Author Laurie Brown

Laurie Brown has been a gardener all her life and a professional gardener since the mid-90s. She became a Master Gardener in 1996 and is a member of the local gardening association. She has also been writing about gardening for years and is currently the Spokane Gardening Examiner. She can’t seem to stop plants from following her home.


Mini Meadows: Grow a Little Patch of Colorful Flowers Anywhere in Your Yard, by Mike Lizotte – Book Review


Mini Meadows is a short but fun read, with beautiful photos to complement the text. It’s well organized and written in a conversational style that makes it very accessible. It is a basic book, but inspiring, especially for those to whom gardening is new. And although there’s a lot of information presented, it’s not overwhelming. Continue Reading


Flexzilla Hose With SwivelGrip (HFZG550YWS): Product Review


The Flexzilla hose with SwivelGrip (model HFZG550YWS, not to be confused with HFZG550YW which doesn’t have the SwivelGrip ends) is top quality, high tech hose that’s truly kink free and built to last. The trademarked chartreuse color makes it super-visible, it’s lightweight but incredibly tough, flexible even at very low temperatures, and the high quality aluminum ends and coupler grips (SwivelGrip) make for easy fastening and unfastening of the hose from spigots and nozzles. In Continue Reading


Dramm ColorStorm Premium Soaker Hose: Product Review


If you’re trying to conserve water while keeping your plants healthy, a soaker hose can be a good option. But if you’ve ever fought with a hose that wouldn’t lay flat, spurted water in all directions, and burst after a few weeks, you know that it’s not always easy to find one that gets the job done properly. We were very pleased with the performance of the Dramm soaker hose – here’s what we found Continue Reading


Essential Perennials by Ruth Rogers Clausen and Thomas Christopher – Book Review


Essential Perennials: The Complete Reference to 2700 Perennials for the Home Garden By Ruth Rogers Clausen and Thomas Christopher. Photographs by Alan L. Detrick & Linda Detrick Timber Press Hardcover, 452 pages $29.82 USD This large book looks to be the new encyclopedia for people looking for information on herbaceous perennials. It’s over four hundred […] Continue Reading


The Nonstop Color Garden: Design Flowering Landscapes & Gardens for Year-Round Enjoyment, by Nellie Neal – Book Review


The Nonstop Color Garden: Design Flowering Landscapes & Gardens for Year-Round Enjoyment By Nellie Neal Cool Springs Press Paperback, 192 pages Available December 14, 2014 $24.99 USD / $27.99 CAD BUY IT ‘The Nonstop Color Garden’ starts with a gallery to inspire you to keep going with the book- those pictures will make you want […] Continue Reading