Mother's Day Gifts

NOTE

Seeds are packed with a larger quantity of milled rice hulls to help space the tiny seeds when scattering. Before opening, shake the can thoroughly to mix them together so when you cast the seeds they are spaced with room for the plants to grow.

HOW TO PLANT

As soon as the ground can be worked in early spring, plant the seeds in ordinary garden soil in full sun. In mild climates, where the ground does not freeze hard in winter, seeds can also be planted in late fall to overwinter and bloom the next spring.

To prepare the planting area: remove all weeds, grass and large stones. Break up soil clumps and evenly loosen the top 2 inches of soil with a digging fork or shovel, then smooth out with a flat rake.

Shake the can thoroughly before opening, then scatter the contents thinly and evenly over the prepared ground. Using your rake, cover the seed mixture 1/4 inch deep and lightly firm the soil. Water with a gentle mist thoroughly and evenly. Keep the soil moist while awaiting germination and while the seedlings are small.

GROWING NOTES

When wildflower plants are mature they can handle somewhat dry conditions, but will thrive and bloom much longer if watered regularly. For indoor bouquets, cut the flowers as blossoms open. At season’s end, let spent flowers form pods and drop seeds to bloom again the next spring.

WILDFLOWER MIX

NOTE

The seed mix is packed with a larger quantity of organic rice hulls to help space the tiny seeds. Before opening, shake canister thoroughly to mix them together.

NOTE

The seed mix is packed with a larger quantity of organic rice hulls to help space the tiny seeds. Before opening, shake canister thoroughly to mix them together.

HOW TO PLANT

As soon as ground can be worked in early spring, sow mix in ordinary garden soil in full sun. In mild climates, where the ground does not freeze hard in winter, seeds can also be planted in late fall to over-winter and bloom the next spring.

Prepare the planting area by removing all weeds, grass and large stones. Break up soil clumps and evenly loosen the top 2 inches of soil with a digging fork or shovel, then smooth out with a flat rake.

Shake can thoroughly, then scatter the contents thinly and evenly over prepared ground. Using your rake, lightly cover the seed mixture, about ¼ inch deep, and then lightly firm the soil. Water evenly with a gentle mist. Keep bed moist while awaiting germination and when the seedlings are small.

GROWING NOTES

Harvesting opening flowers regularly for bouquets will help to encourage repeat bloom. Plants will flower in succession and bloom much longer if watered regularly. At season’s end, allow spent flowers to form pods and then drop their seeds to bloom again next spring.

ANNUAL CUTTING FLOWER MIX

Inert Material: Organic rice hulls
A = Annual B = Biennial TP = Tender Perennial

NOTE

Seeds in this canister are packed with a larger quantity of organic rice hulls to help space them. Before opening, shake canister thoroughly to mix.

HOW TO PLANT AND GROW

When spring weather is warm and settled, and nights are reliably above 50°F (10°C), prepare planting area by removing all weeds, grass, stones and large clumps. Loosen the top 2 inches of soil with a digging fork or shovel, then smooth with a flat rake.

Scatter mix thinly and evenly. Using your rake, work to cover the seeds with 1/2 inch of soil, then use planting mix or compost to cover any exposed seed mix. Water thoroughly with a gentle mist.

Protect tiny seedlings from birds by using netting or ribbons of shiny, reflective flash tape at planting time. Keep weeded and watered; when 3 inches tall, remove covering and thin seedlings to 8-10 inches apart for good air circulation and enough elbow room to grow, branch and bloom freely.

HARVEST AND USE

For bouquets, pick just as flowers open, cutting long stems well back into the plant to keep them branching. Butterflies, bees, and other native pollinators will seek out and work these pretty flowers that provide them with nectar, pollen and shelter.

Zinnias are carefree and long-lasting, but will thrive and bloom longer with proper thinning, regular watering and several applications of organic fertilizer over their long flowering season.

NOTE

The Poppy seeds in this can are packed with a larger quantity of milled rice hulls to help space the tiny seeds when scattering.

Before opening, shake the can thoroughly to mix them together so when you cast the seeds they are spaced with room for the plants to grow.

HOW TO PLANT

In mild winter climates, where the ground does not freeze hard, poppies can be sown in late fall to overwinter for spring bloom. Or, plant as early as possible in spring, as poppies can handle light frosts and bloom longest when given a good start in cool weather.

To prepare the planting area: remove all weeds, grass and large stones. Break up soil clumps and evenly loosen the top 2 inches of soil with a digging fork or shovel, then smooth out with a flat rake.

Shake the can thoroughly before opening, then scatter the contents thinly and evenly over the prepared ground. Using your rake, cover the seed mixture 1/4 inch deep and lightly firm the soil. Water with a gentle mist thoroughly and evenly. Keep the soil moist while awaiting germination and while the seedlings are small.

