Garden Tools I’m Drooling Over

  I love shiny stuff! I’m always following after the latest tech gadget or cell phone or whatever. I’m a geek like that, even though I never buy anything. I guess I’m blessed in the fact that I can partake in the joy of new shiny things without actually owning any.

 There’s a slew of really cool and shiny gardening tools and equipment I spend too much time drooling over in catalogs. Like, for instance-

 

Glaser’s Wheel Hoe:

    Wheel hoes, while a little difficult to use at first, are a great gardening tool! It’s impractical for small gardens, or for raised beds, really, unless they aren’t framed. But for small market gardens or a large family garden it’s nearly a must. By pushing with both arms you can exert for much more force more quickly than with other kinds of weeding implements. Like so:

 

It’s almost as quick as one of those mini-tiller things, but doesn’t use gas, is (almost) cheaper, and doesn’t bounce around like a crazed chihuahua. Maybe it’s not cheaper. The price tag on this jewel is a tad steep, if you ask me, considering there’s not all THAT much to it. But it definetly qualifies as shiny stuff and the price tag only adds to it’s considerable drool-worthiness. Also, I’ve also been told these Glaser tools are built very well

 An Austrian Scythe-

  Scythes RULE. I’ve always wanted one, but never got around to actually making the purchase. American sythes suck- being heavy and awkward- but this light, hardwood, European style scythe is much easier to use.  There are several misconceptions concerning this implement, or at least poor associations. The Grim Reaper carries one, and that’s enough to repel most people from relacing their weedeaters. Okay, maybe not.

  Fact is, a skilled scythe user can cut grass faster than a weedeater can. Weedeaters use lots of fuel, and make loud obnoxious noises, so why do people even bother? Well, partially, I suppose, to the fact that scything is more of a art to be learned that a tool to pick up and put to use. Keeping the blade level, correct sharpening, not hitting things, etc, take a little time to master, I am told. I have no elite scything skills as of yet. I would like to, chicks dig dudes who can scythe.

 Felco pruner-

   This is the Cadillac of pruners. Maybe the Lambo. This pair of shears will last a lifetime. Several lifetimes, maybe. The shininess factor of this tool is very high.

BCS 722GX 8HP Tiller-

 

   Okay, okay, I can dream, can’t I? I saw this waaaaaaaaaaay cool tiller last January at the annual SSAWG conference in St. Louisville. Totally blown away- big, powerful, fast tine spin, and it looks like a giant Fisher Price toy to boot!

  The really awesome thing about  BCS tillers is not the so much the tiller itself (although it’s great), but the myriad of attachments that go with it. Lawn mower, sickle mower, chipper/shredder, power sweeper, snow thrower (comes in real handy in south Louisiana) and- of all things- a dozer blade(!)(?). With the sticker price of $2499.00, and the tiller coming it at just under $500, I think I’ll be waiting a long time for this bad boy.

 

As you may have noticed, all these products come from GrowOrganic.com- which is a great gardening resource for tools and fertilizer. I’ve ordered from them multiple times and they’re great. They actually make me wish I lived in California, since they have all of the great organic fertilizer products that no one in the south carries- like Chilean bat guano and soft rock phosphate.

One more thing to add to the drool-list. How about a high-tunnel from Grower’s Supply? I want to do a full post on high tunnels soon. I’m currently apprenticing on a farm that grow veggies almost exclusively in high-tunnels. They’re basically oversized unheated greenhouses, and are a MUST for growing good cool weather crops year long in climates like mine. Again, pricey yet green-ilicious!

 

Oh yes, like any hobby- or obsession, if you will-  there’s plenty of shiny stuff for gardeners to lust after. This is only a small sampling of my mental wish-list.