About Genevieve

Genevieve Schmidt owns a landscape design and fine garden maintenance firm in Humboldt County, CA. She is a Top Reviewer at Amazon.com and writes professionally for numerous publications, including her own gardening website, NorthCoastGardening.com. Contact her via email at Gen@NorthCoastGardening.com.

Bahco Ergo PX-M2 Pruner: Great for Lefties, Too

Guest post by Joost D. When asked about my favorite hand pruner – I was almost afraid to open up. Not that I had any hesitation mind you, but because when it comes to discussing their favorite pruner, there are many gardeners who are going to defend the honor of their favorite brand.

Review of the Black&Decker 40V MAX Cordless Lithium String Trimmer (LST136W)

Before I begin my review, I have to preface it with the fact that I do not actually own the Black and Decker 40V MAX Lithium String Trimmer (LST136W) myself. However, if you were to ask my neighbor (who I borrow this weedeater from frequently) he might suggest that the frequency with which I borrow […]

Flexrake Classic Hand Tiller (Mattock and Cultivator): The Tool You Can’t Be Without

Every gardener has a certain tool that he or she can’t live without. Not only that, but lending that special tool to any other person is out of the question; nope, it just isn’t done. Whether you received that tool as a gift or picked it out yourself, it just felt good in your hand […]

Red Dragon Weed Torch: No-Bend, Chemical-Free Weeding

While many home gardeners whip out the trowel or the sprayer to deal with weeds, there’s an easy, chemical-free option that most gardeners haven’t yet tried. Weed torches are a great no-bend solution for weeds in sidewalk cracks, gravel driveways, or along fence lines where it can be difficult to weed.

Bahco Hand Pruners: The Best Pruner You’ve Never Heard Of

Hand pruners are a contentious topic among gardeners, because we’re all so madly in love with our chosen style. Though gardeners will vehemently defend the honor of their favorite pruner, there’s one brand you’ve probably never even heard of: the Bahco Ergo PX line of hand pruner.

The Speedy Sharp: Sharpen Pruners Fast and On the Go

If sharpening your pruners is a task you dread, you probably aren’t using the Speedy Sharp. This compact sharpener fits in the palm of your hand, and makes sharpening fast and fun. While most people sharpen tools in winter, hand pruners need sharpening much more often – every 2-10 hours depending on the brand of […]

Three Fiskars Mowers: Which One Is Right for You?

I’m a huge fan of the Fiskars StaySharp line of mowers, and have owned the premium version of this mower, the Staysharp Max, for about two years. It was such a relief to be able to get rid of my old gas-powered mower, which was smelly, noisy, and had such a difficult-to-pull cord that even […]

Hori-Hori and Soil Knife Showdown: Reviews of the Best and the Worst

The humble trowel has taken a backseat in recent years to its sharper competitor, the hori-hori or Japanese soil knife. Because my landscaping employees lose their soil knives more often than I’d like, I’ve had a good excuse to try out all the different brands out there and get a feel for which ones perform […]

The Scoop on Soil Scoops: Reviews of the Best

As a landscaping professional, I have very little patience for inefficient tools. That’s why I can never understand why so many people favor a tool as insipid and useless as a trowel. Do you need a weeding tool, or something to plant bulbs or tiny plant starts with? If so, a sharp, straight-bladed hori hori […]

Peter Thomas Roth Powdered Sunblock: Innovative Protection for Gardeners

Sunblock may not be the sexiest of topics, but if you’ve ever turned an unappealing shade of flamingo after gardening without sun protection, you know how important it is. While garden hats offer the best protection for your face, some of us (ahem) don’t really care to have a great floppy thing perched precariously on […]