We got tipped to a new product from DuPont that promises to eliminate the problem of weeds in our garden.
Their WeedFree Premium landscape fabric supposedly provides a strong defense against weeds and helps promote healthy plants and shrubs. It's made of spun-bonded polypropylene which creates a breathable barrier that resists punctures, unraveling or tearing while allowing air, moisture and nutrients to permeate.
Another valuable feature is that it eliminates the need to use any toxic weed killers which make it perfect for organic gardens or areas where children will be playing. We plan on laying it down while we build a sandbox this week and we'll keep you posted on how it performs.
I'm about to make a strong statement: I hate summer. Don't get me wrong - I love spending time outside, swimming, dining al fresco, going to the lake. But Kansas City (and much of the country) is in the middle of a loooong heat wave, and I'm fed up.
If it's stifling where you live, you may have noticed that your lawn and garden are starting to suffer. Don't despair -- we've rounded up some tips to help quench your parched lawn and bring your grass and plants back to their full glory.
*Water early. Get out and water near dawn. You may need some extra coffee to get through the day, but your yard will thank you! The earlier you water, the less water will be lost due to evaporation.
*Soak the ground. Take your time as you water. You want to soak the ground to a depth of six inches. If you do this, you won't need to water every day, even in extreme heat. The top few inches of the ground should be dry before you water again.
Husqvarna has been on my radar since grade school. Not the outdoor power equipment, but the motorcross bikes. Growing up in the Southwest, we all rode bikes or three-wheelers in the desert and the bike of choice was typically a Honda or Suzuki, but I always gravitated to the brand with the strange name. I never owned a Husqvarna but I coveted the 250WR.
It wasn't until this week that I was finally able to straddle a "Husky" and grip the handlebars, but instead of a motocross bike I had to settle with a riding mower which might not have the excitement of a motorcycle but it definitely performs what it's built to do. The Z-Turns on the other hand are quite thrilling!
Husqvarna has tremendous heritage as they were founded in Sweden in 1689 as a gun foundry and to this day the logo represents the sights on a barrel. I don't think they are in the gun business anymore but among outdoor power equipment manufacturers they are number one worldwide.
We spent two days at their new research and development facility in Charlotte, NC, learning and testing almost every product they offer including many of the newest models that aren't yet available.
They have made some technological advances in many of their products such as the X-Torq which results in up to 75 % reduction in emissions and up to 20 % reduction in fuel consumption and Auto-Tune which assures the engine is operating at it's peak at all times.
We'll follow up with more product details including the 555/562 XP chainsaws, 122HD60 trimmer and the P-ZT6126 commercial zero-turn mower.
This week we're covering two great events that we didn't want to miss this week. I'm spending two days at the Husqvarna Research and Development facility in Charlotte, NC, learning about their latest products and testing chainsaws, trimmers, blowers and mowers.
Katy is just down the road in Asheville, NC at a design event with Shaw Floors. She'll tour the HGTV Dream Home then start work on designing a room from the floor up at the Tribuzio-Hilliard studios that will be showroom ready. And at the end of the event all of the Shaw Facebook fans will vote for the winner. If Katy wins we can give one of our lucky readers a floor makeover! More on that later.
If you're a fan of power lawn care tools follow us on Twitter at @Charles_Hudson and if design is more your thing then follow @CH_Katy.
Katy is just down the road in Asheville, NC at a design event with Shaw Floors. She'll tour the HGTV Dream Home then start work on designing a room from the floor up at the Tribuzio-Hilliard studios that will be showroom ready. And at the end of the event all of the Shaw Facebook fans will vote for the winner. If Katy wins we can give one of our lucky readers a floor makeover! More on that later.
