I’ve been talking about blackberries so much on the blog lately because I’ve been enjoying picking them along the trail behind our office. There’s one drawback to picking blackberries, though: THORNS. The vines are covered with nasty, vicious, hooked thorns that seem intent on drawing blood in their zeal to guard the precious fruit. It’s virtually impossible to pick a fair amount of berries without getting “picked,” yourself (wear gloves and you usually wind up squashing the fruit).

Continue Reading Jenn’s Blackberrying Tips

Instead of sending them off to a landfill, use kitchen scraps to enrich your garden! Whether your goal is to live “greener,” save money, grow gorgeous blooms and healthy fruits and veggies, or all of the above, composting is a great way to go. Best of all, it’s easy to get started!
Continue Reading Composting Basics

The freshest foods, locally grown – what’s not to love about the Farmers Market? Try these tips to get the most out of shopping locally:

1. Shop early for the best selections before they’re gone. If you’re looking for great deals, shop late – vendors would rather get rid of it then haul it back home, so discounts abound!
2. Spare some change. Cash purchases are easiest at the Farmers Market, and your purchases will go faster if you have exact change (or close to it).
3. Bring along a cooler. Keep a cooler stocked with ice in the car so your purchases stay fresh on the way home.
4. Plan meals ahead of time so you won’t waste anything – but do leave room for experimenting. It can be fun to try a new fruit or vegetable!
5. Ask questions. If you don’t know what it is, approach the vendor about it. They love to share their knowledge!

Here are 3 of our top harvest helpers, perfect for bringing home your Farmers’ Market purchases:

	82744 Envirosax: Takes up the same space as a cell phone—just tuck it into your purse! But don’t hesitate to load up this tote. It’s more comfortable to carry than plastic, and the bottom won’t get soggy or tear out like paper. Made of lightweight but durable polyester, this tote has double seams so it’s strong enough to carry up to 45 pounds—great for trips to the farmers’ market.
	86419 Folding Wagon: Wheel everything along in this big, sturdy wagon—no lugging bags or boxes. Potted plants, flats of berries or bags of soil all fit inside the roomy, 10” deep bed. The durable canvas fabric and patented steel frame make this heavy duty wagon a breeze to fold so you can easily fit it in the car or store it in a corner of the garage. Holds 150 pounds!
	87040 Mesh Bags: Fill these bags at the farmers’ market or store, then leave your produce inside while you wash it…even store it in the fridge. Because air circulates, produce even lasts longer. Ideal for garlic, potatoes, onions, lettuce, grapes and more!

Flies! These germ-carrying insects definitely put a damper on summer fun – but you can keep them under control without exposing your family, pets and the environment to harmful chemicals. Here are some tips for quelling these pests with effective, all-natural remedies.

1. Sachet them away. Mint deters flies, is easy to grow and comes in many varieties. Harvest some of the fresh leaves, crush them, and tie them up in small squares of cheesecloth. Place these sachets around your outdoor sitting areas (as well as inside the house) to discourage flies from hanging around. Bay leaves and cloves work well, too.
2. Essential oils. Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to a scrap of cloth and leave it in an area where flies are a problem.
3. Outdoor dining. When setting a picnic or umbrella table for a meal, use a small bowl filled with sweet basil and clover as a centerpiece. Keep an open container of the mixture near your pet’s food dish, too.
4. Stick ‘em up. Flypaper may not be pretty, but it works! To make your own, dip strips of brown paper in a mixture made from ¼ cup corn syrup, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Let the strips dry overnight, then hang them with thread around your porch or deck.
5. Shoo them out. Flies in the house? Once it’s dark, turn off all the lights and open a single door to the outside. Turn on an outside light – the flies will be attracted to the light and fly out of the house within a few minutes.

Keep flies under control with our best-selling pest problem-solvers!

80678 Flies Be Gone: Hang this handy fly trap about 30 feet away from the outdoor area where people gather—it protects an area about half the size of a football field.

