keep all your garden tools together in a 5 gal bucket or other carrying case, so your not running back and forth to the shed to get the item you need. There are available carts on wheels to keep all your larger tools such as racks and hoes that make transporting them so much easier than trying to carry an arm load.
Great tip, Marlene. Thanks for entering this giveaway.
the early bird catches the worm , in other words get out early in the morning , pulling weeds early in the morning while the ground is a bit moist ,the weeds come out easier.
also a dryer sheet in your pocket keeps the mosquitos off you
I have a robin that like to follow she seems to catch the worms easier at the time too LOL
All great ideas, Tina. Thanks for sharing the tips, especially about the dryer sheet. Good luck in this giveaway.
What a nice giveaway! Thanks for the opportunity. There are a 2 really important things I do in the garden to cut down on chores- The first is making sure my tools are sharp and put in a central location where I work the most. I’ve recently moved and am in the process of figuring out a good spot to set up ‘shop’ so to speak ;). The other is mulching- I don’t mulch everywhere, all the time as I consider weeds to be a benefit- adding them to my compost! But my crop area is nice to have mulch to cut down on watering- which takes a while if you do it by hand.
Happy gardening,
Tessa
Hi Tessa: Thanks for entering. Sharp tools and mulch do help save a lot of time in the garden. You are awfully brave to compost weeds. But I’m guessing you’re monitoring the temperatures so the weed seeds really die. (Most of us aren’t that disciplined, unfortunately;) Happy gardening to you, and good luck in this drawing!
Drip watering systems can save you a lot of time during the growing season and also are ideal for watering the right amount, in the right place at the right time. I set mine to water an hour before sun-up so the water soaks in and doesn’t evaporate. It also keeps the water off the leaves which helps minimize opportunity for fungul diseases on plants. Hose timers are an economical way for anyone to get started saving time and water and allow for re-aligning your system till you have it just right.
Denece: Sounds like you’re saving lots of water in the garden. And you are smart to water in the mornings, so the foliage can dry before evening. Thanks for entering this giveaway, and good luck.
I save up any styrofoam or nonrecyclable plastic trays/containers over the year, clean em and stack em for early spring seedlings. Then they’re right on hand each week as I add the next batch according to the weekly schedule. Makes for quick planting. I love the smell of seed starting mix at this time of year!
Mmmmh, I love the smell of seed starting mix too, Denise. Thanks for entering the drawing, Denise. Good luck!
My favorite time saver is putting out weed preventer in my flower beds. Then I don’t have to take time to kill or pull up weeds and I can concentrate on planting more beautiful plants, flowers, and trees. I can also have more time to take care of the existing plants with trimming, pruning, fertilizing, and mulching.
My next favorite time saver is having and using great tools for my gardening and yard work. I have a commercial blower, edger, string trimmer, and hedge trimmer. I also have good hand tools like shovels and pruners that do the job quickly and efficiently. Sharp and good pruners are healthier for the plants as they cut cleaner and don’t tear.
And my last favorite time saver is having shelves and storage places organized for all my gardening tools so I can quickly locate them and start on any project without hunting what I need.
Thanks for entering the giveaway, Renee. Good luck, and check back here all week for more giveaways.
My favorite way to save time on garden chores – I set up the garden so it’s efficient. The rain barrels are nearby, so watering takes very little time. I plant with a square foot philosophy, which means fewer weeds and therefore less weeding. All of this time saving means I can spend more time having fun in the garden! As my kids say, “Mom’s playing in the dirt again!”
Daisy, Those are all great ideas, and I love that you are saving water by using rain barrels! Thanks for entering this giveaway.
Thanks for the drawing and some of my best time saving tips. Clean as I go, so you are not chasing after pots, tags, and tools later. Having my tools on my person or in a bucket. Carrying a bucket for disposing of debris makes it easier to gather up! What great tips everyone has shared. Work smarter not harder is my motto!
Lynne: You are so right. Before I started carrying around my tools while I worked, I used to spend forever looking for them all. Good luck in the drawing!
One of my favorite ways to save time on gardening is that when I go out to the garden, I try to pull some weeds if I’m harvesting or planting seedlings. It makes the chore of pulling weeds less annoying.
That’s a good way to approach weeding, meemsnyc. Thanks for entering in this giveway. Good luck!
One of the ways I’m learning to save time in the garden is to take photos of what I plant and where I plant it! I always put a metal marker by each plant, but sometimes by the end of the winter, the marker has sunk beneath the soil/mulch and I cannot see it in the spring! With the photos, I know what is ‘supposed’ to be there, and I can dig with my finger and immediately see the marker! It helps so I don’t plant on top of a plant, or worse, destroy a plant/dig one up. Another great giveaway, Teresa;-)
I love that idea, Jan. I’ll have to try it this year. Thanks for entering this giveaway!
I keep all of my hand tools in a tote so I alway have everything close by when I’m working.
Saving time on garden chores. Does having hubbie do them count?
I like to get into the garden for a few minutes everyday during the summer. That way when my weekend comes I don’t have a ton of chores left to do.
Victoria, Absolutely, having a husband is a great time-saving tool in the garden. 😉 Seriously, thanks for dropping by and good luck in the giveway.
