Whenever a device helps to combine two jobs into one it's worth noting. The Garden Groom sounds like it’s one of those items.
After cutting hedges in his garden in Wirral, England, Graham Wilson, a retired engineer, began to think that there must be an easier and safer way to do the job. Although his goal first started as a hobby, the closer he came to solving his hedge trimming problems, the more determined he became to seeing his project fully realized.
In 2000 he received several UK government grants for safety and innovation, which helped him fund the initial stages of his project. Once the concept was developed, he approached a number of leading garden tool manufacturers to produce his invention. They all rejected his idea.
To raise funds to develop the tool he re-mortgaged his home. The pruner is now available as a unique invention that cuts, shreds and captures the majority of waste material. With its concealed blade it has the added safety feature of making it virtually impossible to cut the power cord. Plus the tool requires both hands to operate. Powered by a 430-watt engine, the gadget prunes branches down to a 10:1 volume ratio and then deposits them into the onboard collector container. Once finished, the mulch is ideal for gardening and composting.
Voted a Best Buy from Garden Answers Magazine, the Garden Groom Pro costs about $200 ($150 for the mini variant) and can be purchased through this site.
Glow Stones look like ordinary granite rocks by day, but approach them after dark and the stones light up brilliantly when they detect motion.
The stones are battery powered (four C batteries), so there's no need to run cables. And because they only light up for 15-30 seconds when they detect movement in the dark, they are energy efficient. These would be great to liven up outdoor parties and barbeques. The motion-sensing range is 12 feet.
Plant-me Pets are little squeaky latex toys that come in tomato, melon and pumpkin. Bury them and their eyes sprout, feeding off the body they’re attached to.
They’re so cute, it’s an emotional struggle to bury them. It’s exactly the reaction Spanish designer designer Marti Guixé was aiming for when he created them.
Available for $25 plus shipping through this site.
