Winners of The Hometown Seeds Variety Pack

It's time to announce the winners of the variety pack of seeds! Using an online random number generator at Random.org I numbered each commenter in the order they commented and the winning numbers happened to be 8, 7, and 6 in that order which means that the 3 winners of the Variety pack of seeds from Hometown Seeds are as follows:

8. Lola
7. Marti
6. Gisele

If the three winners would email me your mailing addresses at thehomegarden@gmail.com I'll forward them to Hometown seeds and your garden seed variety pack will be on the way!

Not GMO

I think the whole subject of GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) in our food supply is definitely worth its own post as many people (including myself) have some great concerns. I will not knowingly advocate for GMO's and definitely caution against their consumption. I am not a scientist and don't know all the facts regarding the genetic manipulation of organisms but I can't say I'm a fan of the idea behind Franken-Cucumber.

I hope to explore the subject in greater depth later but I felt that I needed to provide some information I received from Hometown Seeds who are sponsoring this week's seed giveaway. Two separate bloggers from other sites notified me that Hometown Seeds uses GMO seeds. Since I was concerned I sent an email to the company to investigate and find out what products were GMO in their catalog. The answer was good news: NONE. Mr Peterson sent me the following email regarding an unfortunate mistake in communication with the previous bloggers.  I have printed the unedited email for you to read (the first part is his response to me and the second part is what I believe he sent the other bloggers):

Dave,

I am the owner of Hometown Seeds.  Chelsea forwarded your message with your concerns for GMO seeds.  I appreciate you addressing us first as our mistake has led to some very negative blog posts.  Please see the detailed explanation below.  We are vigorously trying to remove these concerns.  We have no GMO seeds.  We have a single supplier that shares our belief that GMO seeds have too many unknowns and should be avoided.  Please let us know if you have any further questions.

Scott Peterson

Owner

Hometown Seeds

I am the owner of Hometown Seeds and I need to clarify a terrible misunderstanding.  Chelsea showed me your email and I worked back from there.  Let me explain.

First, our survival seeds are all non-hybrid and none are GMO.  Secondly, the mistake is all my fault.  Chelsea is working in our little company part time.  She is a student at a local university helping us  build traffic to our website by reaching out to sites like yours.  She is not an expert in gardening and relies on me to answer any technical questions.  When the gentlemen from Oklahoma Peppers Network asked if our seeds were Hybrid or  GMO, I told her to respond that we sell some hybrid seeds but they are not in the survival seeds, and none of our seeds are GMO.  This is obviously not how she responded and had no idea how badly the mistake would be received.   I have seen what she emailed back, hence the misunderstanding and negative blog posts.  It was there in black and white after all.

We completely agree with the evils of GMO seeds.  We do not now nor ever will carry GMO seeds.  As for the survival seeds, the whole point is to provide open pollinated seed that will generate seed for the next year as well as food for the family.  All seeds in the survival seed packet are non-hybrid.

We have already sent the survival seed package out to you and I would hope you would examine the types of seeds and the instructions that clearly describe each type of seed.

I feel terrible that we have created such a problem.  What I feel the worst about is that in your efforts to help us out, we created confusion with your loyal readers.  I don’t know what else I can do but accept full responsibility for the what we have done and apologize profoundly.

I am very sorry.  I ask forgiveness from you and your readers.

Scott

Scott Peterson, owner

HometownSeeds.com

"More garden for your dollar"

He unequivocally states that Hometown seeds does not use GMO stock. This definitely is good news. Mistakes happen and it sounds to me that the company is trying to rectify the error.

Free Stuff Friday from Hometown Seeds

Who doesn't like free seeds? Today I have an opportunity for you to win a variety pack of garden seeds from a new seed retailer: Hometown Seeds! Hometown Seeds is offering to give these seeds to three lucky readers who visit their website and report to me about the most interesting seeds you see. That's all you have to do! After you have reported to me in the comments of this post your name will be entered into a random drawing and the winners will be announced next Friday (December 11, 2009). Please note that the winners will take home the variety pack worth almost $20!.  So before you go ordering all your spring seeds give yourself a chance to win a few!

After investigating some reports on GMO Seeds from Hometown it has been found to be a mistake. Hometown seeds does not have GMO seeds. See the post here for a letter from the company.

