Houston times-journal. (Perry, Ga.) 1994-1999, March 18, 1998, Image 37

Houston times-journal., March 18, 1998, Page Page 8, Image 37

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Newspaper Page TextPage 8 Spring Home and Garden. March 18. 1998 Tools of the trade: choosing the right garden tools By Wayni: McLahrin (.MHU.IA K»TtMIO> XHVM t Garden catalogs and stores are full of gardening tools. Many are specialized Some arc useful Others are nice hut not necessary. And some are just plain gimmicks. The gardening equipment you need depends on the size of your garden, your age and strength, and whether you want to get the job done in a hurry or prefer to lake your time Shopping for garden tools late in the season makes good sense Anxious to move them oft the shelves to make room lor more seasonal items, stores otter bargains. And by now. you know which tools from last year are lost or broken So vou can Award-winning Landscape: Try Georgias Gold Medal winning plants Bv Gakv L. Waoi (.muu.ia Kxtewsion -SmvK t The Olympic Games have come and gone But gold medals are still being awarded by the Georgia Plant Selections Committee (>rguni/ed in 1994. the Georgia Plant Selections Committee is a nonprofit group that promotes the production, sale and use of superior landscape plants The group is made up ot environmental horticul ture professionals from across the state Each year they select an annual flower, a herbaceous perenni al. a shrub and a tree to receive its Georgia Gold Medal Awards To be considered for an award, a plant must meet stringent criteria Attractive bark, pest-free foliage and brilliant fall color, it moves higher on the list. For growers and retailers to meet the demand lor award-winning plants, they must be easy to propa gate, too The recently announced 199 K Georgia Gold Medal Winners are outstanding garden plants You must try them The annual winner is Athens Gem plectrantus Marble* Masters i _ _ uMii 11 nwinidiii id % ' inn riiii-mr "ffe? *4 tinMtfi 1 -< ] t ' . • • -pn begin to get ready for an early and prtKluctive spring. The minimum equipment most gardeners need is a pruner. trowel, shovel or spade, hoe and rake. A wide selection of styles is available for each The choice is really one of personal prefer ence and price lanik for lightweight tools that fit yourliands and the job to be done For example, pruning shears that open wider than the width of your hand are hard to use They not only tire you faster but can be annoying and frustrating A trowel will be in constant use, especially in the spring, lor those many digging jobs that can t be done with full-si/ed tools Trowels arc perfect lor l Piet trunthus Athens Gem ') A wondcrlul summer annual, it s prized lor its coarse blue green foliage, pest tolerance and ability to thrive under harsh growing conditions The 9K herbaceous perennial winner is Kalimcns ( Knit me ns pinnatifidu i A tough plant (hat produces an abundance ot tiny, astcr-likc How ers all summei. it requires minimal routine care Bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parvifloru) is the 199 H CJold Medal winner in the shrub category For a large specimen shrub in shady, moist areas, hot tiebrush buckeye can't be* beat The late spring white blooms, shaped like a bottle brush, rise above the toll age They make the plant a showstopper in the landscape Last, but certainly not least, is trident maple (Acer hueryeranum). the- 199 K Georgia Gold Medal tree Landscape or patio containers, give trident maple a close look It makes an excellent street tree for cities and public parks, too Growing 25 feet tall at maturity, with a canopy spreading to 35 feet, tri dent maple is a good choice for today 's small urban spaces where a large oak simply won't do selling out bedding plants and bulbs or digging shallow-rooted weeds Other small hand tools such as a 12-inch hoe and fork are equally valuable if you gar den mainly in raised beds or containers A garden shovel with a point ed. dish-shaped blade is lighter and smaller than construction shovels It s designed for gener al-purpose digging, lifting and moving A spade has a Hat blade and is dc-signed lor cutting rather than moving soil Spades arc excellent tor shaping straight-sided trenches and edg ing beds But they aren't good for preparing planting holes, because they may glaze the sides I.ong handles otter greater The Industry Leader In Cultured Marble! "Kitchen & Bath Specialists" Custom Installation of All Products • Vanity Tops • Tubs • Showers • Countertops & More! We Feature GALAXY Cultured Marble by Marble Masters PINNACLE By Prime Design Celebrating Our 25th Anniversary 1105 N. Davis Drive • Warner Robins, GA 929-2766 leverage and may be less tiring to use However, short handles are often thicker and stronger Fiberglass handles hold up well and u re easier to find it left out in the weather than those with wooden handles A spading or garden lork is ideal lor turning heavy soils or coarse compost and lor digging Get the heaviest one you can handle Lighter weight hay lorks arc useful lor spreading mulch and moving leaves, but won't handle heavy work To prepare the seed bed. remove weeds and break encrusted soil, you can't beat a hoe The most commonly used is the square-hladcd hoe. which lends itself well to most garden tasks Pointed hoes with heart Geoirgiia; gmwiig We are proud to serve PERRY, GEORGIA a city of beautiful g homes -Je/ & gardens y shaped blades are lightweight and easier to use for cultivating between plants. Keeping blades sharp makes all the work go eas ier A sturdy rake is useful in clearing the garden of rocks and debris, spreading mulches and smoothing seedbeds Don't choose a rake that's 100 heavy, or you will lire quickly. A rake handle that's too short will cause excess bending and back strain When standing upright, the tip of a rake's han dle should reach your ear I Wayne McLuunn is an extension horticulturist with the Untversits of Geary la Colie ye of Ayru ultural and Environmental Sciences.)