CAREFREE TIRE
How many times have you been in the mood for some serious garden
work, only to find your wheelbarrow has a flat tire? Up to now,
there wasn’t a choice: you could either fix the tire or forget
about the garden chores. The Carefree Tire changes all that. It’s a
lightweight, solid urethane tire that won’t ever go flat and
doesn’t require air. The specially formulated urethane material
guarantees the tires won’t go flat for the lifetime of the
wheelbarrow (or lawnmower or tiller, as there are sizes for those,
too). Selling for about $45, this is a cheap way to make sure you
don’t miss valuable garden time with flat tires. And just in case
you’re someone for whom garden fashion is as important as function,
the tire comes in festive, summery colors: blue, green, yellow and
red (as well as traditional black). Available at hardware stores
and home centers, online at www.Care FreeTire.com or by calling
(877) 352-8776. No more flat tires, guaranteed.
BIONIC GLOVES
For gardening, I’ve always used ordinary brown, cotton gloves
that cost $1.99. I buy them in packages of 12 pairs and as they
wear out, I hang them from my glove tree in the garden. So far,
this disposable glove technique has worked fairly well for me, and
I didn’t think another glove would get my attention. When I saw
these Bionic Gloves at the Garden Writer’s Association trade show
this year, I thought, “Oh, great. More gloves. Ho-hum.” Out of
curiosity I tried them on and, I admit, I was amazed. Now, you too
can become the bionic gardening man or woman.
The Bionic Gardening Glove was designed by an orthopedic hand
surgeon not only to improve comfort, but also to improve grip and
encourage better hand motion.
What I dislike about gloves is the loss of control for picking
up small objects, such as a nail, a rock plucked out of a shoe or a
coin on the ground. You usually have to pull the gloves off, pick
up the object, deal with it, then put the gloves back on before
continuing with your work.
You can easily pick up a coin while wearing these remarkable
gloves. They’re made of Cabretta leather, machine washable (yes,
really!), have a nifty closing system near the cuff (no more dirt
inside your gloves) and they have earned an Ease-of-Use
Commendation from the Arthritis Foundation. If you think all gloves
are alike, try the Bionic Gardening Glove and see if your tune
changes. They’re not cheap (about $45 to $50) but you won’t need to
buy them often. They last and last, and feel great. Even people
with arthritis or other inflammatory problems will notice their
comfort and ease of use. Available at select garden centers, online
at www.BionicGloves.com/gardening or by calling (800) 282-2287,
Option 6.
FISKARS POWERGEAR® LOPPER AND BYPASS PRUNER
Every serious gardener I know is a fan of Fiskars’ garden tools,
and I’m no exception. Their line of PowerGear® tools was designed
to be lightweight, sturdy and easy to use. And they have certainly
been that. When I go to the woods to cut materials for my bentwood
trellises, I use the PowerGear® Lopper, which only weighs 8 ounces
and slips into my belt loop. I take along the PowerGear® Hand
Pruner, which will cut anything I run across. I really didn’t
believe Fiskars could improve on the PowerGear® line, but this year
they’ve outdone themselves with two new products. The PowerGear®
Bypass Lopper cuts even better and easier than the older anvil-type
lopper. At 12 ounces, it weighs only slightly more and carries the
Fiskars lifetime guarantee. The new PowerGear® Bypass Hand Pruner
is even lighter than the older pruner. How can it be so amazingly
light yet still so strong? The whole thing, except for the
stainless steel cutting blade (which can easily be replaced with
the twist of a wing nut), is made of Nyglass. Retailing for about
$29.95, they’re available at most home and garden stores
nationwide.
For more information about the full line of PowerGear® tools and
other Fiskars® lawn and garden products, or to find a retailer near
you, contact Fiskars’ Garden & Outdoor Living Customer Service
Department at (800) 500-4849, or visit www.fiskars.com.