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Bathouses and Rock Rakes

© Susan Ward

I confess; I love gadgets. If not for the constant vigilance of my family, my yard would look like a plastic gnome convention. I'm always on the lookout for something that will make some gardening chore easier or perform it faster, and anything I think is "cute". When I go to a garden centre, my family gathers around me like bodyguards, fending off my plaintive cries that "I'll find a place for it later."

This is probably why I get such a kick out of admiring the works of Kenneth Lynch & Sons at http://www.klynchandsons.com/. This Connecticut company produces statuary, fountains, topiary, sundials and such in cast stone, lead or bronze. I like to drool over their photos section, imagining what a large tiered fountain or cast stone hippo would look like in my modest surroundings. Maybe next to the shed? If I move one of the composters, I can...

This is the point where my husband usually "accidentally" trips over the phone cord. As I said, the members of my family have learned to be constantly vigilant. Still, I manage to sneak in enough net-time to peruse a fair number of online catalogues and pick out a few items that I just won't be able to live without this gardening season.

Gardenscape (http://www.gardenscape.on.ca/ )is one of my favourites; they have a fabulous range of tools, accessories and books and a layout that makes their catalog easy and fun to browse. You can find out what tubtrugs are, or how to use an Alexandrian Obelisk or send in your own book review to add to their collection.

I especially like Gardenscape's 'Enabling Tools' section, where I found the first must-have item, Fist-Grip garden tools. Imported from England, the Cultivator, Trowel, and Fork are designed to make gardening tasks easier for people who find vigorous gardening activities difficult; a detachable arm support for people with limited strength and mobility is also available. I'm thinking of getting several sets of these tools; they sound like great gifts.

For my personal use, I've decided I must have a Rock Rake, as rocks are my main crop every year. Lee Valley & Veritas Tools (http://www.leevalley.com/ ) have designed one that they claim will winnow rocks as small as 3/4" diameter; I can't wait to try this! (They also have a list of other new garden products you might like to try.)

And I'm definitely going to add to my ever-expanding collection of "critter-homes" this season; I must have at least one bathouse. I'm always trying to encourage more beneficial birds and insects to hang around our property; we have 'homes' for birds and frogs and snakes and ladybugs, but I completely forgot about bats, not realizing that a single bat will eat up to 600 mosquitoes per hour (and also eat beetles, midges, and the cutworm larvae). West Coast Creations (http://www.island.net/~wstcstcr/ ) offers both single and multiple cavity bathouses (as well as an incredible variety of birdhouses and insect homes).

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