Included in the variety pack you could win are the following seeds:

Cilantro (Slow Bolt), Shasta Daisy (Alaska), Snapdragon (Giant Tetra), Wildflowers (Elite Mix), Four O'Clock (Marvel of Peru), Tomato (Yellow Pear), Carrot (Purple Haze), Broccoli (Walthum), Casaba Melon, Lettuce (Gourmet Mix)

Here's a little bit about Hometown Seeds to pass on to you:

Hometown seeds is a fairly new company started by Jared West and Scott Peterson.  The reason for starting the company has now become our mission.  “Provide the most garden for your dollar without sacrificing quality.”  This has been our sole focus thus far.  Our great customers garden for all reasons.  Some fill the shelves and freezer and feed the family all winter.  Some do it to unwind after stress filled days at the office.  Some are learning gardening to provide peace of mind in an uncertain world.

We have been amazed at the diverse range of customers we serve.  We love to hear feedback about new products, gardening successes, and fun garden facts.  The best part of our day is hearing from our customers.

We encourage everyone to try something new in the garden and always- Have Fun!

~Hometown Seeds

Go check their site and let me know what what you see!

EcoSMart Giveaway Winner!

I would like to thank all those who posted an entry for the EcoSmart bug killer giveaway!  All the names were dropped in a hat (actually a Halloween candy bag), mixed, and one name was drawn by my oldest daughter.  The name that was chosen was Stacyjo! Congratulations to Stacy.  All you need to do is go to the EcoSmart website and select a household product. Then let me know via Email or Direct Message on Twitter what you chose and where the company can send it (address). The product will be on your door as fast as they can ship it! Thanks again for participating!

On a side note you can follow The Home Garden on Facebook now!

Don't Forget!

Don't forget that today is the last day to tell your bug tale to win an EcoSmart product!  Read here to find the details for the giveaway!

Free Stuff Friday! (Organic Bug Killer Giveaway)

While this won't happen every Friday (I don't have enough sponsors) I do have something that some readers and bloggers may want to try in their own homes or gardens. If you remember a month or so back I tested some products from a company called EcoSMART. The specialize in making insect repellents, organic bug killers, and other products that are environmentally friendly and safe to use around children and pets. They are interested in giving away some of their product for you to try at home.  

Here's what you have to do to win their product: Tell me about your worst bug experience this year!

I've already told you about my worst bug tale (I'm not eligible for the contest so don't let my tale of the never ending hiccups intimidate you) so now it's your turn.  All you have to do is post either in the comments or on your blog and tell us your worst bug problem this year. Everyone who tells their bug story  gets an entry into the hat for a drawing that will happen next weekend. Make sure you let me know if you post your story on your blog.  All entry stories must be posted by 12:00 AM Central Time on Friday November 13th! Unfortunately you must be in the United States to participate but you are more than welcome to still share your worst bug story anyway!

Now let's hear about some bugs!

 

Edit: I'll be announcing the winner on Monday, so stay tuned!

And the Troy-Bilt Jet Leaf Blower Winner is...

First before I tell you who won the Jet Blower from Troy-Bilt I wanted to say thank you for entering! Giving stuff away is really one of the more exciting parts of blogging! The Jet is an easy to use leaf blower made by Troy-Bilt. The Jet easily blasts away grass clippings on driveways and leaves making cleaning up after yardwork a piece of cake. If you didn't win this JET but find yourself in need of a leaf blower you should be able to find it at your local home improvement centers for around $150.

The winner of the Jet was selected through a random number drawing between 1 and 20. (The total number of commenters on the review post.) The lucky winner was the eighth commenter, Emily Rose! Emily please send me an email (TheHomeGarden@gmail.com) with the your shipping address and phone number and I'll relay that information to Troy-Bilt. Congratulations!

Thank you again for entering and for reading GrowingTheHomeGarden.com!

Reusing an Old Wheelbarrow and a $50 Gift Card Giveaway to Lowe's!

A couple weeks ago I saw a picture posted on Facebook with a display of sedums all planted in an old wheelbarrow.  It was a pretty creative idea to re-use a wheelbarrow that may have just been discarded and turn it into something of interest.  This gave me an idea for my latest project for Lowe's Creative Ideas.  The theme is mums!  As I'm sure you're aware chrysanthemums are one of the most popular plant purchases this time of year.  The look great and offer a bushy burst of color which blends well with the Autumn season.  Today I'll show you a few of the items I'm using for the project.  The mum planting has all been completed but I'm waiting for a couple of the mums to break from their buds.

Before I show you what I'm using for this project here are a couple tips for buying mums:

• When buying mums buy them while still in bud (before flowering) so that you can enjoy the blooms longer.

• Perennial mums come back each year so don't throw them away, plant them in a holding area or in your garden for next year!

