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"Possibility and promise greet me each day as I walk out into my garden. My vigor is renewed when I breathe in the earthiness and feel the dirt between my fingers. My garden is a peaceful spot to refresh my soul." Meems






Welcome to my Central Florida Garden Blog where we garden combining Florida natives, Florida-Friendly plants, and tropicals.

Friday, August 31, 2012

Your Chance to Win aTroy-Bilt Chipper Shredder


By now you probably all know how very much I love and use my chipper-shredder? It has become my all-time favorite power tool and gardening friend.

Just look at how it shreds large oak leaves, turning them into yummy useable organic goodness. Do  you know what's great about shredded leaves? Well, I'll tell you just one of the best things. I can literally scatter them on top of massing groundcovers like asiatic jasmine or mimosa strigillosa and the small bits of leaves find their way through the plants and to the soil. Beautiful. Okay ... two things. I also love it for newly seeded places in the edible garden. Shredded leaves/limbs are light and small enough to allow the small seedlings to push up through it easily.

I can operate it by myself. Mr. Meems helps me get it started the first time if it's been sitting for a while. After that, I'm good to go.
There is a chute in the front for limbs up to 3" (edit update~ yes, 3 inches~ this chipper-shredder is for residential use; it does not possess commercial capabilities). The hopper on the top is for leaves and smaller sticks. It quickly takes a full bag of whole leaves and in a few seconds shreds them and shoots them to the catch-bag on the side.

I collect fallen sticks from around the garden and smaller limbs we trim off of trees and shrubs. They get chewed up and go right back into my garden as mulch. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.



For a closer look at the specs on the CS 4325 Chipper Shredder 2-in-1 Heavy Duty Wood Chipper and Shredder you can go here.



As part of the Saturday6 Blogger Team, I am SO, SO excited Troy-Bilt is giving YOU the opportunity to win this fabulously handy home-gardening tool. I've told so many people about it and how valuable it is in my garden.  I can't tell you how thrilled I am that my regular readers now have a chance to have one, too.


TO ENTER the GIVEAWAY:
A
ll **you have to do is respond to this post in the *comments* section  and tell me how you will put this beautiful machine to work in your garden and why you would like to own one.
 
RULES~~ Yes, there are RULES. Please follow for your entry to be valid.
1.
One **entry per person.
2. An email address must accompany your comment.
3. When you leave your comment, you MUST have a link back to a website that includes an email address, or you must leave your email address within the comment, or you can email me if you aren't comfortable leaving it within your comment.
3. Anonymous comments are welcome, however you must leave your (first) name and an email address within your comment in order to be entered into the contest.
4. If there isn't a clear way to contact you, your comment will not be valid for entry to win.

**Each contestant must have a street address (no P.O. Boxes) within the continuous 48 states.
Contest is over September 9, 2012 at 12:01 EST.

Winner will be randomly drawn and announced September 11, 2012. Email notification will be sent to winner in addition to announcement. 

If you have any questions or problems entering your comment email me at
hoe and shovel garden at gmail dot com.

Thank you and good luck,
Meems


Disclosure: My reviews and/or recommendations are always my own thoughts. I am being compensated for my partnership with Troy-Bilt as one of the Saturday6 team members. This post is in conjunction with that partnership. Troy-Bilt is providing a CS4325 Chipper Shredder to one winner of this contest.

61 comments:

  1. My yard is full of trees and I have to rely on grandsons to help clean up in the fall. Would love to be able to mulch my limbs and leaves for the garden! Vicky vtl0401@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Meems, we have an acre of wooded land and are constantly burning and chopping lawn debris. This would be a lifesaver for us! Our current pile of debris is 12' wide and 3' tall and I want it gone! We also have many oaks on our land and would like to have finer mulch for the beds.

    Thank you!

