Kylee Baumle's Blog, page 13

Ames NeverLeak™ Hose Reels: A Review

Since I discovered Ames Tools earlier this year and got to see firsthand how some of them are made and what the company's philosophies are towards their products and their customers, I've become a big fan. I have to tell you when they first contacted me about trying out some of their products, I was hesitant. But I'm very glad I decided to go ahead, because they've become some of my favorite garden tools and products ever.

When I visited their headquarters in Camp Hill, Penn., in April, one of...

Fuzzy Wuzzy Was a Caterpillar

Regardless of what you've been told, the stripes on a woolly bear caterpillar do not predict the severity of an approaching winter, but it may tell you something about the previous winter.  According to Mike Peters, an entomologist at the University of Massachusetts, "There's evidence that the number of brown hairs has to do with the age of the caterpillar—in other words, how late it got going in the spring. The [band] does say something about a heavy winter or an early spring. The only...

Do Not Disturb! And Other Marital Situations

When you've been married for 39 years like me, you know you'd never make it that long if you didn't learn to practice the art of compromise, right? Some things are worth fussing over and some just aren't.

I have been plotting the demise of some old Omaha Steaks styrofoam cooler boxes that have sat behind our pool house for a couple of years now. That entire area is a sore spot around here because it's an embarrassment to anyone who has to look at it.  Mainly me.

Oh look! The ASPCA actually...

Ball Celebrates International Can-It-Forward Day + A Giveaway!

Last year about this time, I helped Ball and Jarden Home Brands celebrate National Can-It-Forward Day by hosting a giveaway of some of their Limited Edition canning jars. Well, this year the celebration has gone international!  There are all kinds of activities planned to make it a fun day and the giveaway here on my blog is bigger and better than last year!

In a special live event today, Saturday, August 16th, renowned chef and Bravo’s Top Chef judge Hugh Acheson will be on hand in Brook...

Nursery Growers of Lake County, Ohio (NGLCO) Field Day

About this time last summer, I was preparing for one of my various garden-related trips that I take during the year. This particular trip was to a part of northeast Ohio that I've visited a few times before, but it had been awhile and the focus was a little different on previous trips. I'd been invited by Maria Zampini to attend NGLCO's Field Day, held on August 13th at Holden Arboretum.


Field Day is a horticultural trade show held each year by the Nursery Growers of Lake County, Ohio, to show...

Dig This! We're Doing a Shovel Giveaway!

A couple of weeks ago, I talked about our new shovels, sent to me by Ames Tools to try out.  I loved them both and now Ames is letting me give one away to a lucky reader! You can read my thoughts on the two shovels here, but let's take a quick look at the facts:



Ames Long Wood Handle Round Point Shovel 


- Tempered steel blade for years of service - Suitable for digging, planting, cutting sod and small roots - Comfort step for secure foot placement - North American ash h...

Wordless Wednesday: All Hail the Queen!

Queen Anne's Lace  Daucus carota var. carota   Zones 3-9Full Sun to Part Shade24-36" tallBiennial Can cause dermatitis from handlingNoxious weed in some states, including Ohio





 

A Case of Mistaken Identity: Who's to Blame?

It can happen to anyone. You buy a plant, thinking you're getting one thing, only to find out later it wasn't what you thought it was.  Sometimes it's the bloom color that's a dead giveaway, and sometimes it's something else. I shop in all different places for my plants - Lowe's, Meijer, local and non-local IGCs, Walmart, and mail order nurseries. I've had this happen at least once with every one of them.

The latest incident happened just today. I stopped at Lowe's on my way home from bab...

Something Old, Something New, Shovels For Me, A Review For You

We've had this shovel for nearly 40 years.When my husband and I first were married, we started accumulating things that one needs when setting up a proper household. A key to the front door.  A large garbage can.  A shovel.  The shovel wasn't on my list of necessary things, because my husband was the gardener of the family back then.

As is the case with many couples starting out, not everything you get is brand new. Family members are happy to hand down those things that they ha...

The Gutter Planter Redux - Succulent Style!

Last year, I enlisted the help of my husband and friend Julie to create a gutter planter for my monthly project as a Lowe's Creative Ideas Garden Team member.  Once it was constructed, I planted it up with an assortment of annuals and perennials and just for fun, threw in a few glass watering balls that had gotten their bottoms broken off.

Angled gutter planter - Summer 2013

As the summer wore on, the planter, which was located on the hot south side of our house, demanded that I pay pretty...