Here's the old wheelbarrow.  It was my dad's wheelbarrow for a long time until we bought him a wheelbarrow for father's day.  His old wheelbarrow was rusting out at the bolt holes and was just getting old from frequent use.  A good sturdy wheelbarrow is a necessity for any gardener.

I bought several different colors of mums from Lowe's but also wanted to add some asters.  Asters are another great fall blooming option if you don't want to go with the mums.

I'll show you how I put all these together soon in our mailbox garden for our fall mum display.  As soon as they are all in peek bloom I'll be out there with my camera!

If you would like a $50 gift card to Lowe's to do a similar project all you have to do is comment below on this post or my next post for Lowe's Creative Ideas before the end of Saturday October 6th, 2012 and tell me what is your favorite way to use mums in the garden?  We'll have a drawing this weekend and one lucky person will be shopping at Lowe's very soon!  Don't forget to follow The Home Garden on Facebook!

Fall Color Project 2012 News

I mention yesterday that I would share a couple more things with you about the Fall Color Project 2012 so today here are they are! The first news to share today is that there is a prize available for the participants.  All you have to do to win the prize is to join in the Fall Color Project between now and December 1st, 2012 and you will entered to win a really awesome solar water fountain from WaterFountainPlace.com!

There will be a random drawing on December 2nd and all participants of the Fall Color Project will be entered to win.  Unfortunately only those who live in the U.S. or Canada are eligible for the water fountain due to shipping.  If you live outside of those areas please go ahead and share your fall colors with us!

The second bit of news is the new logo for the 2012 Fall Color Project.  I would greatly appreciate (although it is not required) if you would link to the fall color project on your blog with this logo.  I've put three different sized logos below for you to choose which one fits best on your blog.  Make sure the link goes to the Fall Color Project Information page so that as many people as possible can join in!

How to link the image on your blog:

• First right click on the picture below and copy the url. 
• Then use this html on your blog: <a href="http://www.growingthehomegarden.com/2012/09/the-fall-color-project-2012.html"><img src="PICTURE URL"></a>.  
• Last insert the copied picture url where the words PICTURE URL are and the link is complete!
• If you need to resize the image for your blog add style="width: 340px"; into the <img src="PICTURE URL"> section somewhere after the img part.  i.e. <img src="PICTURE URL" style="width:340px;"> - The number of pixels can be changed to whatever fits your blog.

1600 Pixel Width:

 800 Pixel Width:

400 Pixel Width:

Thank you for putting up the banner on your blog!  And also a big thank you to WaterFountainPlace.com for offering the solar water fountain as a prize!

If you would like to donate a prize for the random drawing please send me an email at thehomegarden@gmail.com!

The Organic Weed Killer Winner is...

The organic weedkiller winner is...



as selected by the random number generator at Random.org...



which came up with the number...



(I'm drawing this out a little)...




(just for fun)...





(are we having fun yet?)....


 

3...




which means that....




Meemsnyc from the blog: Gardening in the Boroughs of NYC is the winner!



Congrats and email me your mailing address ASAP so I can get the products sent out to you!

Would You Like to Win an Organic Weed Killer?

The people at EcoSMART have offered to give away a bundle package containing an eco friendly pesticide and several other of their environmentally friendly products. Included in the bundle is an organic weed killer, a fungicide, garden insect killer and an insect repellent. All you need to do to enter the drawing for the is to post in the comments here and tell a little bit about why you would like to win! A winner will be selected at random from all entries and announced the following Friday (August 27th). All entries should be in by Thursday August 26th.

Good luck!

Also don't post any personal information in the comments. I don't want spammers to get your physical or email addresses. You can email that info after the contest is over to my email address and I'll forward it on to the company for your award.

And the Tomato Seed Winners Are...

Thank you to everyone who entered the drawing for the 'Woodle Orange' Heirloom tomato seeds. You WILL enjoy these next year or I'll give you your money back! (Oh wait you didn't pay anything - oh well ;))

The winners as randomly selected by Random.org are can be seen below in the picture. Just count down the commenters until you match up the number in the picture to find out who won or simply look at my list below (Darla removed herself from the drawing so her comment should not be counted). If the winners will send me an email (thehomegarden@gmail.com) with your mailing address I'll send the seeds out this week! You won't have time to get them started for this year but be sure to save them with your other seeds to start next spring. Can't you just taste them? Maybe that's just me, they do taste excellent on a burger like I had tonight!

The Winners: 

Melody, Pam, Victoria, Monica, and Tom M

Congratulations and thanks for commenting! 

There will be another giveaway next week so make sure you check back on Friday! 

(or just read everyday so you don't miss anything!)