    Trisha Bowley, chloe92us@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. After hearing about this tool from you on many an occasion, I Have often thought about getting one. I garden on about 3/4 of an acre where I have wildlife gardens and a meadow. I only use organic mulches and make my own compost but it is hard to get enough mulch and compost for all the gardens when I need them so I have to wait or buy them. What a treat for me and my wildlife garden to be able to make my own mulch for native plant gardens and veg gardens. Thank you Meems and Troy-Bilt for the opportunity!

    ddonabella@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I would love this tool for shredding up vines and tree trimmings that continually keep me busy. Having my own free mulch to spread around would be fantastic.

    FlowerLady Lorraine
    flowerladylorraine@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. How exciting to be giving away such an awesome tool. My yard is full of oak trees therefore we have lots of leaves and small limbs that I would love to mulch to use in my composter, for adding to plant areas to water less, and for my first time edible garden. Oh the fun one could have with that tool! Thanks for sponsoring the give away!
    Laura R.
    tready4316@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow, I have seen you offer this beautiful machine before, Meems, and I've wanted one ever since. We have a backyard full of 80+ foot-tall oak trees, poplar trees and others...in addition to my stream/waterfall and native plant gardens. We bring in about 6 truckloads of mulch in the spring and fall and spread them. We rake leaves throughout the year, and try to dump the mulch over the leaves so we don't have to get rid of them. How wonderful it would be to be able to chop up those leaves, and allow them to compost quicker. Often we have to haul some of the leaves away because there simply isn't enough room on our property to handle all of them, and keep available space for my native plants pop up through them all. Additionally, there are always loads of branches that fall down into the stream and gardens and unfortunately must be disposed of. It would be *perfect* to be able to chop up those branches and spread them around the backyard and gardens, adding mulch and nutrients without having to lug in so much mulch from outside. This would be the ideal garden machine for our needs. Thank you for allowing your garden readers the opportunity to be eligible for it;-) You can contact me via Facebook or starlight1957ATgmailDOTcom Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  7. i'd gather the leaves
    from the Laurel Oak trees

    and put them right into the shredder.

    and with more speed of chew
    of what an earthworm could do

    the chopper would make compost better.

    annie@floridanativeplants.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I absolutely love your blog, it's been such an inspiration for me as a person just getting started gardening in the Tampa area. I always mulch my beds with fallen oak leaves from my property but I would love to be able to shred them more, plus the idea of cleaning up all the fallen limbs/sticks and reusing them is awesome. Thanks for the opportunity to win!
    -Jenn, jenngrigoryevATgmailDOTcom
    jenn of all trades

    ReplyDelete
  9. hmmm, I think "chopper" should have been "chipper"

    (note:
    I haven't made a poem since college, it was fun. Thanks Meems for the opportunity.)

    ReplyDelete
  10. HI Meems: Great Blog, we have a place in Okeechobee and will soon be spending more time there. Learning a lot from your blog about gardening in the south. Lots of trees and brush on our place in New Hampshire. Chipper Shredder would come in real handy.

    Have a wonderful day,
    John jw@jwlw.net

    ReplyDelete
  11. I would love to win this as we rake our leaves and put them in the flower beds but they are so big and thick sometimes we get mold and smothered plants. I think small pieces would be more beneficial. Did you mean 3 inch sticks or 3 feet, 3 inches isn't very big.

    ReplyDelete
  12. With 3 large oak trees and quite a few pine trees I'd put this go good use. I currently have a pile of small sticks I picked up after Issac I have to decide what to do with.

    As we said in grade school -
    Pick Me, Pick Me!

