A garden tool you'll really use

There are many tools deigned to make your gardening easier, including shovels, bow rakes, digging forks, hoes and trowels. Some of these can be used for multiple purposes, but if you're looking for a versatile tool that the gardener in your family will really use, choose a hori-hori gardening knife. 

 A hori-hori combines many of the features of your larger garden tools into a single, smaller form. Hori-hori comes from the Japanese word "hori", which means "to dig". Once you start using your hori-hori, you'll discover you can use this tool to accomplish many tasks in your garden, including digging,  

cutting open bags, mixing soil and

running a straight line,

as a hammer to pound in stakes and markers.

Use your hori-hori to slice weeds, plant seeds, set out plant starts,

plant onions, garlic and bulbs

and divide perennials. In fact, once you figure out how useful a garden knife is, you'll want to have it with you every time you walk into the garden. There are certain features you look for when you go shopping for a hori-hori.

First, make sure it fits your hand. Take it out of the package and try it. Next, check out the features.

A good knife will have concave-shaped blades with a sharp edge on one side and serrated edge on the other side. The concave shape is great for digging and scooping soil, just like a trowel. The blade shape is great for loosening soil and for mixing in soil amendments. The sharp edge can be used to cultivate and weed around established plants. 

The notch on the sharp side can be used to cut twine or open a bag of soil amendments. The serrated edge can be used for cutting roots and loosening hard soils. The blunt end of the handle can be used as a hammer to pound in stakes or pins.

There should be a ruler on the blade. This makes planting bulbs, tubers and onions easier. Your knife should come with a holster, designed to hang on your belt, so your garden knife is always handy. The more you use your hori hori, the more you'll discover why this tool is a "must have" for any gardener. 

How to Take Care of Your Flower Bin Poinsettia

Poinsettias are native to Mexico and Central America and were introduced in the United States by Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. They were soon a very popular Christmas plant, a traditional that continues today.

Beginning with the cuttings Poinsett sent back, the traditional red plant has grown to include white, pink, marble and orange colors.

At The Flower Bin, we grow our own poinsettias; over 30 varieties that we start in late July. Poinsettias have thin foliage leaves that vary in color from pale to dark green.

The showy parts of the poinsettia that most people think of as flowers are actually specialized leaves, called bracts.

The actual flowers are these tiny clusters found at the very center of the bracts.

We also dye a few poinsettias for added color and interest. The dyes we use are safe for people and the plant. Proper care for your poinsettia begins before you leave the store.

If you like, we will wrap your poinsettia in foil and add a ribbon, at no charge. We cut a drain hole in the foil on the plants we wrap so your plant will drain properly. We keep an eye on the temperature. If it gets too cold, we'll bag your poinsettia to protect it on the way home.

Once you get your poinsettia home, unwrap it and place it in a room where it will get bright light, but not direct sunlight.  Poinsettias don’t like drafts, either hot or cold, so keep away heater vents, fireplaces, doors and cold windows. The ideal room temperature should be around 72°F during the day and no cooler than 60°F at night. Place the plant high enough to be out of the reach of children and pets and away from traffic. Poinsettias are not poisonous, though some people are sensitive to the white sap they produce.  Place the plant in a water-proof saucer. Water your poinsettia thoroughly when the soil surface is dry to the touch. Poinsettias don’t like to sit in water, so discard any water that may collect in the saucer under the plant.

With the proper care, your poinsettia will last through the holiday season and retain its beauty well into the New Year.