Garden tools make great gifts for green thumbs
There are some innovative garden implements this year that will also make practical holiday gifts. None on the list is powered by electricity or gasoline, and so they reflect the “green” theme that has taken the gardening and building industries by storm.
SnoWovel is a wonder of physics. The T-shaped handle connects to a bicycle-type wheel on one side and a snow shovel on the other. The single 34-inch-diameter wheel allows the SnoWovel to roll through fresh snow, easily sliding the 26-inch wide scoop across the ground. When the shovel is full, you simply push down on the handle and throw the snow off the wovel.
The ease and enjoyment of using it is not its greatest asset. It has no motor; human power and lever action do the work, making the SnoWovel environmentally friendly.
The SnoWovel has been on the market for five years, winning Popular Mechanics' Editor's Choice Best New Product Award at the 2005 Hardware Show and Time's best inventions of 2006. A University of Massachusetts study showed that the wheeled snow shovel clears snow with a fraction of the effort involved in shoveling and is safer for the back. $119.95. Snowovel.com.
Transplant Trowel, manufactured by DeWit, a forging company in Holland, is a high-quality hand trowel, unique because the narrow, curved shape works well in containers and other tight areas. The digging blade's exceptionally sharp edge is perfect for severing roots. It is heavy enough to do the work for you and has a comfortable grip. $22.99. Gardenersfirstchoice.com.
OXO Good Grips folding pruning saw is ergonomically designed with a metal and rubber handle offering good traction for gripping, cushioning and comfort. It has a replaceable blade and cuts cleanly across branches. $24.99. Oxo.com.
The CobraHead Long-Handle Weeder and Cultivator is a heavy-duty iron tool that can help you till hard clay in a shorter time than using heavier, wider cultivators. Its sharp, strong, single spade-shaped end scarifies efficiently with less resistance than a wide hoe or a multi-tined tool. The shape, angle and small profile make it effective for weeding in tight spaces. $59.95. Cobrahead.com.
The Gardener's Hollow Leg is a canvas bag with an easily accessed 10- inch diameter opening. The bag is 23 inches deep and will hold more than five gallons of garden debris. Thegardenershollowleg.com.
Leaf Loader makes leaf cleanup faster and easier. It is a five-foot circular tarpaulin with a flexible but hard plastic frame sewn around the edges. There are strategic openings for gripping and lifting, which is a fairly easy task for one person. There is a tether to hold the tarp together so one person can carry it. It works well to get the leaves to curbside or a compost pile. $29.95. leafloader.com.
HozeAround is a set of post-mounted steel rings through which you thread your garden hose.
Stakes are pushed into the soil 18 inches deep, and the rings are 10 inches above the ground. Strategically place the HozeAround stakes so they will keep your hose from dragging over tender shrubs, perennials and vegetables or getting snagged on a stone. $20 for a package of three. Hozearound.com.