The Home Garden: A Look Back at the Week

This week like every week seemed to fly by. We finally received some rain which will help out the various gardens immensely. We even had a decent evening because of the increased cloud cover! On The Home Garden I showed a comparison between my backyard from 2008 and present, wrote two posts one of my favorite ornamental grasses: switch grass (on propagating switchgrass, and a followup on switchgrass), and talked about more plant propagation. It's always busy around here with the garden and I know you are busy in yours. Thank you for taking the time to read the posts and commenting!

Heirloom Tomato Seed Giveaway!

Alright you tomato crazed vegetable gardeners! It's time to give away some tomato seeds to start your heirloom tomato collection for next year. The seeds I'm talking about are from a tomato called 'Woodle Orange'.  Which is perhaps a lesser known variety but definitely not because it under performs. In fact it's a delicious alternative to the standard reds and pinks in the tomato. It's good enough for me to save the seeds for next year and to encourage you to plant this heirloom in your vegetable garden.

Who wouldn't want to grow these!

If you would like to enter to win the 'Woodle Orange' tomato seeds all you have to do is comment in this post and tell me what your favorite garden tomato is and why you like it (or how you like to eat it). Additionally if you want a second entry tell me about that favorite tomato on your blog and link back to The Home Garden (www.GrowingTheHomeGarden.com) to tell others about the seed giveaway. The supply is limited and I'll divide the seeds into packs of 10-15 seeds to maximize how many people can win. (I don't have an exact count as of yet since I'm still collecting seeds but there will be multiple winners!) Also the seed giveaway is only open to those in the continental U.S. (the 48 contiguous states). All entries must be posted in the comments and/or on your blog by Friday August 13th. Friday the 13th could be your lucky day! ;)

And the Results are In! (Troy-Bilt 4 Cycle Trimmer Giveaway)

First let me thank everyone who entered the giveaway for the Troy-Bilt 4 Cycle string trimmer.  I really wish I could be like Oprah. Everyone in the audience would look under their chairs and find a new Troy-Bilt 4 Cycle string trimmer, but her bank account has a much higher capacity than mine!  Thankfully though my association with Troy-Bilt allows me to give away one lawn product to someone in GrowingTheHomeGarden.com's audience.

Before I announce the lucky winner let me mention that two of my fellow Saturday6 bloggers are also giving away cool Troy-Bilt riding mowers.  Stop over and visit Amy at Get Busy Gardening and Steve at The Rainforest Garden to enter. They are giving away the Neighborhood Rider which is a cool little riding mower great for smaller yards and landscapes.  Steve's giveaway ends on August 3rd and Amy's on August 5th so if you haven't already entered you'd better stop by soon.

You're thinking "OK Dave get on with it!"  And so we will!

The winner of the 4 Cycle String Trimmer from Troy-Bilt is Debbie!

Congratulations to Debbie Fykes!

Debbie, please send me an email to thehomegarden@gmail.com with your address information and I'll make arrangements for Troy-Bilt to send you a brand new 4 Cycle String Trimmer for your lawn and garden!

You're going to enjoy it!

And the Winner is...

Thank you to all the commenters who left entries into the Troy-Bilt CS4235 Wood Chipper giveaway.  It is a great tool for the garden and I know whoever is the winner will enjoy making mountains of mulch! We had 39 commenters* who left some great descriptions of their gardens.  What I found interesting to read were the very different situations each gardener had. Bamboo groves in need of severe pruning, gardeners stuck on islands, managing wilderness areas, removing invasive plants, and many other situations. I'm sure that everyone who posted a comment could make great use of this woodchipper. Unfortunately I can only give away one.

To select the winner I used a random number generator and counted to the corresponding commenter in the order in which the comments were made. The winner must be in the continental United States for shipping reasons. If for any reason the winner cannot accept delivery of the woodchipper I will redraw the number.


*one reader had technical issues commenting on the blog and contacted me so I assigned number 39 as his number.



And the winner is commenter number 27, Amanda Whitney! Congratulations Amanda! Please send your address, phone number, and email to TheHomeGarden@gmail.com and I'll forward it to Troy-Bilt so we can arrange for the delivery of your shiny new CS4235 Wood Chipper!

Thank you for reading Growing The Home Garden and participating in this giveaway!


Don't forget to follow on Facebook and Google+!

And The Winner Is...

This week has been an interesting one! I'm amazed and astounded by the sheer number of comments generated for the compost bin giveaway from Clean Air Gardening. At the cut-off time for the drawing there were 120 valid entries (Nancy's, of Leaping Greenly, doesn't count since she's Canadian but I always appreciate her comments!).