    Jo @ heal.josie@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Meems,
    This is a wonderful giveaway! With six acres filled with Oaks & Slash Pines you can imagine how much yard debris we accumulate. Would love to be able to recycle the twigs, branches & leaves into a usable mulch for my wildlife gardens and butterfly garden instead of throwing them all in the fire pit. Thank you,
    Lisa Burns lisa@backyardgetaway.net
    www.backyardgetawayponds.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. My garden is 3 yrs old. After a visit to Vietnam, I realize I'd like to incorporate as much permaculture style planting as possible. Thus, I now bury my bokashi, seek dung donations, hand-cut up branches & rake leaves as mulch, simply grow as much edibles as possible & share the extras. The chipper-shredder will be very helpful & I'll even share its use with my neighbor who is now also keen to try permaculture gardening. Thanks for a chance to Win a Troy-Bilt Chipper Shredder.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh my goodness. What a sweet opportunity! Thank you so much for giving we fellow gardeners a chance at winning such a beautiful & practical tool that will help the garden thrive! I am new to Hoe & Shovel. I found this blog through the Facebook page. I spent several minutes lusting over the gorgeous aroids in your garden! :) Can't wait to see more! I am Missi, a 29 year-old budding hobby gardener from Naples, Florida. Unfortunately I do not reside in the sub-tropical area of Naples but inland in the Golden Gate Estates where we get a few nights of frost each winter :( My home had no landscaping when we moved in. Kind of a blessing in disguise because as I went to work on it, I discovered that gardening is therapy for my stressful days at the office as well as my anxiety disorder. Earlier this year I started a new tropical garden with young powder puff trees & orchid trees as the focal points. The only issue with where my tropical garden is located is that it is basically just sand. The original owners of my property had all the mature trees & shrubs removed from the property so there has not been much of an opportunity for soil to accumulate. I have hardly any top soil and when I purchase top soil to lay down, a lot of it washes down into the yard during the rains. This is frustrating for me because I am on a tight budget right now. I would love to have the chipper so I can take the fallen leaves & pine needles & create my very own type of soil conditioner. I just know my garden would thrive like the pine & palmetto woods that surround my property. Thank you for taking the time to read my story!

    Best,

    Missi Bellande missi.bellande@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh, I would love to have one of these chipper/shredders! Our back yard is full of Douglas firs, which drop branches and twigs and debris all year. It would be so useful for breaking that stuff up to either put in the compost or use as mulch. Not to mention the fall leaves from the few deciduous trees that I have. Thanks so much for offering it!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I have actually dreamed about this magical machine, since reading your blog! I have a big yard, and it always needs trimming, clipping, pruning, something! This Chipper would be my new favorite tool! Thank you for the opportunity!
    Kelly - ktsdotcom@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks for sponsoring such a great give-away. I would love love love to have one of these tools. We have a ton of trees and a chipper/shredder would really help us manage all the limbs and leaves we get year round. I would never have to supplement my bed with pine straw if I had a tool like this - instant mulch is awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I try to recycle as much as possible and having this tool would help with material to add to my compost pile. Now all of the stick and branches go to the yard trash barrel.
    thanks
    Sue Powers
    suep10@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Meems, to have a chipper/shredder again would be awesome. After ours was stolen several years ago my husband turned to burning our "brown gold". What a waste. we never saved up to get another. Something else always comes up, as we all understand. This will truely make someone happy to win. Hope it's me!
    Rennie biestlair@embarqmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. Supporting my local mulch salesman is a good thing, but making my own would be so much better! And shredding maple leaves for compost and oak for mulch would be fabulous, too. Why should my hubby have all the power tools? Seriously, Meems, a chipper/shredder would be a huge blessing. i hope it goes to the reader who needs it most.

    Mary Ann mcmacmaryann@mac.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. My Mother's yard has been neglected for over 20 years! Having just moved here to help her, I have my work cut out with yard debris! Having no way to get rid of all the dead trees, branches & brush, A Troy-Bilt Chipper Shredder would be so handy & provide me with mulch as I try to re-claim this yard from the wilderness!I would even be willing to let my neighbors use it to help rid their yards of leaves & branches. Being new to Florida I have a lot to learn about gardening here & having some of the much needed, proper tools would be so helpful! Thank you for the opportunity to win this cool item! Elizabeth Eichstaedt- mizliz96 at hot mail dot com.

    ReplyDelete
  23. i would love one of these for our farm. we are always having tree branches blowing down on the acreage and would love to chip them instead of burning them in the firepit.

    thingsilove-marmee.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. Wow! So many wonderful readers that sound like they REALLY need that chipper! Don't you wish you could give one to everyone?

