If you are anything like me, your compost heap is a work in progress.  It is an effort in pure do-gooder hopefulness.  Mine has been active and getting larger for probably 4 years, but since I have never turned it and I have never tried to take anything from beneath the new stuff that gets added to the top, I have nothing to show for my efforts (but I keep piling it on…).  I am intrigued by Burgon & Ball’s flexible compost aerator which is really just a giant wine bottle opener.   But the idea is that you screw it in, getting air to the middle so that the process speeds up.  Seems like it has potential and I would be interested to give it a try.

Do you have any clothing made of bamboo?  I have heard of it but never seen anything that I actually might buy.  But apparently is it an organic and sustainable resource that doesn’t even require irrigation. Products made with bamboo also biodegrade faster than synthetics and they are naturally better at controlling skin temperatures, wicking away moisture and they have a soft feel and built-in antibacterial qualities.  These gloves from Town and Co. look the same as my old gloves so I can’t think of any reason not to give them a try.

Do you use old frames or cloches?  I haven’t used either, but I am interested to try the later.  I just find them so charming.  Access Garden products was shortlisted for their newest version of the cloche.  It doesn’t have some of the charming styling of others, but it does look like it might be a whole lot more useful (because it is taller) and studier – because it is made to work and not just look cute.

There are 13 products on the short list for ‘best new product’ and they are all interesting.  Since I have this tendency to disagree with RHS judges, I will be sharing all the the nominees for best new garden product all week and at the end of the week will post a survey on Facebook so that we can choose our own favorite.

Check out the other contestants:

• Straysparks Hand Forged Decorative Trellis
• Twool Wool Garden Twine
• Sneeboer’s Roayl Dutch Hoe
• HozeLock’s Flexi Spray & the X-Hose
• More to come…

images burgon and ball, town and co and Access Garden Products.