It is summer in San Diego and that means keeping landscaping alive is high priority. I have set up most of our plants on an automated drip system, but one tricky leg remained unfinished. Unfinished mainly because I had to get 1/2″ drip tube under a section of sidewalk. Luckily, I discovered the sidewalk sleever. At around $100 it seemed like a pricey way to get under a sidewalk, but I knew I would need to do it again several times in the future. The traditional “attach high pressure nozzle to hose and spray mud everywhere technique” just did not seem as appealing.

Basically, you just slide a length of 1″ pvc over this very heavy-duty tool, line it up in your trench, take several swings with a sledgehammer, and then withdraw it. Presto! You now have a pvc tunnel! The Sleever even has a hole drilled into the tip so that you can use itl to fish wire through your conduit as you withdraw the tool. Super fast and super easy! I likey! Just make sure there are no underground utilities before you get sledgehammering. Actual tunneling took me about 3 minutes vs 45 minutes and 700 gallons of mud with the traditional water nozzle setup. They come in two lengths for your tunneling convenience. I bought mine online for $99 with free shipping from SprinklerWarehouse.com. More information is available from the manufacturer at SidewalkSleever.com

Oh sweet robotics. If I had an extra $1000-$2000 (depending on the model), I would be all over this. I used to think lawn mowing was cool. However after the novelty wore off, lawn mowing was not much fun after all. Enter the Robomower, from the creative minds at Friendly Robotics. I find it ironic that a company with a name that warm and fuzzy makes autonomous robots with spinning sharp metal blades that rotate at 5800 rpm. Despite the threat of a rogue Robomower of death, this looks a great product. I would opt for the Robomow RL1000, which happens to be the most expensive, because it actually offers programmed scheduled departures. It even sounds a safety buzzer 5 minutes before launch to warn people away (or attract them, depending on their curiosity level). Despite sensor equipped bumpers, mower lift detection, child lock and anti-theft features, I think I would still keep an eye on it to make sure a jealous neighbor would not run off with mine. Friendly Robotics, are you listening? Please send me one for permanent evaluation. I will even change the blog name to RoboFixated in your honor. More information is available at FriendlyRobotics.com.

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.