    Something new about VA, well not new, just different from FL...there is no "yard debris" pickup here. I'm all good with that. I didn't have much debris in FL...I usually composted everything. However, here, we have enormous tall trees--60-80'. I love them. I had forgotten that trees grow tall until we moved here, and I'd forgotten how many limbs beeches and poplars drop until we moved here. I pick up limbs daily, and after thunderstorms, it's a family affair. We pile them in the corner, and when we have enough to justify the 15 mile one-way trip to the dump, we haul them there. They compost them, and we do buy their compost.

    My neighbor has enough limbs to build a small hut. I told him that I was dreaming of saving for a chipper this fall if they ever went back into production so Yay!

    A chipper would sure help tame these limbs...and mulch that ivy area we've yet to rip out and replace with hostas and ferns and other lovelys.

    And, I could always put it on my trusty trailer and haul it down to FL for tree trimming time at the house. I think I'd use the chipper more than the lawn mower. HA!

    And the leaves...I have a new tip for those of you who are fortunate enough to own a snow shovel...they make great leaf scoops. Learned that from my wonderful husband, who hates yard work. We make hash of putting out mulch and scooping leaves in the fall with a snow shovel. Who would've thought!

    Brandy Belue
    blundergirl123@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. I have wanted one of these chipper shredders for years! No kidding. I even tried to get a few neighbors to go in on one to share. I would use it all the time!

    My email address is zdaudert-ATsymbol-gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. With many live oaks and plenty of yard debris, a chipper/shredder would be an incredible help around here! I'd feel so priviledged to win one from a gardener I admire!
    Kim
    felixfamily6@embarqmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hey this is a fantastic giveaway!! Sure could put it to use around here.
    Charlotte
    charsgardeningatyahoodotcom

    ReplyDelete
  28. I only have a half-acre and feel guilty saying I need this, but I do!!! I am weary of chopping down fallen branches and trimmings with hand pruners or loppers so that they can be used as compost. Then the ones I don't chop for lack of strength have to be drug over to the neighbor's pit because my garden is too small to store them. Right now, I scoop oak leaves with a shovel and throw them right on the garden. I think the combo of oak leaves and branches shredded together would make incredible mulch!!! Should I get lucky, you can reach me at floridaflowerfotos@yahoo.com.

    ReplyDelete
  29. 56Well, that chipper/shredder is not GREEN like my lovely little spot here on the Indian River Lagoon, but that red mcahine would make a great addtion to my life. I love that the shredded leaves come out fine enough to drop around my flowers.

    What fun that would be !!!!

    Carolyn at carolynike@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  30. I would love to use the chipper shredder to make mulch for my veggie garden. I have LOTS of twigs and branches that fall into my garden from the conservation behind my property. If I could shred all the big piles of sticks back there, I would have more room for plants! Kellywilliamsbrey@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. Great idea, Meems!
    Ever heard of anyone recycling ALL garden waste? Well, that's me. I leave no bags of leaves, no sticks, and no tree limbs for city workers to haul away. I believe our gardens are like energy factories and keeping that energy IN the garden gives that circle of life a healthy and sustainable future. Imagine if we ALL did this!
    I've been doing this for well over 10 years and in that time have only given away to the city twice...Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Rita overwhelmed me.
    A mulcher/shredder would save this 54 year old a lot of work. Thanks for entering my name.
    David/
    texanagarden@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. Oh my goodness, Meems! I have been pining for this chipper for some time since reading about it on your blog. I'm loaded with oak trees and pines; this shredder is just the ticket for preparing this yummy mulch for my garden.

    Melissa, scout10@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  33. The Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center in Ruskin would LOVE to have this piece of equipment. We are constantly trimming trails and sprucing up the native plant Butterfly habitat and demo gardens. This would allow us to make some much needed mulch and/or compost right where we need it most.
    Thanks for the chance to enter to win! ~ Dolly, campbayou@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  34. I know you have written about the chipper before and you really love it. This is a fun contest and can't wait to see who wins.