86864 Mosquito Net for 9’ Umbrella: Drape this fine mesh net over your patio umbrella so pesky flies, mosquitoes and bees can’t bug you or your food!

64234 Instant Bug Screen: Keep bugs out with this instant screen door—no need for tools or drilling holes in your wall!

5202 Buhach Insect Powder: Mother Nature’s organic insecticide! Repels spiders, ants, fleas, roaches, flies and mosquitoes without harsh chemicals.

82767 Racquet Bug Zapper: Battery power “zaps” flying pests—no sprays, no chemicals!

Giant Sun Pool Float

Temperatures are heating up, which means it’s time to whip your pool into swimming shape! So before you inflate a raft or do your first cannonball, follow these steps to make a safe and healthy splash this summer.

Step 1: Remove your winter pool cover (if you have one).

Tip: To avoid spilling dirty water and debris into the pool, first raise the water level to the middle of the skimmers. Then, with two people, each grabbing a corner at the shallow end, drag uniformly.

Tip: As you pull, fold the cover like you would a fan, folding it on top of itself every five feet or so.

Step 2: After cleaning and drying your winter cover, store it in a dry location.

Step 3: Decide if you’ll prep the pool yourself or hire someone.

Step 3a: If you hire someone, dig out your bathing suit.
Keep in mind that bringing in a professional can run about $500, depending on your pool. Maintenance can usually be arranged for about $50 a month.

Step 3b: If it’s all you, ensure you have the proper tools and chemicals.
Tools include a pool brush, skimmer/net and some kind of vacuum system. Depending on your system, chemicals can include chlorine and bromine to sanitize the water and destroy harmful bacteria, and possibly muriatic acid to set the right pH balance.

Step 4: Close or replace drain plugs opened or removed last fall/winter.

Tip: Don’t empty the pool to refill with new water, especially if yours is a vinyl-lined pool as these are designed to remain filled.

Step 5: Use a commercial-grade net to remove any leftover debris.

Step 6. Turn on pilot light in pool’s gas heater.

Step 7: Get water moving to check the filtration system.

Tip: Let the filter run for 24 hours. This allows the water on top to mix with that on the bottom so you’ll get more accurate water chemistry test results.

Step 8: Check the water’s chemical levels.
There are four levels you need to check:

• pH level – measures the base and acid levels
• Alkalinity – measures the water’s resistance to changing pH levels
• Calcium hardness – measures how hard or soft the water is
• Chlorine content – measure chlorine levels

Tip: Most pool-supply companies will test your water samples for free and provide a detailed analysis.

Tip: If you use an in-home testing kit, replace the testing chemicals each year.

Step 9: Balance the chemical levels.

Tip: The proper pH range is 7.2 to 7.8, achieved by adding pH increasers or decreasers (available at pool stores). (Note: A low pH can damage a pool’s interior and corrode the copper tubing inside the pool heater. A high pH can lead to mineral buildup.)

Tip: Low alkalinity can be increased by adding a pH increaser, such as baking soda. High alkalinity can be reduced by adding acids like a pH decreaser.

Step 10: “Shock” the pool.
To shock the pool, add a sanitizer like chlorine to kill any algae or micro-organisms.

Tip: Generally, it takes one pound of shock chlorine for every 10,000 gallons of water.

Tip: A heavy chlorine smell can mean chlorine is too low, not that there is too much in the water.

Step 11: Keep the pool clean.

Tip: Establish a weekly cleaning schedule that includes brushing the pool’s walls, skimming and vacuuming.

Tip: Add algaecide weekly.

Step 12: Start swimming!

Shop our entire selection of Pool Accessories at Solutions.

Originally Posted May, 2008

Weeds! They’re the bane of every gardener. But how to get rid of them without resorting to dangerous chemicals? Here are some all-natural alternatives you can use to get – and keep – your garden weed-free all season.

Large areas of weeds. Mow down the weeds from the selected area and use a hoe to turn them under (if you have the energy). Lay a ground cover over the area you’re trying to control (plastic, fabric, newspaper and cardboard work well) to starve the weeds of light. Cover with mulch to hold the ground cover in place and give it a finished look.