GROWING NOTES

Mature poppy plants can handle dry conditions, but will thrive and bloom much longer if watered regularly. Poppies make lovely cut flowers if brought indoors just as the buds begin to open. At season’s end, let spent flowers form pods and drop seeds to bloom again the next spring.

NOTE

Seeds in this canister are packed with a larger quantity of organic rice hulls to help space them. Before opening, shake canister thoroughly to mix.

HOW TO PLANT AND GROW

When spring weather is warm and settled, and nights are reliably above 50°F (10°C), prepare the planting area by removing all weeds, grass, large clumps and stones. Loosen the top 2 inches of soil with a digging fork or shovel, then smooth with a flat rake.

Scatter mix thinly and evenly. Using your rake, work to cover the seeds with 1/2-1 inch of soil, then use planting mix or compost to cover any exposed seed mix. Water thoroughly with a gentle mist.

Keep weeded and watered; protect tiny seedlings from birds by using netting or ribbons of shiny, reflective flash tape at planting time. When 3-4 inches tall, remove covering and thin seedlings to 10-12 inches apart. This spacing is critical for sturdy, windproof plants with good root systems and large flowers.

HARVEST AND USE

For bouquets, cut when flowers just begin to open. Many diverse pollinators will busily visit the florets in each flower head and seeds will begin to mature. When the center disk florets have dried, birds will happily snack on ripening seed heads.

Harvest for winter feeding by covering ripening heads with paper bags until kernels are plump and hard shelled. Cut entire heads; store until cool and dry, then remove seeds. Store in closed containers to feed as needed.

The Renee’s Garden Cover Crop Mix is a blend of several legumes, grass, roots, and rapeseed. The legumes, Austrian Winter Peas, Fava beans and Hairy Vetch all fix nitrogen from air into their root nodules, loosen and aerate dense soil and gather deep nutrients and minerals. Winter Rye Grass has thick roots which hold the soil to prevent erosion and takes up excess nutrients in the soil. Rapeseed takes up large amounts of nutrients that would otherwise be leached out of the soil by the winter rains. When these cover crop plants are incorporated back into the soil in the spring, they break down releasing the nutrients and minerals back into the soil and add plenty of organic matter which improves the soil structure.

NOTE

Seed is packed with a larger quantity of organic rice hulls to help space seeds. Before opening, shake can thoroughly to mix together.

FORMULA MIX

Winter Rye, Hairy Vetch, Fava Bean, Rapeseed and Austrian Winter Peas.

Inert material: organic rice hulls.

WHEN TO PLANT

In Mild Winter Climates, where ground does not freeze hard, sow in late fall to over-winter for spring growth.

In Cold Winter Climates, where ground freezes hard, plant in fall for winter die back and then incorporate in spring, OR sow as early as possible in spring..

HOW TO PLANT AND GROW

Remove all weeds, grass and large stones from the planting area and break up soil clumps. Evenly loosen the top 2 inches of soil with a rake. Shake the can thoroughly before opening, then scatter contents evenly over the prepared ground, aiming for scattering the seeds 1 to 2 inches apart. Use a rake to cover the seed mixture with fine soil 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. Lightly firm soil with the back of the rake and water thoroughly. Keep soil bed evenly moist while awaiting germination and while seedlings are small. Plants will grow and thrive best if watered regularly.

INCORPORATING YOUR COVER CROP

Method 1: When 5 to 6 inches tall, use a garden fork, shovel or rototiller to turn the cover crop into the ground to break down and enrich soil for planting. The breakdown process takes about a month.

Method 2: When cover crop is 1 foot tall, pull out the plants, shake off soil and then compost the plant material to incorporate it into the soil later, when it has turned into rich, finished compost. Timing depends how long your composting process takes.

Method 3: When cover crop reaches 1 to 1-1/2 feet tall, weed whack to chop it down. Cover the chopped material with black plastic to hasten decomposition, then turn the nutritious residue into the soil 2 to 3 weeks before sowing your garden crops.

Haws is England’s oldest and most famous watering can maker known for top quality, classic style, beautiful balance and controlled water flow. This lightweight, long-reach, 1.8-gallon garden watering can is well-balanced, efficient and comes with a non-drip and durable brass-faced rose, as well as a right-angle downspout for precise watering. 

This rugged watering can reliably delivers a steady, gentle spray, perfect for watering fragile germinating seeds, young transplants and blooming flowers without knocking them over. Its long spout reaches deep into garden beds, keeping water pressure even while it delivers a uniform fine spray. Sturdy and well-made of long-wearing injected molded plastic, your Haws watering can will be an everyday companion in your garden as it is in ours. 