    Cassandra Brugnone
    crybrug@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  35. Hi Meems - What a great demo you've done and I love the fact that it chips LEAVES! We have those hard as nails live oak leaves that never break down and can't even be used for compost. I have a sea of them in my wildscape woods where all the bird feeders are and I need to remove some of them so the birds don't lose the seeds that fall to the ground because the leaf cover is so thick and unwieldy. I'm crossing my fingers you have my solution! Have a great day. http://sharingnaturesgarden.blogspot.com and dianackirby@gmail dot com.

    ReplyDelete
  36. I would love to win this machine, I have lots of trees and I try to use compost for my beds. I have followed your blog and have wanted a chipper shredder for a while.

    pgp1111@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  37. I have a large yard. I try to use compost as much as I can. This would help me so much.

    Phyllis
    pgp1111@AOL.com

    ReplyDelete
  38. I have a big yard and I would love to be able to compost more.
    Thanks, Phyllis


    pgp1111@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  39. We have acquired a half acre of wooded land adjoining our home. There is 40+ years of accumulated branches, shrubbery and downed trees to be dealt with. This chipper/shredder will make the chore much easier. Troy-Bilt makes outstanding machinery and we'd LOVE to own this.
    Thanks to Troy-Bilt and Meems for this opportunity.
    CeeJay, cjp484 AT gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  40. Thanks for hosting this giveaway, Meems and thanks to Troy-Bilt for the opportunity! I know I could certainly make use of a shredder like this--I have tons of oak leaves each fall that could quickly be turned into mulch with one of these.

    Rose at prairierose150@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  41. My 1/2 acre is full of trees that I am constantly trimming.I would love to stop hauling my trimmings away and turn them into mulch. This would cut down on my weeding and recycle what would otherwise end up in a landfill. It's a win-win situation for me!
    Judy
    jreymccalla@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  42. I would love to have this chipper to mulch up all the "extras" in my large backyard. It would be wonderful to be able to add some of the large branches and leaf debris directly to my garden beds.
    Kim
    Bateskimberlya@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  43. I bought a house this summer and boy have I got my gardening work cut out for me! I would love to have a chipper/shredder to use for mulching and composting all of the limb, sticks etc that have accumulated. So glad I found your site - it will be such a help in my gardening endeavors! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  44. I recently bought a house and my gardening/landscaping work is cut out for me! Having a chipper/shredder will be great for making mulch and compost out of the limbs, sticks and other debris. Love your blog - it will be very helpful to me in my gardening pursuits!

    ReplyDelete
  45. When my wife came across your blog several years ago it started her on the path to making our yard look amazing. Since then she's become quite the plant enthusiast and is constantly improving our landscaping. The one thing that annoys both of us is that we have to buy commercial landscape mulch every time she converts a section of the yard.

    Having over an acre of overgrown mess and several oak trees, the leaves are plentiful along with small branches and dead wood. We'd use this chipper to convert that to free, organic mulch so she can continue to make our yard one of the best looking in the neighborhood.

    -- Warren
    jabonie@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  46. I love mulch. Most of my beds are just mulch. Not much sod anywhere. As a matter of fact no sod anywhere:)
    This chipper will create much mulch for my florida friendly yard!

    ReplyDelete
  47. The quality of my compost seems to correlate to the happiness in my heart. I would have so much fun growing the soil even more if I could use this chipper to use all the excess leaves and limbs. Grow soil grow! Mary
    dtrucks@bellsouth.net

    ReplyDelete
  48. With more than an acre of overgrown mess, I could so use a chipper shredder! For the last year Ive been clearing out at least 5-10 yards of debris every month. I hate to waste all of it just taking it out to the curb. Since the growing season never really stops in south Florida there is always more. By the time I get one area cleared the last area I did has already been overrun. With a chipper shredder I'd never need to buy another bag of mulch again.

