Spring Gardening Review

Product:
Mantis 2-Cycle Tiller/Cultivator

Company: Mantis Garden Products

Price: $349.00

Consumer: Gardeners

The purpose of the Mantis 2-Cycle Tiller Cultivator is to cultivate and till a garden.

Pros: Gardening is one of the most pursued of all hobbies today. Planting seeds, watering, weeding and watching plants grow and thrive brings a great deal of pleasure to many people of all ages but, let’s face it, gardening can be hard back-breaking work…especially the part of getting new ground ready to plant. That is where the Mantis 2-Cycle Tiller Cultivator can help.

The exceedingly well-built Mantis 2-Cycle Tiller Cultivator will last for many, many gardening seasons. The Mantis 2-Cycle Tiller Cultivator is very light weight (only 20 pounds) but it works like a much larger machine.

Cons: You would normally have to assemble the Mantis 2-Cycle Tiller Cultivator - but the good news is there is an option to order the Mantis 2-Cycle Tiller Cultivator fully assembled. With this option, it couldn’t get any easier. You order the Mantis 2-Cycle Tiller Cultivator, it arrives, you take it out of the box and get right to the joy of gardening.

Guarantee: The guarantee on the Mantis Website reads in part: “Try any product that you buy from Mantis with no risk. If you are not completely satisfied, send it back to us within one year for a complete, no-hassle refund. All Mantis products are warranted to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for two full years from date of purchase. During this time, we will repair or replace any defective part at no cost to you.”

Value for money: The Mantis 2-Cycle Tiller Cultivator is an excellent value.

Where to buy:
Mantis 2-Cycle Tiller/Cultivator

Product: Flower Gardeners Bible

Company: Mantis Garden Products

Price: $32.95

Consumer: Gardeners

The purpose of the Flower Gardener’s Bible is to inform and educate gardeners.

Pros: The Flower Gardeners Bible is a must have for gardeners both experienced and new. Flower Gardeners Bible was written by Lewis and Nancy Hill and it is really like three books in one.

There are three parts to the Flower Gardeners Bible; Part 1: How-to and Instructional, Part 2: Design ideas and Part 3: Photographic encyclopedia. We all want beautiful, colorful gardens that will bring pleasure to us and envy to our neighbors. The Flower Gardeners Bible can help you achieve these goals.

The Flower Gardeners Bible is written in an easy style with very simple and straight forward instructions including pictures. Once your copy of the Flower Gardeners Bible arrives at your home you will read it and know what plants go where and which plants will thrive in what soil. Some plants thrive in direct sunlight but others require shade. You will know which is which after you read the Flower Gardeners Bible.

Cons: Some aspects of the Flower Gardener’s Bible may be too elementary for experienced gardeners. But this is offset by the excellent reference guide to plants, which should be useful to every gardening enthusiast.

Guarantee: The guarantee on the Mantis Website reads in part: “Try any product that you buy from Mantis with no risk. If you are not completely satisfied, send it back to us within one year for a complete, no-hassle refund. All Mantis products are warranted to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for two full years from date of purchase. During this time, we will repair or replace any defective part at no cost to you.”

Value for money: The Flower Gardener’s Bible is an excellent value.

Where to buy: Flower Gardener’s Bible

Different kinds of gardens require different kinds of garden tools. Hardware stores mostly cater for a wide range of tools, but there are shops that specialize in the more expensive kind of garden tool that shouts quality. Wherever you decide to shop, here are a few pointers to advise you.

Do you have small garden or a large one? A small garden will not require the same large equipment that would be of use in an extensive one. A ride-on mower is unnecessary if you only have a small strip of lawn. Another point to consider is who does most of the gardening? Some tools are too heavy for use by women.

When you buy secateurs make sure the blade always stays sharp to avoid damaging the plant. Look for models that have blades that can be sharpened or replaced, models with tension control and with sizes that best fit your hands. Secateurs usually cost around $50 - $130.

Hedge trimmers or shears are handy - but only if you have a hedge, or plan on growing one. Some hedge trimmers have curved blades to stop branches from sliding out when cut.

Forks are used for turning and aerating compost and breaking up lumps of soil. The cheaper ones are often not strong enough for heavy soil, so go for sturdiness instead of price. Forks usually cost around $30 - $100.

A shovel has a scoop blade and is best used to move around dirt and garden soil. A spade has a flat blade great for cutting edges, digging and dividing plants. The edge of a spade should be kept sharpened for clean and efficient cutting will cause the least amount of damage to plants. These are a basic garden necessity and usually cost from $30 - $50.

A pruning saw is used for pruning trees and larger shrubs, while secateurs are for plants like roses. Pruning saws have a narrow curved blade that fits between stems or branches and easily and cuts them as you pull the saw backwards. They are approximately $27- $55.

A chipping hoe is a handy tool for getting rid of small weeds. The Dutch or push-hoe is slightly more user-friendly as the action required to use it does not jar the neck and shoulder quite so much.

A rake is also a basic requirement for the garden. The strong rake with the flat head and sharp metal prongs is used for smoothing a garden bed and getting out the last of the bumps and weeds. The plastic rake is used to gather leaves and grass clippings only.

Gardening tools don’t have to be expensive. Flea markets and garage sales can be excellent places to pick up great tool bargain.