The last post about the Independent Garden Center Show here at Chicago Garden. Garden pots outnumbered plants and a tools at the show, but I spotted a few that I liked. Echinacea 'Mac N Cheese' and Echinacea 'Tomato Soup' pictured above. Anyone else hungry? I'm told that in Chicago they will be (or already are) available at Gethsemane Garden Center.
I'm horrible at photographing under artificial light, so... take my word for it when I say; these plants look better in person.
Summer Chocolate Mimosa Tree. Oh my I nearly fainted when I saw this almost black beauty. I'd like to add this to my black plant collection.
Some of my favorite garden tools. The "Classic" collection by Flexrake. When I came across them I stopped dead in my tracks to admire them. Even the catalog pictures don't really capture the rich, brown color. Very nice-looking garden tools. In the middle is the CobraHead, a popular garden tool, especially among garden bloggers. Clarington Forge garden tools on the left. I had a chance to speak with Robert Larson last year about this line of tools he distributes. Check out his website to read about the history of this line of garden tools and see a video of how they're made.
The Hort Couture booth was really interesting. They're melding pop culture, fashion and horticulture. Normally I'd roll my eyes at such a marketing gimmick for plants but some of their plants are really unique and deserve some unorthodox marketing. Caladium Taste of Thailand 'Thai Iced Tea' and Caladium Taste of Thailand 'Lemon Grass.' While preparing this post I was looking at their website to make sure I wrote down the names right and the plant on the left looks different than the Caladium 'That Iced Tea' on the site. I'm sure the ID mistake is my fault.
I didn't stop to talk to the people at the Weed Dragon Torch booth, if you read my review of the TB57 garden trimmer, you'll understand why. I guess you'd really need to hate weeds in your garden to hunt them down and burn them.
Sorry about the photo quality of this Pink 'Anabelle' Hydrangea by ProvenWinners, it is a lot more pink and beautiful in person. Hardy to USDA Zone 3, Blooms Pink in Mid-Summer to Fall and is 3-4' tall and wide in full sun to part shade. $1.00 of every purchase will go to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. This hydrangea was at the Sheridan Nurseries booth.
A rain barrel with a flat back by Clean Air Gardening, an online retailer that specializes in gardening tools and equipment for the environmentally conscious gardener like, compost tumblers and push reel mowers.
The Garden Harvester by Garden Things reminded me of my dreams of an urban orchard. The bag has a net bottom so you can wash your fruits and vegetables out in the garden before you bring them into the house to eat.
The Hort Couture booth was really interesting. They're melding pop culture, fashion and horticulture. Normally I'd roll my eyes at such a marketing gimmick for plants but some of their plants are really unique and deserve some unorthodox marketing. Caladium Taste of Thailand 'Thai Iced Tea' and Caladium Taste of Thailand 'Lemon Grass.' While preparing this post I was looking at their website to make sure I wrote down the names right and the plant on the left looks different than the Caladium 'That Iced Tea' on the site. I'm sure the ID mistake is my fault.
I didn't stop to talk to the people at the Weed Dragon Torch booth, if you read my review of the TB57 garden trimmer, you'll understand why. I guess you'd really need to hate weeds in your garden to hunt them down and burn them.
Sorry about the photo quality of this Pink 'Anabelle' Hydrangea by ProvenWinners, it is a lot more pink and beautiful in person. Hardy to USDA Zone 3, Blooms Pink in Mid-Summer to Fall and is 3-4' tall and wide in full sun to part shade. $1.00 of every purchase will go to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. This hydrangea was at the Sheridan Nurseries booth.
A rain barrel with a flat back by Clean Air Gardening, an online retailer that specializes in gardening tools and equipment for the environmentally conscious gardener like, compost tumblers and push reel mowers.
The Garden Harvester by Garden Things reminded me of my dreams of an urban orchard. The bag has a net bottom so you can wash your fruits and vegetables out in the garden before you bring them into the house to eat.
I've been a fan of head planters for a while, there was even one of President Obama at the IGC Show.
Stuccolow asked about water retaining potting soil. I came across the booth for the Baccto line of potting soils which I learned had a soil wetting agent in it. I actually bought a bag of it at Gethsemane this year and have noticed how moist the soil stays between watering and how easy it is to hydrate when it has dried out. I guess it wasn't just my good fortune the soil was remaining wet, it was science.
Not pictured: the Ups-A-Daisy planter inserts that act as a false bottom for container gardens so you don't have fill the whole pot with soil. They were invented by a gardener here in Illinois. 'Sedona' the 2010 "Rose of the Year" by Jackson & Perkins was not in bloom, so I can't say if it indeed looks as red as the red rocks and soil in the Arizona town it is named after.
]]>
Stuccolow asked about water retaining potting soil. I came across the booth for the Baccto line of potting soils which I learned had a soil wetting agent in it. I actually bought a bag of it at Gethsemane this year and have noticed how moist the soil stays between watering and how easy it is to hydrate when it has dried out. I guess it wasn't just my good fortune the soil was remaining wet, it was science.
Not pictured: the Ups-A-Daisy planter inserts that act as a false bottom for container gardens so you don't have fill the whole pot with soil. They were invented by a gardener here in Illinois. 'Sedona' the 2010 "Rose of the Year" by Jackson & Perkins was not in bloom, so I can't say if it indeed looks as red as the red rocks and soil in the Arizona town it is named after.