Want to get in on the growing action this season? We've lined up a few gardening items to make things easier, more fun, and much more beautiful.
Get inspired: Get some planting know-how and inspiration with a book on Californian gardening. Twice Told Books, 14045 Armstrong Woods Rd., Guerneville, 707-869-1479, facebook.com/TTBGuerneville
Get your gloves on: These gloves were made for women, by women. They are soft, hand-washable and sized for a woman's hand. $48, California Sister, 6790 McKinley St. #190, Sebastopol, 707-827-8090, californiasister.com
Upcycled gloves: Most of the material of these gloves is made from recycled water bottles. Padded and waterproof, they are as hardworking as you are. $30, The Gardener, 516 Dry Creek Rd., Healdsburg, 707-431-1063, thegardener.com.
Dig deeper: This Hori Hori knife is a great tool for digging, weeding, cutting and camping. $36, The Gardener, 516 Dry Creek Rd., Healdsburg, 707-431-1063, thegardener.com
Sew love and seeds: This sweet greeting card has a sweet second life, as a starter for sprouting seeds. Instead of recycling this card, it can go on the ground to work its blooming magic. This card produces Bird’s Eye, Clarkia, Black Eyed Susan, Sweet Alyssum, English Daisy, Catchfly and Snapdragon. $6, California Sister, 6790 McKinley St. #190, Sebastopol, 707-827-8090, californiasister.com
Start small: How about starting your fruitful tomato bushes from the very beginning? Plant an heirloom seed and let is sprout indoors. Then move your mature stems outside to go ballistic this summer. Petaluma Seed Bank has knowledgable staff, including Master Gardeners, to guide you. Petaluma Seed Bank, 110 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma, 707-773-1336, rareseeds.com/petaluma-seed-bank
Green your pot: This cow pot is a great starter for your seeds. Once you've got a healthy stem and the weather's right, you can take your cow pot and plant it right in the soil! There's no transplanting, no throw-away waste, and it will fertilize your plant. Oh, and it's odor free. Petaluma Seed Bank, 110 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma, 707-773-1336, rareseeds.com/petaluma-seed-bank
Gardner's self-care: Locally made lavender lotion is both an excellent moisturizer and naturally antiseptic. $18, California Sister, 6790 McKinley St. #190, Sebastopol, 707-827-8090, californiasister.com
Throw-away work: Seed balls by Santa Rosa-based Seed-O-Sphere can simply be tossed and left to find root and grow. Varieties of Earth-friendly wildflowers are available. Per last year's post on Seed-O-Sphere's Instagram account, "Seed balls have been around since the time of the ancient Egyptians, who used them to replant their farms along the Nile after each year's flood." Sign us up! $14, California Sister, 6790 McKinley St. #190, Sebastopol, 707-827-8090, californiasister.com
Snip your successes: This set of garden clippers serve as a good reminder to clip those blooms and bring them inside. These scissors cut well and look so good you won't mind if they get left out on the counter. $45, Chateau Sonoma, 23588 Arnold Dr., Sonoma, 707-935-8553, chateausonoma.com
In Sonoma, ambitious green thumbs can garden year round. But, for the rest of us, the end of winter rains and signs of early spring is usually what gets us going. If you feel like you want to get in on the growing action this season, we’ve lined up a few gardening items to make things easier, more fun, and much more beautiful. Click through the gallery for details.
