I am so excited to be a part of the first GARDEN BLOGGERS HOE DOWN. I was hoping to do a really blow out job with all my hoes (wherever I could find them) but instead I came down with the flu and was out of commission all week. The good news is I got well just in time to snap a few pictures.
The star of our show is the circlehoe since my husband is the inventor. This design actually evolved during a period of about 8 to 10 years. As a gardener since the age of 7, Ralph spent a lifetime hoeing and says "During each growing season the frustration of having whacked too many of my plants became more and more intolerable. So, every year I would modify some off-the-shelf product trying to whip up some kind of a high performance weeder/cultivator. Ultimately, I built a forge and started to beat the steel into a blade shape that would provide the desired affect in areas of my maturing gardens where plants were close together."
The star of our show is the circlehoe since my husband is the inventor. This design actually evolved during a period of about 8 to 10 years. As a gardener since the age of 7, Ralph spent a lifetime hoeing and says "During each growing season the frustration of having whacked too many of my plants became more and more intolerable. So, every year I would modify some off-the-shelf product trying to whip up some kind of a high performance weeder/cultivator. Ultimately, I built a forge and started to beat the steel into a blade shape that would provide the desired affect in areas of my maturing gardens where plants were close together." 
Some of those modified hoes are pictured above and are still used in certain situations. As Carol said in her most recent post on Gardening Lessons From The Hoes, "Not every hoe can do every kind of hoeing; some are good for breaking ground, others for weeding in tight spaces." I think of it like knives in the kitchen. You don't use the same knife for everything you do.
One of my favorites is an old hoe that was on the property when we bought it. It's made out of an old cultivator tine. I use it a lot for making furrows in the vegetable garden.
This is one of Ralph's designs. He calls it The Terminator!
This was fun. I wish I had more time but we're off to do another garden show today. Hope you all have a great time. See you next year!
4 comments:
Looks like a great collection of old and new hoes. I recognize at least a few we have in common, including the circlehoe. I've just started to use mine and so far, I really like it. I used the mini circlehoe around my lettuce the other day and it was the perfect tool for the job. I'll be posting more about them later.
I'm impressed that Ralph actually got his own forge in his quest to find/make the perfect hoe!
Thanks for joining in the fun.
Wow! You have quite a collection...almost as many unusual ones as Carol! That is saying something!
I think Ralph needs to market some of his designs - like the terminator! The terminator looks like it could really attack and destroy!
You have a collection to rival Carol's! How wonderful that the two of you enjoy gardening together. My husband could care less about the flowers, but he does add some advice and help in the vegetable garden.
I think I could use the Terminator; Ralph should definitely market this.
Your garden reflects your dedication. I don't see any weeds!
I just found your blog today, and I'll be back later to read some more. Carol's hoedown idea was wonderful! It made me aware of so many other bloggers I hadn't found before.
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