    Thank you!
    -Rick
    ocricky@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  49. This would be an awesome addition to my composting and mulching regiment. I could even mulch for my neighbors and get them into the sustainable state of mind. Chris at restlessnatives@tampabay.rr.com

    ReplyDelete
  50. Hi Hoe and Shovel, I posted yesterday some information about my excitement of finally buying a house and that I get to return to my love of gardening that I have had since I was in my twenty's!***Here is the post:
    Marie Eatman I am so jealous but so inspired! We have gone through (all rentals) 3 foreclosures and this last house the owner passed away 2 weeks after moving in; I have gone from having a flourishing vegetable garden wonderful flower garden and a wonderful butterfly garden (1st foreclosure) to slowly losing the bug to plant ANYTHING! We close this month on a house with full shade in the front (big thing here in Central Florida :)) and full sun in the back. I can't wait to start planting!! I can't wait to smell dirt! And I won't have to leave it!! Hoe and Shovel Garden you have me more inspired!!!!*****We are closing on a house this month and I have an absolutely clean plate to work on in the front and back yard! The home has been owned by an elderly lady who has not been able to do anything for a number of years. The front has a huge oak tree, so plenty of material and shade :), which is part of the reason I pushed for this older home, rather than a newer subdivision with no trees. Plus I believe these older oak trees in Cent FL have a spirit, call me strange, but think, some of them go back to native Indians :). And the back is full sun which is where I am going to start my fall vegetable garden for the 1st time in years! I could really use a mulcher for this, have the typical Cent FL sandy soil and it needs all the help it can get! With the repairs and updates that need to be done to the house, a mulcher is not in the budget for quite some time, so I would REALLY love to win this! I can be reached at marie@liquidbluetravel.net or https://www.facebook.com/marie.eatman Best regards, Marie Eatman

    ReplyDelete
  51. Winning this chipper/shredder would help this senior adult financially in helping her to purchase less mulch ... I have eliminated the amount of grass I have to cut back on fertilizer and water but the trade off is the need for mulch ... I spend between $200 and $300 per year and finance this expenditure by using any Birthday, Mother's Day, or Christmas money that I get ... It would also eliminate the need to put my prunings from trees and shrubs at the curb for pickup ... instead I would be able to turn it into free mulch ... Thank you for giving us the chance to win the Troy-Bilt Chipper Shredder.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Kathy C.
    thelabellady56@yahoo.com

    Winning the Troy-Bilt Chipper Shredder would enable me to save financially on my mulch budget. I am a senior adult and I use any Birthday, Mother's Day and Christmas money that I get to purchase my mulch. I use well over 200 bags of mulch since I have eliminated a major portion of my lawn in order to cut back on the use of pesticide, fertilizer and water ... owning this chipper shredder would also eliminate my need to send shrubbery and tree prunings to the land fill but instead be able to turn it into mulch. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to win this fabulous piece of equipment ...

    ReplyDelete
  53. Hi Meems,

    How exciting to enter a chance to win the Troy Built chipper/shredder. My husband and I have wanted one for a very long time. We have a small city lot and can't have piles of trimmings sitting around to decompose. We have two small compost bins and the chipper/shredder would allow me to shred our leaves and trimmings and the leaves from our neighbors. And maybe I could also pick up some of the leaf bags discarded to the curb in our neighborhood.....it just kills me to see all those leaves not being used. Seems like all of your readers have the same goal to recycle our yard waste and improve our garden beds.
    You have really inspired me to get out and work in the garden and not just sit around looking at magazines and books and dreaming about what I want. You have set me on the path to success in the garden!

    Thank You

    Jane jtbrown1@gte.net

    ReplyDelete
  54. This TroyBilt shredder would make fast work of the bags and bags of fall leaves that we will be composting. And to be able to chip up small branches to mulch our garden beds is a second bonus. Pick me, pick me! Mbsimm@gmail.com. Www.cultivatingparadise.com.

    ReplyDelete
  55. OK, I'll go ahead and throw my hat in the ring, too. I waited as I rarely win things, but what the heck. I just may be lucky enough this time and it sure would be a blessing as I've got three huge oaks in my yard which make for a lot of work! I'm currently reworking my entire backyard and the mulch would be great for all the new plants being installed! Thanks to you and Troy-Bilt for making this offer possible!

