I only feed my Basil the best purified water and now I want to get into organic soil and potting techniques. Call me a basil purist, but I think every plant would enjoy a natural soil supplement.

Top organic soils on the market today:

Revive Organic Soil Treatment from Lowes.com: $19.97

Evergreen 1 cubic foot organic Humus from Lowes.com: $1.57

REVIVE organic soil treatment spray from Lowes.com: $12.47

Black-Eyed Susans, Daisies, Forget-Me-Nots, and Viola’s can all be planted as late as 2 months before the first frost in your area, and they will survive in the gradually dropping temperatures until then! You will still want to keep the soil well-ventilated, with constant watering and breaking up of the soil to keep it from getting too hard for the roots to grow. GardenGuides.com provides a whole list of late-summer planting options, plus additional tips and tricks for how to make the most of your gardening in the future. Take a look and find out what’s right for you; if you’re from a warmer climate where the frost is extremely late (or rarely, if ever) kicks in, then there are plenty more options for you too!

House plants are a whole different option. Of course, the most important thing you can provide your plant with is extensive, natural lighting. Aloe plants or palms are my favorite for kitchen and living room decor. Apparently, Cacti and Peace Lilies absorb EMF emissions from computers or electronic devices–maybe healthy to put in the computer or television room?

Good luck and happy planting! You can still make things grow, even if it’s not your bank account.

Shop Smarter.com for plants & seeds.

Top deals and steals:

Bean Tower: $31.99, marked down from $34.95. With sturdy legs and room for storage at the top and bottom, this wire bean tower support structure will have you growing thick, nutritious bean plants in no time.

Deer Fence and Pest Control: $79.99 marked down from $84.95

No garden is complete without it’s pests. While not all of us have to deal with gnomes and garden gremlins like Harry Potter and the Weasley’s, we still have our own pests and no magic to fight them with! With choices of heavy duty wire or lightweight fencing, you can protect your garden from the most destructive of pests.

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more pest control products.

The easy to use interface of GardenBargainsOnline.com hosts product reviews, garden articles and tips for going green as well as the latest coupons, discounts and special offers.

Here are some bargains you can’t afford to miss:

10% off all seasonal products from Arbico Organics Online. This is a great place for you to stock up on all-natural fertilizer or bug repellent for your garden, like the McGeary Organics Side Dress Fertilizer 8-1-1 - Large Jug, cut down from $19.95 to the sweet deal price of $17.80.  This product is recommended especially for corn or lawns.  Natural fertilizer helps your lawn look especially healthy, and it won’t harm your pets or children like artificial fertilizers might.

Another great product you don’t want to miss is the Mosquito Barrier- 1 Quart.  It may not be mosquito season just yet, but it’s always good to be preventative.  You will be thanking yourself later for investing in this long-lasting and affordable product.  The application lasts for up to 4 weeks, knocked down to the stellar price of $23.50.

The other great bargain you don’t want to miss is happening at Plow & Hearth.com.  Make sure you click on the red-highlighted “Outlet” tab on right side of the top banner–that’s where all the deals are, and they are unmissable!  Everything from Adirondack chairs to bird feeders to chalkboard organizers are right here, and all at bargain price!

Some highlights:

Bamboo Serveware, hand-crafted and eco-friendly, bamboo plates are available for $5.99, cut down from original $12.99 price.  Unfortunately the salad bowl and servers shown in the photo are no longer available–but if you’re a savvy shopper, I’m sure you can find a complimentary salad bowl for the bamboo plates at bargain price!

Best of luck with your bargain hunting!  Remember, for the best deals the product may not be completely in stock, (like the bamboo serveware) but if you’re a savvy shopper, finding the perfect complimentary assemblage of items is all part of the fun!

Enjoy!

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more bamboo dinnerware and fertilizer.

Designer Spotlights, brought to you from the BBC Garden section, is as aesthetically pleasing as a website as it is with garden tips.  The Designer Spotlights feature many up and coming and highly regarded garden designers from Great and Greater Britain:

The first featured artist is Sarah Eberle, who has a degree in landscape architecture and was awarded an honorary degree from Greenwich University for her designs just last year.  She drew early influences from the Modernist Art period and was classically trained, at first, as an architecture proper student.  She claims she is more of a farmer than a gardener, so her designs reflect this attitude as well.  Her top plants to have in a garden are: Euphorbia wulfenii, cow parsley, hawthorn beech trees in autumn.