Our FAVORITE "go to" tool for a multitude of everyday gardening tasks; trials manager Lindsay carries and uses her Hori Hori every single day. Its polished, top quality stainless steel blade has 2 working edges: a serrated sawing edge and a cutting edge. The Hori Hori is perfect for all kinds of digging (In Japanese, Hori Hori means “dig dig”), sowing seed, planting seedlings, transplanting, every kind of weeding chore, and easy harvesting.

You’ll find the convenient inch marking on its blade invaluable for sowing seeds at just the right depth. The tool easily digs out deep tap roots and the blade’s serrated edge literally scrapes weeds right out of the soil. Better than any trowel, the Hori Hori is perfect to dig holes, cut sod and divide perennials. When harvesting, it cleanly pops out root vegetables like potatoes and beets or cuts squash and pumpkins from the vine.

For over 140 years, this small family business near Chesapeake Bay, MD has been making quality traditional split-oak baskets by hand for hard-working gardeners and market farmers. Part of our national craft heritage, their basket making process is documented in the Smithsonian Institute.

Baskets Are Available In 2 Sizes:

Square Basket: 13x13x4 in. drop-handled basket is perfect for herbs, flowers, and salads. Originally designed in the 19th century as a pie man’s basket!

Rectangular Basket: the perfect workhorse: larger 18x12x4 in. size is big enough so only one trip from garden to kitchen is necessary.

Please note: Baskets ship directly from the vendor. Allow 2 weeks for delivery. Sorry, we cannot ship to Alaska, Hawaii or Canada. Please provide a street address for delivery; we cannot ship baskets to a PO Box.

We reach for our Felcos every day for pruning, thinning and deadheading. This classic tool is our hands down favorite for top quality and reliability. You only need to buy them once and, with good care, they’ll last you a lifetime.

Felco's are wonderfully comfortable to hold, versatile and light enough for constant use, and you can absolutely rely on them for all your serious pruning and every day garden tasks.

Felco's hardened steel blades and an angled cutting head give you efficient and easy cutting power. Their forged aluminum handles and ergonomic handle grips provide a lightweight and comfortable non-slip grip.

Available in two sizes:

Model #2:
Felco’s most popular flagship pruners.
Overall length 8.4 in. Weight: 8.4 oz.

Model #6:
Especially comfortable for smaller hands. 
Overall length: 7.7 in. Weight: 7.3 oz.

Felco worked with master Japanese hand tool makers to develop these new lightweight all-purpose Kitchen Garden Snips. With their ergonomic design and high-quality chromium blades, these snips make everyday gardening tasks fast and easy.

Use them to harvest vegetables and greens of all sizes and types, cut flowers, remove spent blooms or do light pruning. They are equally handy in the kitchen for prepping fresh herbs and greens.

The snips have a flexible pin spring and soft, well-padded, shock absorbing handles that ensure maximum comfort and reduce muscle strain. Because they feel great in your hand, you can use them comfortably for hours (which we do!). The attached slip-over strap makes blades easy to secure. A great tool for every kitchen gardener. 

Overall length: 7.5 inches, Weight 4 oz.

Many gardeners live in climates where they must start heat-loving vegetables, flowers and herbs indoors, so we have put together this easy-to-use seed starting kit to make it easy and successful.

The kit includes a high-quality heat mat, a 72-cell seedling tray and waterproof tray to go underneath, and a 2-inch humidity dome with adjustable vents – everything you need to start your own vigorous, well-grown seedlings.

The sturdy humidity dome, cell insert and base tray are made with high-quality BPA-free, food-grade plastic. The well-crafted, UL-approved electric propagation mat provides an ideal temperature-controlled environment, automatically maintaining necessary warm temperatures day and night. This allows heat lovers like tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, snapdragons, rudbeckia, and all heat loving herbs to germinate reliably and grow well. The mat’s patented double layer construction is tough and waterproof and uses little electricity.

Sorry, we cannot ship to Canada.

Smart Pots in Great Colors for Container Gardening

Smart Pots are the top-quality line of soft sided fabric containers we use and recommend. Originally developed by commercial tree growers, these lightweight pots are much easier to move around when filled with potting soil than ceramic containers. They hold their shape nicely and the porous fabric prevents overwatering and enhances aeration and healthy root structure, allowing excess heat to escape.

Made of sturdy BPA-free polypropylene fabric that feels like thick felt, this breathable fabric keeps roots cool and provides optimal drainage. Tough and reusable year after year, you simply unfold the Smart Pot, fill with soil and plant. At the end of the season, just empty and fold for storage. 

Smart Pots are weather and UV resistant, extremely durable with reinforced seams and do not fray, split or crack. We offer them in three sizes with lots of color choices that happily brighten the garden all season.

Top-Quality, Reusable Seed Starting Trays: Garden Innovation That Really Works!

These well-designed and infinitely reusable silicone propagation trays are BPA-free, UV resistant and truly make starting, growing, and transplanting seedlings much easier and more successful!

