I like their cloches. https://vault2.secured-url.com/SecureWebStorage/Search.asp I searched everywhere for them, and Bosmere is the only remaining source. It's too late for this season, as it has warmed up reliably and my seedlings don't need protection anymore, but I'll need them next year. I hope they don't discontinue them! Oh, heck, maybe I should just order them now.
Gardener's Lever Loops
i think they are a great new resource.
blissful, i think you had asked to see the qvs loops up against the 1 inch bosmere lever. my qvc loops arrived today. here is the difference. i can use these bigger ones for a project with some philadelphius i have underway trying to train the branches into arches. have been using the lever loops but these will be better.
sorry about the flash, not a great photo..i am better at flowers than lever loop shots!
the qvs loops re a unusual shade of green wish they had made them in bosmere green, they are so unobtrusive in that shade. these are an unnatural color, but hopefully the coverage will cover them up.
when i think of the tieing and ugly green tape and other ways i used to tie in, the loops are really really really something i would not give up with all the clems i have.
Thanks for the comparison photo, CG. That's helpful. If I encounter areas where the large loop isn't enough, I'll order some of those from QVC. There are a few really heavy, thick canes of my climbing roses that might not stay put with the large Lever Loops, so the QVC's might very well be the better choice for them. Ev =)
they are big! the pack of 75 will last a long time, hope to keep hubbie from raiding them, they look like the kind of item a handy person could fine multiple uses for!
Thanks for the comparison shot, guru. It's a big help. Bliss, I agree. I need these big ones for rose canes, and tree saplings too. Strange color, but greenery will hide them eventually. Good size!
i used the large QVC ones today on some philadelphius shrubs i am training into shapes and they worked well and the color
of green blended in better than i thought. they are a useful tool. i am glad i got them.
Yesterday, my QVC order arrived and today my 2d order of mixed sizes arrived that I ordered directly from Bosmere. Unbelievable fast service from both!
I don't like the color either, but they probably won't be noticed. I can already tell I"m going to have to hide them because they will have 1000 uses for DH, including probably helping to hang bush hooks for catfish on the river, although I don't think they woud hold those heavy fish.
We're having wind gusts up to 30 or 40 mph today, so they came in handy to help secure my roses to trellises. I've had several "first blooms" today from my clems, so I hope the wind doesn't ruin them.
I used all of my large Lever Loops today... they went too quickly! I wish they would just let me order 1000 of the large ones, but I called and they said they only offer the small in bulk. I guess you lucked out, CG. I might just take a chance and order another 1000 to see what arrives this time.
see if they will look in the warehouse and see if the bags they think are really the 3/4 inch are mixed and there are some bags of 1 inch. there must be, it is we weird that i got this size.
when i ran low before, i found i could move them up on the plants, as the plant had fixed itself where i had looped it and didn't need it there anymore.
that said, i used a lot of them last night. we were playing scrabble on the lawn and my hubbie takes a long time with his moves, so i was lever looping during his turns.
unfortunately, it finally happened, he saw the baggie of loops..had some of the big qvc ones in there too, and said "what's that" i was like oooh nothing...he took them and starting looking at them, saying, "now this is interesting". i was like hands off....those are for gardeners only......he is an retired aerospace engineer and those engineers always have their gears working for interesting gadgets......need to keep my goodies away form him!
I used my large ones for my latest "garden room" experiment. I'm on the last corner of the yard now, and I've dubbed it the "Cali Corner"... planting in a manner that should somewhat resemble the glorious mixed gardens I see in the pics from the Cali girls. I can't grow all the plants they can, and I need a bit more ground level airflow due to our propensity for fungus and disease in my climate, but it's coming along well so far. In the corner, I've created a backdrop of wrought iron lattice and I added tiny white Christmas lights through the lattice last night with the Lever Loops. Once the crassifolia clems and the jasmine cover it (which will take about a year), the lights will twinkle through the leaves when we entertain. Even without the vines, it looked so cheerful out there with the lights reflecting in the pool. I'm hoping it won't be TOO distracting to have such different garden rooms so close together in our tiny yard... a New Orleans courtyard, a Secret Garden, a formal English rose garden, a succulent area on the covered patio, a heavy shade garden under the oak tree, a containerized veggie and herb garden on the landing by the carport, and now the Cali corner taking shape. Kinda crazy for a back and side yard that measures maybe 75x100 and was already dominated by a pool! =P
sounds great blissful i should give my areas better names. mine sound like a industrial plant vs a garden.
i just posted a pic of a project i am doing with the loops to create arches form shrubs. they are so useful i love them.