We love trimming and shaping our hedges. We have pruned some of our hedges into conventional rectangles, several into the shape of spheres.
One of our biggest fears, however, as we use our electric or gas hedge trimmers, is that we might accidentally loose a finger to a moment of inattention. Maybe that is why -- at least so far -- that we continue to retain all of our original body parts.
A hedge trimmer and a chain saw have always been two tools that bother us. They are typically sold without blade protection -- until now. One of the great new products that we discovered at the recent national hardware show in Las Vegas was a hedge trimmer with a couple of really neat twists.
It's called the Garden Groom, and is billed as the world's only "collecting hedge trimmer." But what is best is that the blade assembly is almost exactly like a mulching lawnmower. In fact, it does that too -- it mulches.
There are two models that we are familiar with: the "Midi" and the "Max." The Midi is a lighter weight and the Max which is a more heavier more powerful 430-watt version. Both units have on-board collection containers as well as a larger collection bag which attaches to the device with a plastic flex hose.
For more information on this product, go to www.gardengroom.com.
There is nothing as great as a feature that can be added to a home workshop that improves space efficiency or versatility. This one may be of special importance to you if you love working on projects around the house, but you also have a problem with cramped conditions.
We discovered a really cool product from a company called ReTraact-It. The company makes a really cool steel workbench that retracts into its own six-inch frame. It not only is a folding workbench it also has an eighth-inch peg board back and a bottom shelf made of steel. The overall size of the "retractable workbench" -- in the open position -- is 46 inches wide by 24 inches deep by 60 inches high. They also offer one model that's on wheels.
For more information on folding things go to www.retraactit.com.
Here's one that everyone will use, at one time or another. Nothing more than a large seven-mill-thick plastic bag, it is called the "concrete mixing bag" and comes from a company called The Cement Solution Co., LLC. Here's the way to use it:
--First, place your bag of ready mix concrete or mortar so that it is standing on end.
--Next, cut a slit in the top of the ready-mix bag.
--Next, place the concrete mixing bag upside-down over your bag of ready mix.
--Invert both bags at once and pull the paper ready mix bag out of the plastic bag.
--Then add water, tie off the top of the sack and roll the bag around to mix the ingredients.
--Finally, pour the mixed concrete and rinse out the bag.
You want to make sure to rinse the bag because the manufacturer says it can be used 30 to 40 times.
For more information on the concrete mixing bag go to www.thecementsolution.com.
We discovered a really cool trowel from a company called Slick Innovations that makes "the slick scoop." It differs from conventional hand trowels in a couple of ways: 1) It has a square nose. The squared-off end makes cleaning out the corner of the bottom of a bucket super easy, and 2) there is a flat, round bucket hook located between the blade and the handle. No more placing a dirty tool in your back pocket, putting it down and losing it or dropping into the bucket and having to grab a filthy handle.
And that's all there is to it.
