aspenhill's blog: Garden Answer Inspired Purchases

Thursday
I was thinking while sowing seeds how useful my new tidy tray and pump mister have been, both of which I've seen Laura use on Garden Answer. I've seen Monty Don also use a soil mixing bin on Gardener's World. His looks to be a DIY project made out of wood, and I was thinking about making one at some point until I saw the plastic one that Laura was using. As for the pump mister, I had never even thought of that until seeing Laura using one. It works so much better for getting seeds underway than a watering can does.

Neither one of those products is specifically endorsed by Garden Answer, but just seeing her using them inspired my purchases. It got me thinking about how many other purchases I've made due to watching her videos. I wondered how someone can make a living by posting YouTube videos, but it is starting to become pretty clear to me. I have made quite a few purchases and I am just one of over a million subscribers. The sponsorships and the revenue brought to them must be quite significant.

One of the things that I've noticed about the Garden Answer videos, is that there are sponsorships but it is never done in a way that is pushy or infomercial like. Every single thing that she endorses are things that she herself finds extremely useful. It also seems that she sung the praises of various products even before she had any kind of sponsorship from the specific vendors.

The first item I purchased based solely on her use was Espoma Biotone. Every time she planted anything, she tossed a bit of it into the planting hole. After a while, I started wondering what it was and then went out to specifically look for it. I've used Espoma products in the past - mostly Holly Tone, Tomato Tone, Bulb Tone... Anyway, I now have Biotone, and like Laura, I toss it in every planting hole. Funny story - I purchased quite a big bag of it, so I put a little of it in a tote instead of carrying that big bag around the gardens. Early on, I had left the tote out in the rain. The Biotone turned into a mushy very stinky blob that was the consistency of a fresh cow patty. I was planting a half dozen astilbes and intended to use up that last little bit. I am overly sensitive to odors, and oh my if anyone could have seen me! I was kneeling on the ground over the holes I had just dug, tossing in the stinky stinky wet mushy Biotone, and vomiting at the same time. Extra fertilizer??? YUCK! Lesson learned, KEEP THE BIOTONE UNDER COVER

Espoma is one of Garden Answer's sponsors now, but Laura and her parents' garden center have used and sold Espoma products for many years. Great products.

The next thing I purchased was a retractable hose called Hose Link. It is expensive, but Laura claims it is a game changer. Years ago I switched from traditional heavy garden hoses to light weight ones, and they are much easier for me, but they are so hard to roll back up - twisting and turning into figure 8s to the point of extreme frustration. After one such frustrating episode yet again with the 100 foot hose outside the garage, I marched right into the house, went online, and ordered it. Oh my, she is right, it is a game changer. A week later I ordered a second one for the opposite side of the house outside the walk out basement. Absolutely love them and actually smile to myself at how easy it is every time I pull the hose out and retract it back

Then I purchased the "Laura" version Power Planter auger and the powerful Dewalt battery powered hammer drill that she uses. Another game changer. Great for planting bulbs, but also great for making general holes for planting perennials.

I've gone on to purchase the Felco 2 pruner. Laura warns that they are sharp, and they are. Right after I got it, Bonnie and I were working in the gardens and she looked over to see me sitting on the back patio wall with my hand upraised and looking sheepish. I had been holding the annuals that I was going to deadhead in my left hand, pruner in right, and wouldn't you know it, the slightest snip got my left hand and sent the blood gushing. Not enough to need stitches, but another lesson learned Anyway, by far the best pruner that I've ever had.

Then there are the Greenstalk vertical planters. Again pricey, but I can't wait to plant strawberries in them and have fresh strawberries on the small deck outside the kitchen. I will also be purchasing 'Seascape' ever bearing strawberry plants this spring based solely on what Laura plants.

Although not specifically sponsored, there are seeds and plant selections I've been making based solely on what I see in her gardens. Starting geraniums from seed, digitalis 'Pink Gin', cucumber 'Suyo Long', onion 'Walla Walla', just to name a few. I also want to make raspberry raised beds that look like the beds she made and get 'Fall Gold' raspberries. She also plants 'Heritage', but says the family favorite is 'Fall Gold'. There was a short video clip of her little girl, two and a half years old late last summer, with Laura holding out 'Fall Gold' raspberries in one hand and 'Heritage' raspberries in the other. Little Samantha Grace went right for the 'Fall Gold', ate every one of them, and then left, leaving the 'Heritage' untouched. The preference couldn't have been stated any more clearer than that

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