Garden beds. Neglected weeding, and now it’s out of control? Fill a spray bottle with vinegar and spritz over unwanted plants. Or add a teaspoon of rubbing alcohol to a liter of water for a homemade weed killer (just be careful where you spray, as this will kill “good” plants, too). Boiling water poured on the weeds for three consecutive days will kill them as well, letting you to fully remove roots from the bed. To keep the weeds from coming back, plant a strong ground cover (like thyme).

Driveways, paths & edging. Rock salt is a powerful weapon to use against for weeds, but it stays in the soil for a while. Flame weeding devices scorch the weeds, killing the leaves that provide the roots their sugar. Control weeds from spreading by inserting edging and dividers to block out roots.

Lawns. Seed vulnerable, bare and thin areas of your lawn to keep weeds out. Thicker grass naturally fights weeds for you, so raise your mower’s height slightly to let your grass grow a little higher. Sprinkle your lawn early in the season with corn gluten meal: a powdery byproduct of the corn milling process, corn meal gluten fights seed growth. For later in the growing season, look for corn gluten in natural lawn fertilizers.

Convinced your thumb is black instead of green? These five common veggies are so easy to grow, novice gardeners can even grow them in pots on a deck or patio! In no time at all, you’ll be enjoying enough fresh, homegrown veggies to make a respectable salad. Read on!

1. Tomatoes. Whether you’re using them for homemade sauce or fresh in a salad, nothing beats homegrown tomatoes. Large and small varieties can easily be grown in your garden or on a balcony or patio in a container. Start from seed indoors, moving them outside after risk of frost is past, or find at a nursery or garden home center. Popular varieties include Cherry, Beefsteak and Celebrity.

2. Carrots. Sow carrots seeds as soon as the frost is over, and replant every few weeks to enjoy all summer! So easy to grow, they’re ideal for beginning gardeners. They’ll do best in full sunlight and light, sandy soil: easy-to-grow varieties include Nelson, Imperator, Gold Pak, Lady Finger and Short ‘n’ Sweet.

3. Radishes. You’ll start seeing the results of your planting in as little as 4 days with radishes! So easy to grow, and their fresh, peppery flavor is a wonderful addition to salads. Sow them in early spring or fall and harvest in 4 to 5 weeks. Popular varieties include Cherry Belle, White Icicle, Scarlet Globe and Sparkler.

4. Lettuce. Lettuce can be planted any time during the growing season, but it does best during the spring and fall. Stay away from head varieties – the looseleaf or bunch varieties are easier to grow. Popular varieties include Salad Bowl, Lollo Bionda and Oakleaf.

5. Leafy greens. Even easier to grow than lettuce, leafy greens (such as kale, collards, spinach, mustard greens and chard) are even easier to grow and packed with nutrients. Like lettuce, leafy greens can be grown in a garden bed or container – they even do double duty as an attractive ornamental. Try several varieties so you can enjoy leafy greens throughout the growing season.

Don’t have the time or space for a full garden? Go wild with potted plants, hanging baskets and window boxes! Here’s a couple of tips for keeping them neat and clean:

• Once you’ve planted your flowers in the container, spread a layer of gravel on top of the soil. This will keep dirt from splashing out of the container next time it rains, or when you water the plants.
• Worried that water spill out of your container onto your porch or deck? Just toss a few ice cubes on top of the soil! They’ll melt slowly, allowing the soil to absorb the moisture without overflowing.

Here are 5 popular container garden helpers you’re sure to love:

Self-Watering Pots	86462 Self-Watering Pots Healthier, lusher plants—and no root rot.
Flip Flop Flower Pot	86415 Flip Flop Flower Pot How clever! Stack pots to save space—easier to water, too!
Post Butler	83895 Plant Monkeys or Post Butler Instant shelves won’t crowd a deck!
Trellis Screen with Planter	63123 Trellis Screen with Planter Instant privacy and garden beauty!
Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter	84886 Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter Grow delicious vegetables in the smallest spaces!