Tip of the Week - Garden and Patio Innovations!

This week, two unique products caught my attention! 

Patio Screen Savor

The first is a Patio Screen Saver.  This clever little item is an attractive and detailed 2-part magnet that is used to ornament a screen door!  But in addition to being decorative, these magnets prevent family and friends from walking through a hard-to-see screen door!  As a person who did just that in a rental beach home, these magnets will save both the screens and the embarrassment! 

Design choices include butterfly, dragonfly, frog, hummingbird, sun or sunflower and are sold in sets of two, measuring about 3” each. (www.etreasuregifts.com for $12.95/set)

Sunlight Calculator

My second discovery will be a great help to new gardeners or new home owners!  The SunCalc - Sunlight Calculator is a small tool that you can insert into various planting areas around your home to measure the amount of accumulated sunlight that falls on that specific location. 

This precision device will make planting selections so easy –you’ll know exactly which plants to grow in the various parts of your yard!  The SunCalc lets you know if you should choose plants that need sun, partial sun, partial shade or full shade.  Since improper planting is one of the most common reasons for plant failure, this tool is the answer to your problems and can be used over and over, year after year!  This Sunlight Calculator has received rave reviews, even from experienced gardeners! (www.burpee.com for $29.95)

Although it is hard to improve upon Mother Nature, both of these products will offer a little bit of help to homeowners everywhere!