Sili-Seedlings trays are made of heavy duty 100% BPA free, food-grade silicone. They are flexible, durable, sterilizable after every use and dishwasher safe, so cleaning is a breeze! Rooted seedlings slip easily out of each pliable, tapered cell with their roots intact, so transplanting is less messy and there is minimal transplant shock.

Unlike plastic trays, Sili-Seedlings trays don’t become brittle or break and don’t melt, freeze or crumble. They literally last for years, so you can rely on and use them every season. You can even use a dry erase marker to label the trays with what is in them.

We offer Sili-Seedlings in sets of two trays each in two sizes and multiple colors.

6-cell trays: 
2” x 2.25”, tray: 6.25” x 4.25 x 2.7”
 
10-cell trays:
2" x 3.5", tray 10” x 4” x 3.5”

Potting Tray With Endless Uses

It’s no fun to clean up spilled potting mix when you are actively gardening, and this handy tray solves the problem once and for all. We’ve had ours for over 20 years and are so pleased to discover a good supplier so we can now offer them! Made from recycled polypropylene, this lightweight but tough tray is large enough so you can set both empty pots and a bag of potting soil in it to fill pots; move started seedlings into larger containers; fill seed starting trays or mix water or amendments into dry potting mix. Any loose or excess soil falls into the tray, so it’s easy to scoop up with no loss and no mess.

Our potting tray is dirt and water resistant and cleans quickly with a spritz of water from a hose. Tip: we store gloves, trowels, etc. in the potting tray at the end of the day so we will know where to find everything ready to go!

Measurements are 24” long x 21.5” wide with a raised front lip and 8-inch tall backwall to hold pots steady.

This top-notch fan-shaped hose-end watering nozzle is a real game changer! It allows you to control the pressure and amount of water with just a touch of your thumb on the slider valve, so you can walk through the garden easily adjusting the water flow up or down as needed.  

Use it to very gently water your most delicate tiny seedlings, fragile plants or container plantings, or open the nozzle up to fan out over a large area like your big vegetable beds or wildflower garden. This adjustable tool allows you to apply just the right pressure and amount of water wherever you need it. 

These sturdy, well-made and durable Dramm nozzles feature an ergonomic insulated grip and are fully guaranteed. Order your choice of four strong colors, so your nozzle is easy to find in the garden. The corrosion-proof head contains a filter that can be cleaned or changed as necessary. A great precision watering tool, especially useful where water is scarce and precious. 

For fast and effective garden weeding, we rely on and use this lightweight Japanese hand tool every day in our trial gardens. Its sharp, laminated carbon steel blade quickly and easily scrapes weeds right out of the ground, efficiently and cleanly cutting through their roots, even tenacious taproots. With its pointed edge, the scraper is perfect to carefully weed around other plants and is great for weeding containers. You’ll also find the blade good for digging.

We also use this multipurpose tool as a planting aid to make perfect shallow furrows down or across prepared garden beds and then directly sow seeds into the uniform, straight furrows.

Overall length: 13.25 in., Blade 5 in., Weight 7 oz. Blade can be easily resharpened.

Available both right and left handed.

Our favorite gloves – hands-down!  We’ve tried about every type of glove out there and we still swear by Atlas nitrile gloves for everyday gardening duties.

Made of breathable nylon knit, the thin and grippy nitrile coating offers good protection without compromising dexterity. They’re perfect for fine motor tasks like planting out seedlings, weeding and sowing – anything where you need to be able to feel what you’re doing. Plus, nitrile is three times more puncture resistant than ordinary rubber – protecting your palms and fingertips from splinters and thorns.

Elasticized wrists keep dirt out without being too tight. And they’re washable, too, holding up well without shrinking or snagging.

We offer Small, Medium and Large gloves in four bright colors that make them easy to spot in the garden: Pink, Orange, Purple and Green.

Strong, All-Purpose Natural Jute Garden Twine in Handsome Colors 

This classic, sustainably sourced, 3-ply garden twine is made of natural jute fiber and is truly indispensable for a wide variety of garden tasks. Start the season by marking out lines for sowing and use it for training and attaching vining plants like tender cucumbers and fragile snap pea vines to trellises. Later, use it to support climbers like flowering sweet peas and mini pumpkins, and to keep plants heavy with fruit or flowers from toppling over. It’s also useful in the kitchen or the shop and an attractive way to tie up bunches of flowers or herbs to dry. It’s pretty enough to use for wrapping presents or even to give as a gift.  

The vintage style tin keeps your twine dry and tangle free and lets the twine spool out easily. The Nutscene brand of jute twine has been sourced, manufactured and wound in Great Britain since 1922! This workhorse product will serve you all season long.

Each 3 x 6” tin, each contain 325 feet of 3-ply jute twine. 

Available in 3 color options: natural, lilac or green.