    Robert
    RJGUTEX@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  56. I'm keeping mine wish simple. I would shread everything I could get my hands on to make my poor soil better to grow things in.
    Martha Cochrane
    zinnia99@comcast.net

    I love your pictures & info on FB! I'm also working little by little to replace all my grass with plants, too.

    ReplyDelete
  57. ABSOLUTELY I would love to win the Troy-Bilt chipper-shredder.

    It seems I may be the only hobby gardener that thinks the chipper-shredder will INCREASE my workload. It's just so easy to haul all the excess yard debris (what we don't compost or repurpose) to my "burn pile", light a match & stand by with a water hose for a couple hours, twice a year. But since this machine is not a commercial chipper, I will have to do a lot more yard waste prep: no wet leaves, no curved branches, no limbs over 3", etc. And then there's hauling the machine around (good thing it has a hitch to attach it to my riding lawn mower or golf cart), sorting & guiding just the right types of yard materials into the unit (yes I noticed the 2-way feed) and distributing ALL that fine mulch throughout my numerous gardens (which could be a lot considering the machine has a powerful Briggs & Stratton engine). But I don't mind the "extra work" at all. In fact, just thinking of the possibilities has me excited to start trimming and weeding and pruning again.

    My husband and I spend every weekend "working" our gardens. So much so, in fact, that not only do the staff at the local gardening centers and nurseries smile and knowingly nod when they see us approaching, but our neighbors place innocent bets on how many plants or how much mulch we will be hauling onto our property each week. And of course this means we have a lot of gardening tools and equipment. We even have our own hobby greenhouse. But the one investment we've researched and longed for, but never committed to, is a chipper-shredder. They are so very expensive and we have not been able to justify spending that much money on a single item when we could use that hard-earned cash for MORE PLANTS.

    So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can finally shred the millions of oak tree leaves, chip the tons of wind-downed branches and do something other than burn the wheelbarrow loads of saw palmetto trimmings.

    Troy-Bilt is well known for building dependable products and providing excellent customer service. And this appears to be their top-of-the-line chipper shredder. What can be better than that? Well...when that is free, of course. ;)

    And if I don't win, at least I know it is going to one of Meem's readers. It will feel like it's going to someone in our "family". Good luck to all my fellow gardeners.

    Bobbi Conley
    urlovingit@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  58. .Janice Harvey-Vogt If I was picked my school and neighborhood would really benefit. First off I have a great group of kids at my high school that would love to chop up all the branches that fall all over after these heavy rains, the mulch we would get will teach them the importance of mulching and how when it breaks it makes better soil. Then my neighbors will all get free mulch and everyone would have beautiful beds and I believe folks will want to make their gardens better and plant more and that will help the economy. Last but not least I love Troy Bilt and my favorite color is RED:)
    Iluvpumpkinsjv@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  59. Hello!
    A chipper/shredder would be the first ans most important garden tool for my new yard. I have lived in cities my whole life and have never been blessed with a yard or garden until now. ;)

    ukiah.clinic@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  60. Hi Meems,
    My FL panhandle yard has a beautiful oak tree that canopies the whole backyard. Along with that oak tree comes piles and piles of leaves. I would so enjoy being able to produce ready mulch.

    All the best,
    Melissa Evenson
    melissaevenson@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  61. Hi, I am Deborah Mason--I really enjoy your blog...I live in the Destin area and not ALL the same plants are ok there, but you always give me great ideals...I have 1/2 acre of lovely magnolias and hickorys--I would keep amulcher very busy!! whoever wins, I think this mix of your opinions and some company sponsored give aways and info are a good mix...keep it up. Deborah2525@mindspring.com Deborah Mason

    ReplyDelete

Have a blessed day,
Meems


September 2010

Back Garden: October 2010

Louise Philippe: Antique Rose

Tropical Pathway