Here is a photo of Sarah Eberle’s submission to the 2007 Ellerslie Flower Show

To recreate her look, check out some of these products:
Heronswood.com for “unusually great plants”: Euphorbia ‘Jessie’ for sale for $13.95.

Modernist furniture at a modest price: Ellis 3-Piece Sitting Group for $449.00, a total of $180.00 knocked off the original kist price.

On to the second favorite designer of the BBC Gardening Section: John Brookes, a legendary designer with over 50 years experience in landscape designing!  While Sarah Eberle brings a fresh, modernist approach to landscaping, John can help build your knowledge of the basics of landscaping.  Interesting enough, when John first started out he was considered ahead of his time and labeled–a Modernist!  To him, that means using concrete skillfully in your designs.  His designs are often described as “handsome” rather than “cute” or “pretty”.  Understandable, when you observe his hearty, large plant life, sleek pathway and furniture design, such in the Denmans, one of his favorite gardens:

To channel John Brookes’ classic, handsome designs, here are some garden products and plants to consider:

Lavender buds for your garden, sold by the pound or in bulk by the San Francisco Herb Company

Ranging between $8-15 a pound, the San Francisco Herb Company gives you several different options of Lavender plants to customize the product for your garden needs. You can’t resist the smell of Lavender in the summertime!

The other product I would recommend to emulate John Brookes’ design would be concrete.  While I can’t exactly recommend exact places to buy concrete since it is a very localized process and unfortunately not conducive to the Internet, I do want to say that concrete for pathways or walls is not as disgusting and stark as you might think.

Some tips:

1. Always draw out a map of the landscaping plan beforehand, and make sure it is to scale and you have the measurements of your land and the projected width/ height of any plants, walls, fountains, etc you plan on putting into the garden.
2. Think about how you will water the garden and keep it healthy: will there be an underground watering system? Hoses?    Do you have the adequate soil and water supply to support the type of garden you want to create?
3. Think about the aesthetic of your home and how you can compliment it with a garden.  Old colonial?  Do some brick pathways.  Modern bungalow?  Concrete paths and maybe some bamboo.

Best of luck with your designer tip of the week!  Don’t forget to check out the BBC Gardening page itself, there are plenty of other designers to discover!

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for garden decor and flowers.

This Accelerated Propagation System seedstarting kit includes self watering seedstarters, “greenhouse covers” for faster germination, Germinating Mix, wooden seed markers and more.  Looks pretty organized and easy to start.

APS Starter Kit:  $49.95

This kit contains all you need for your first year of growing.

AeroGrow Master Gardener Deluxe Kit: $36.32

This kit comes with all the seeds you need to grow your own fresh herbs to add to your tasty creations.  Grow parsley, cilantro, basil, oregano, garlic chives and more.

Indoor Culinary Herb Garden Starter Kit: $28.95

This one is awesome!  Who doesn’t like salsa?  Making it from scratch is fun! Grow jalapenos, Anaheim chili, white sweet Spanish onions and more!

Indoor Mexican Salsa Garden Starter Kit: $25.95

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more indoor garden kits.

How adorable are these?

Topiary making is an art and wire forms are like sculptures. I know, just keeping my 3-tier round topiary tree is hard enough (well, it’s not round anymore). Here’s a quick rundown on how they make it.

1. Buy a form. Unless of course you are a master wire sculptor. There are several online shops, just type in “topiary forms” specialty nursery and garden stores in your town may have them, too. If you are making your own, chicken & copper wires may be suitable. Other people have even used wire hangers.
2. Choose the plant or shrub. The selection includes creeping vines such as English Ivy, Bay Laurel, Box Holly, Myrtle, etc.
3. Fill the form with sphagnum moss. Thy available at your local Lowes and Home Depot.
4. Plant the vine around the form in the pot or ground.
5. As the vine grows, train it to wrap around the form. Prune as needed so the form stands out.

Ahhh, just love topiaries, found this namecard holders I’m thinking of using at my wedding… whenever that will be.