My way to save time with any chore such as gardening is to be organized and that covers keeping tools clean and together, as well as having fertilizers and soil products available in a dry place. Not very original ideas however, but I liked the mailbox idea if your garden area is that size. It is fun to see what different paraneilla people place in their garden spaces.
Ruth, you are so right. Being organized in the garden is one of the best ways to save time too. Thanks for entering this giveaway, and good luck!
I like to wander and work in the garden w/ my second cup of AM coffee. Also I work in the garden while catching up with friends on the phone with my ear piece. Lets me multi task..also usually there is bread rising in the kitchen for afternoon baking. I like to prep for planting the night before and set up tools seeds etc. so I can get right to it in the AM
Debbi: That all sounds great, especially the bread rising in the kitchen. Yum! Thanks for sharing and for entering into this giveaway. Good luck!
I save time by having the hubby help out! 4 hands get much more done – and we get to spend time together. We use a rain barrel to catch water for the garden.
To save a little time, and because I’m a novice, I buy little tomato plants from my favorite farm at the farmers market and bring them home to plant. Last year my green zebras grew almost 5 feet tall!
Lara: Great ideas. I buy tomato transplants from a local farm too. They sell dozen of old heirlooms and unusual varieties, which they start from seed. Congrats on your tomato growing success. And good luck in the giveaway!
I have a little rolling seat with a storage compartment that I keep my gloves and favorite tools in.
Deanna, That’s a great idea. And I bet it helps save your back. Good luck in the giveaway.
Lots of great suggestions here already. One trick I use to keep track of which plants I buy, and when, is to digitally photograph the plant tags, and keep them in a photo file. The photos are date-stamped, and the tags won’t fade, break or get lost as they might if left in the garden. How does it save time? All the tags (complete with cultivar name, mature height/width and care info) are easily referenced in the same place!
Helen: Thanks for sharing that great idea. That sounds very efficient, and very helpful for a writer like you (and me). I may just have to try that one. Good luck in the giveaway.
I save time in the garden by making sure all my tools are put back on the hooks in the shed, or in season, I keep a basket of tools on my front porch, that doubles as a weed/debris collector as I garden, I bring the basket, fill it and return. Also I wear a waist apron to hold my tools, phone, gum, twist ties (just in case something needs some support), scissors or small pruners for cut flowers etc. And keeping a garden journal so you know your mistakes, and info to rely on and have researched.
Chrissy, I’m impressed. You sound super organized in the garden. Good for you! And thanks for entering the giveaway. Check back this week for more prizes too.
I always bring a clean basket and a fresh pail of cold water out to the garden with me. Then I can quickly rinse the heavy dirt off my fresh veggies before I bring them into the house (and I can snack on them, too). Saves a lot of time and cleanup in the kitchen!
Thanks,
Carolyn
Carolyn, that’s a good idea. Nothing tastes better than fresh veggies straight from the garden. Good luck in the giveaway!
Well I’m still working on my green thumb- will be trying edibles for the first time this year!!!
My best time saver? My kids!! My oldest doesn’t fall for it anymore, but I tell my little ones that we’re going to dig for treasure. It never fails that we’ll turn up an interesting rock, bug, worm or other treasure along the way, and it may not save actual measured minutes, but geez the time truly does fly!!!
Well if it gets your children in the garden, playing with rocks and other garden treasures, that sounds good to me. Thanks for sharing and good luck!
Weed like crazy right after the one desert rain shower we get in the spring. Soooo much easier and to pull them when the ground is soft!
Isn’t that the truth? Hilery, it is so much easier to pull weeds when the ground is moist. Thanks for entering the giveaway!
Sorry, but I don’t want to save time in the garden. I work at a computer all day and when I get home I want to take my time with my garden tasks. I’ll often stay out until it’s getting dark and then when it’s dark I’ll sit on the porch swing and listen to the bugs. On weekends, I find ways to save time on my household tasks so that I have more time in the garden.
Not exactly what you’re looking for, but it’s the truth!!!
Happy gardening!
Lori, that sounds perfect to me. There is never enough time outdoors these days, and it’s hard to find a more relaxing sound than the evening insects. Thanks for sharing, and good luck!
I always bring a list out with me, and a pen to cross off tasks. That way I don’t get distracted by other stuff that needs to get done. Plus having that dirty, crossed off list at the end of the day let’s you see what you’ve accomplished (since you never feel like you’ve done everything!)
That’s a good idea, Xan. It always feels good to cross off tasks from a to-do list. Thanks for entering the giveaway. Good luck!
Our new favorite way to save time preparing our garden beds is to throw a handful of kitchen scraps to the chickens in a bed we are turning over and let them scratch around and fertilize for us! Also great entertainment!
Krystal, I’ve heard that chickens are a great fertilizer and family pet. Thanks for sharing, and good luck in the giveaway.
Some many great time saving tips! We like to save time in the garden by inviting friends, family and neighbors to help do the weeding, feeding, pruning, and planting. It might take 3 hours to do 1 hour of work; but who cares? We’re having so much fun, learning new things about the garden, eating, playing instruments and celebrating community and nurturing our garden. To more, the merrier
Hi Victory Garden Foundation: Thanks for that great way to have a fun get-together and get the gardening work finished. Sorry you missed the giveaway contest, but we appreciate your taking time to share this feedback. And we hope you’ll come by Seasonal Wisdom again. Good luck with your important work. We love victory gardens here!
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