A Writer’s Garden–Perfect Gifts by Sally Brandle

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A Writer's Garden, clean romance, Garden blog, garden tools, historical romance, Sally Brandle

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing. Today’s writer/gardener guest is Sally Brandle talking about garden gifts, the kind you use in the garden. Welcome, Sally!

My family knows my love of gardening and they respond with perfect gifts. Over the years I’ve received a swell pair of shovels from my youngest son, a garden cart, and endless tools. For my birthday in October this year, my two sons sourced a lite, battery powered chopper’s delight. I now can prune bushes without my shoulders complaining.

The Garden Claws were my husband’s idea. I don’t think my collection of ‘fingerless’ gloves are unique. Long nails aren’t the issue. The Claws are great for semi-detail weeding and are about $8 a pair. Rain has prevented my determination on durability. So far, they appear sturdy and my nails are clean!

My latest book, the enhanced memoir of a dear friend, launched in May. We self-published, so the garden took second place on the chore list this spring and summer. My guilt receded after a neighbor remarked on the beauty of the butterflies hovering over the flowering shrubs and blooms. I turned the ingrained weed-alert in my brain into choosing to notice what others appreciate—the beauty of the plants, how many birds, bees, and butterflies are present, and the peaceful setting. When I look out from the windows of my office with that thought in mind, I smile and realize how very blessed I am to steward and share this beautiful piece of earth.

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  Looking Down from sugar peas

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  Looking up from sugar peas

The young woman featured in my latest book, Sapphire Promise, is now 98 and no longer the avid gardener whom I met thirty years ago. When I tire of pulling weeds, I think to myself, “Iris would love to be doing this.” That mindset can change a task to a privilege most days. I must admit, I still find morning glory and horsetail to be garden enemies!

May all your plants prosper and your back stay strong!

About the Writer/Gardener:

I grew up gardening with Mom and never lost an admiration for nature’s colors, textures, and scents. Trying to convert our tiered, half-acre plot to be senior friendly presents an ongoing challenge. I try to intersperse gardening, riding, and writing.

My series of three books published by Soulmate Publishing are contemporary, clean, romantic suspense.

iSapphire Promise is a World War II inspirational memoir beginning in 1939 Batavia, Java, Indonesia. This is a clean old-fashioned romance.

Social Media Link:   www.Sallybrandle.com

Sapphire Promise

By Sally Brandle

Loyalty to family. Trusting instincts. The will to survive. These virtues are deeply embedded in a mature Dutch teenager, Annika Wolter. Her attributes prove useful as she navigates typical coming-of-age insecurities and a blossoming romance with a handsome lieutenant in 1939 Batavia, Java.

Nothing prepares her for the distress of Hitler’s attacks on European countries followed by Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor, toppling her idyllic life in the Dutch East Indies colonial society and separating her from the man she loves. Uplifting events from a true story showcase how determination, nursing basics, and language skills keep a young woman and her mother alive in the worst Japanese internment camp in the Pacific. If you admire clever women and unfailing love in a tropical wartime setting, you will be captivated by Sapphire Promise.

You can find Sapphire Promise on Amazon: and Barnes & Noble

A Writer’s Garden–A Peek in Catherine Castle’s Tool Shed

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Catherine Castle's garden blog, Catherine Castle's tool shed, garden tools, long-handled garden tools, Tools for gardeners with back problems, weed hound, weed-digging tools, weeding

 

Tools for Gardeners with Bad Backs

 

I mentioned last week that I’ve had back issues and had to find new ways to take care of my garden raised beds and those not raised. Click here to see pictures. I’ve always bent from the waist, either sitting or standing to weed and plant. I can’t do that anymore. As a result, I’ve been prowling the garden tools sections of Home Depot and other garden shops for tools that will make digging weeds easier while standing erect or sitting (without bending) on the edges of the raised beds. Here’s a few that I’ve come up with.

Tools: left to right ((top) Child’s shovel, child’s rake, long-handled weed digger, weed hound, long-handled grass clippers, spatula picker-upper, scuttle hoe

Children’s garden tools:

Rake, shovel, and hoe. These are great for sitting on the edge of the raised beds and reaching across to the other side. No more stretching, straining, and pulling my back muscles.

Long-handled weed digger:

I love this tool! It’s perfect for digging around weeds that the weed hound can’t handle. Just plunge it into the ground near the base of the weed, tip the blade up, and pop up the unwanted plant. Works great on the sloped areas of the garden.

Weed hound:

When I discovered this tool in my own garage, it still had the original packing wired to it. I’ve owned it for many years, but never used it. No need to when I could stoop and bend like a teenager. Now it’s my go-to tool for digging up things like dandelions and low spreading purslane and chickweeds. Single weeds come up better than a mass of weeds. I just position it on the base of the weed, step on the lower handle, hold the plunger up and pull. Most weeds come up, root and leaves, with one try. It is a bit heavy to handle and usually takes out a plug of dirt along with the weed.

Extra-long hand edgers:

I’ve always avoided loud power tools, favoring the old-fashioned, quiet method. I like to hear the birds singing while I garden. So when edging the grass, this is my trimming go-to tool. The length allows you to stand and trim. The head swivels so you can angle the cut.

Spatula picker-upper:

When I first hurt my back, stretching to reach an upper shelf shot pain into my hip. I started using long-handled barbeque tongs to reach into the washer to get out the laundry. Then a friend suggested I buy a handy-dandy reacher. I did, but it wasn’t great at picking up garden trash. The hubby tried to figure out a way to add paddles onto the reacher, but couldn’t. Then we found a reacher in the garden section of Home Depot that had suction cups attached with screws. We snapped that puppy up. Hubby fastened the spatulas from a barbeque tool onto the new reacher. This thing works like a charm. Last week he trimmed my phlox, and I was able to scoop up big heaps into the trash can.

Close-up of spatula picker-upper and scuffle hoe

Scuffle hoe:

I first saw this tool being used at Disney World on one of my trips during the Flower and Garden show. A Disney employee was cutting the tops of low-growing weeds through the mulch. No back-breaking slamming of the hoe blade on the ground, just a gentle back and forth action. I haven’t used this yet, since most of my current weeds are thick and nearly half a foot high. But the minute I saw it this summer, I had to have it!

Tools( bottom left to right) extra-large dustpan, long-handled pruners, pointed hoe, child’s hoe.

Extra-large dustpan:

Since I can’t bend to pick up garden waste, if I have more than a couple of pieces, I’ve been raking it into piles and sweeping it into this large dustpan. The contents of about 3-4 dustpans fills my collapsible trash can.

Long-handled pruners:

I have a 20-foot section of ground evergreens that constantly grows over the front steps and driveway. Periodically, I have to trim them, which I’ve always done sitting on a stool. Can’t do that anymore since it kills my back. Now, I can trim standing up, since these trimmers are long enough for me to reach the ground. I’m short, so this works. If you’re taller than 5’2” you’d probably have to stoop to reach ground level. One of the drawbacks to these trimmers, however, is their weight. I need to take rest frequent breaks. Guess I need to start pumping iron.

Pointed hoe:

Because of the sharp tip on this hoe it’s great for tight places and stubborn weeds. Honestly, I never used a hoe before I hurt my back. Now at least one hoe goes into the garden with me on every weed digging excursion.

Long-handled trowel: (not shown)

Sometimes you need a tiny shovel and this fits the bill. It’s perfect for digging smaller holes to plant your flat of annuals. A couple of steps on the edge of the trowel and you have a mini hole.

 

Now I’ve shown you what’s in my garden tool shed. What’s your favorite garden tool? Or favorites? After all, every gardener needs more than one tool in the shed.