Well check out the self proclaimed Best Hedge Trimmers from Hammacher Schlemmer. This electric hedge trimmer was selected best in tests conducted by the Hammacher Schlemmer Institute for cutting ability, handling, and safety.

The blades are made of high-carbon steel and coated in titanium–renowned for its corrosion-resistance- -helping them to retain their sharpness for the most reliable cutting performance available. Its comfortable cushioned grip allows both left-and right-handed users to efficiently operate the trimmer, and panelists noted that this model generated the least amount of vibration and was the easiest to maneuver due to its blade length, unlike heavier, unbalanced longer-bladed models. A safety lock on the handle instantly turns the trimmer off when you remove your finger from the handle.

If you are searching for the best Hedge Trimmer at an affordable price then check out the Hammacher Schlemmer model!

Well my roommates and I decided to try saving a few bucks every month and promptly alerted our gardeners that we would not be needing their lawn mowing services until further notice. I am starting to think it was the dumbest way to save a few dollars. Turns out this lawn upkeep thing is much harder than I anticipated.

First things first, we needed to purchase our own lawn mower! We all pitched in and decided we could not afford or want to invest in a model worth more than 500 dollars, just in case this ended up being a short term money shaving theory.

So here are some lawn mowers I found for less than $500 dollars:

1. Poulan-Pro Lawn Mower

My first choice is this 21 inch high wheel, bagged, push mower from Poulan. Has 5 different height settings so you can spare your back and adjust the level of the handlebars to your optimal setting. Has an attached bag to collect the lawn debris and a 6.0 torque engine.

Plus it was $378.09 but is on sale now for: $266.64 (you save $111.45)

(click on image or link to shop or browse)

2. The Black & Decker Cordless Mulching Mower

This model has a 24 Volt Sealed Lead Acid Battery for Trouble-Free Cutting of Up to 1/3 Acre Homesites (grass conditions will effect run-time). Well here is a list of features:

- Rechargeable Battery Recharges to 60-70% in 4 Hours and to 100% in 16 Hours

- Hassle-free Starting With the Flip of a Switch

- One-touch Height Adjustment Adjusts All Four Wheels With the Touch of a Button
Folding Push-handle Has Adjustment Which Folds Down so Mower Stores in Less Space.

-2 Year Warranty and No Assembly required

Price $399.95 (but has a Free shipping coupon)

(click on image or link to shop or browse)

3. Black & Decker Mulching Electric Mower from Ace Hardware

Well first of all it’s electric, because who could afford a “gas” mower right now? Cuts a width of 18 inches, mulches your lawn debris and expels on the side. There is no side bag attached but I think the “mulching” feature pretty much takes care of that. I personally would like to collect and dispose of the debris but I may be wrong. The Black & Decker electric mower has a single lever height adjustment feature and a lifetime warranty for the deck.

Price $209.99

(to purchase, shop or browse click on the link or the image)

4. Black & Decker Electric Mower

Last but certainly not least is the Black & Decker Electric Mower!  Lightweight and easy to maneuve, this model is also electric. The one lever height adjustment lets you adjust all four wheels at once.

No gas, No tuneups, No oil … makes it super easy to maintain and start!

Price $159.99 

(click on image or link to shop, browse or purchase)

Well I hope these options prove useful to you if you are in the market for a new lawn mower or are planning on buying one for the first time like I was.  Happy Humpday Everyone!  

Unfortunately as I have gotten older, I have decided that I really don’t care for the conventional wooden sort and was hankering for something prettier to adorn my garden.

Luckily I came across the Blossom Hummingbird Feeder from Best Nest.  The Parasol Blossom Hummingbird Feeder features 1 red flower feeding port and holds 19.5 ounces of nectar. The vibrant color of the reservoir and red feeding flower will attract hummingbirds to the feeder. The Parasol Blossom will surely add beauty and color to any backyard sanctuary. The reservoir and flower are carefully hand-blown from recycled glass. Each piece retains the individual artisanship of its creator. The feeder rests approximately 36″ from the ground on the included 42″ black metal garden stake.

Personally I think that the Blossom Hummingbird Feeder is beautiful and I can’t wait to spend Spring days or nights watching Hummingbirds feed!

Price - $49.99

To shop or purchase the Blossom Hummingbird Feeder, click here.  

If this particular style is not your favorite, check out these other discount bird feeders!