Another New Tool

Last week after my blog post about my new grass clipping tool, Maud posted a comment telling me that she had the same grass clipping tool and really liked it and also that Fiskars has a long-handled dandelion digging tool that she was very pleased with. I checked on the Fiskars.com website and sure enough, there it was!

I haven't bought any new lawn or garden tools for quite a few years and because I liked the grass clippers so well (because I don't have to kneel down to use it), I decided I should try and find one of those dandelion diggers also.

I remembered seeing quite a few of the Fiskars tools at Menards last week, so we made a stop there again today on the way home from work. I had to ask someone where to find this tool and fortunately, there was one left which I promptly grabbed before someone else saw it.

It's about 36 inches long and quite simple to use.

Put the pointy teeth over your weed and push it into the ground (you can use your foot on the black tab sticking out to get it all the way pushed in).

Then slowly pull the handle sideways -- towards the black tab (which closes the teeth around the weed), until the weed pulls out of the ground.

Here's how it worked on dandelions.....how cool is that? Got the big long tap root and everything!

OK, let's see how it handles English Plantain (I hate that stuff!)

Wow, great job!
And now for the true test: thistles. Since our dry spell this summer, I have several huge thistle outbreaks in the lawn.

Thistles were a little bit tougher.

I tried on several plants and only managed to get the weed and the complete root on one of the tries.

Perhaps I'm not getting the whole plant centered in the teeth, or maybe I'm pulling it over too fast. Oh well, I must persevere and continue to hone my weed digging skills with this clever new tool.

Oh yeah, did I mention it was only $24.88? A heckuva deal!

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In the continuing "fun with hummingbirds" saga, I found a small red cap this afternoon that works to hold a few ounces of nectar. I sat out there with this cap in my hand for about half an hour, but the hummingbirds were reluctant to check it out and just went to the flowers nearby.

Finally the "idea light" went on over my head and I plucked a couple of verbena blossoms and floated them in the nectar.

Then the hummers were sipping nectar from that cap in less than 5 minutes (and sitting on my fingers to do it!) I'm fine tuning this idea a bit further and using one of those yellow plastic flowers from an old Perky Pet hummingbird feeder and hopefully my next post will contain photos of hummingbirds eating out of my hand! Stay tuned.....