Almost everyone has their address numbers nailed to their house. How many of you have your address etched in stone? Sadly I don’t either. But I might consider it after checking out the unique service provided by La Jolla Stone Etching. They use a sandblasting technique on Flagstone, among other materials, and the results look pretty nice. They also etch wine bottles and can make etched headstones for your dearly departed pets. I love animals, but I think I would stick with the etched address stone. Prices for the their etched stones start at about $50 and go up to $200 and more depending on size, design, complexity, etc. Check them out at La Jolla Stone Etching.

Few things make an anal retentive like me more happy than products that constrict, control and keep order. Lawns and yards can be so unruly, I try to exert control over them periodically . . . usually only to be outdone by dandelions, leaves and aphids. Recently I purchased some rolls of edging material made by Cobraco Manufacturing (I would link to them, but their site appears to be down). Unlike some competing products, it appears some clever engineering went into this product. The top is a black tube with a fin that gets buried in the ground. The fin has a “V” at the bottom to help keep it in place. I cut a nice curve into part of our lawn using a shovel and then added the edging. The result; a professional looking lawn and garden. A small victory over yard disorder!
Cobraco Edging is available for about $15 for 20 feet at an intriguing store in business since 1914; Stone Brothers.

I will admit it, when I first saw Fiskars pruning tools at the local home improvement black hole/warehouse, I was skeptical. Fiskars conjured up dainty, orange sewing scissors. Not exactly the image of hedge and tree-terrifying pruning machismo I hoped to find. But the more I looked at them, the more I liked. Light, yet crafted with strong materials. Best of all, they were black. Sold! This pruner, aka the PowerGear Bypass Lopper, takes no prisoners. I have yet to find a tree or hedge limb that is not effortlessly lopped off by this masterpiece garden tool. It comes in a variety of sizes and versions, ranging in price from about $20-$70. I like the gear-assisted unit pictured.
Check out the details at Fiskars.com
I also found them for sale quite reasonably at Best Buds Garden Supply Company