Here's how the drawing worked:

• I went to Random.org 
• I asked for a random number between 1 and 120
• I got a random number.
• Then I counted down to the comment that corresponds to that random number. (If you do this skip past Nancybond to get the correct commenter).

And who's the winner? All-American Belle! Congratulations you are the proud new owner of a compost spinner! (email me ASAP at thehomegarden [at] gmail.com and to make shipping arrangements!)

I want to thank Clean Air Gardening for offering the compost spinner for a prize! And thank you for joining in the contest. If you would like to keep up with what's happening here at The Home Garden please subscribe or follow on Facebook.

If you missed something this week take a gander below! (Can you believe I actually said gander?)

Monday May 31, 2010

• In Memory -My thoughts for Memorial Day. 

Tuesday June 1, 2010

• Growing Yuccas from Seed - My yucca seeds were starting to sprout.

Wednesday June 2, 2010

• The First Tomatoes! - Tomatoes are coming, these are still green but there are many more on the way!
  

Friday June 4, 2010

• 5 Daily Garden Chores -If you need help to keep your garden shores organized consider doing a few things everyday like these 5 chores.
• Around the Birdbath Garden - Just another update of the birdbath garden a the stepping stone pathway nearby. It's come a long way since its beginning!

Compost Tumbler Contest Last Call!

Don't forget that Friday is the last day to enter the compost tumbler giveaway sponsored by Clean Air Gardening. At the time of my writing this reminder there are 95 entries and the competition is fierce! It just shows that gardeners know how important composting is for our gardens. I do want to thank Clean Air Gardening for offering the tumbler as a prize (which look awesome!) and please do take a look at many of their other products to see what they have. (I'm very curious about those reel mowers!)

If you want an extra chance to win check out In the Garden Online and My Skinny Garden for the same prize!

Win a Compost Bin?

Today I have a very cool giveaway to tell you about. The folks at Clean Air Gardening are providing a 60 Gallon Spin Bin made from recycled materials for one lucky winner here on The Home Garden. To enter into the drawing all you need to do is comment on this post before 11:59 PM CST on Friday June 4th. The only guideline is that the bin can only be shipped within the 48 contiguous states.

After all entry comments have been made I'll randomly select a winner. The winner will receive the compost bin shipped to their home! The compost bin retails for $169.99 so get your entries in for your chance to win a nifty compost bin!

A Few of the Spin Bin's Features (from Clean Air Gardening):

20 ventilation / drainage slots -- means that your tumbler will give you superior aeration of the contents, one of the keys to successful composting.

4 compost thermometer ports -- so that you can easily keep track of how well your compost is doing.

Dual locking lids -- make it easy to add materials to the compost tumbler, no matter which end is up.

Sturdy Powder coated steel legs -- will effortlessly hold your bin for years outside in the elements.

Easy assembly design -- means that you'll only needs a Phillips screwdriver to put the bin together.

Wide mouth -- for easy access to contents inside.

Compost instructions embossed in each lid -- so you'll always have the instructions handy.

Large 60 gallon capacity -- is the perfect size for most homeowners.

Ribbed interior design -- gives your compost bin added strength and superior mixing action.

90 Day No Risk Free Trial -- so that you can buy with confidence.

Sealed, off the ground design -- keeps animal pests away.

2 year manufacturer's warranty -- so you know it will last for years to come.

100 percent recycled plastic -- construction is environmentally friendly.

Dark color -- absorbs light and helps heat up the materials inside for quicker composting.

Tumbles in place -- so it's easy to keep your compost mixed up and aerated, which makes for faster composting.

The Winner is...

First of all let me apologize for the delay. I had hoped to announce this this morning but Blogger (the blogging platform I use for The Home Garden) has been down since Thursday evening. I was unable to write anything about the drawing for the Dupont Weed Fabric and Lowe's Gift Card until now. I mentioned the delay on The Home Garden Facebook Page which is a good place to visit if something like this happens in the future!

To participate in the drawing all that was necessary was commenting and sharing your favorite weed prevention tips!


Here's what you shared about weeding and who shared it:

Use newspapers or cardboard to prevent weeds (with mulch)
Laura, Anonymous, karenleigh, Tina, Megan, Danielle B., Michael, Sylvia, Denise, Lola, Melody, KayzKreationz, Anne, Randy, Rowena__, Gloria, Tessa, Dena, Mysterious OpenID Person (sorry you didn't leave a name ;) )

Mulch!
lisa, lorraine, Kevin, Ginger, Brenda, 


The old hand weed by hand technique!
Alison, Alan, My Kids' Mom, Kristine M., Brandi Mills, Carmen, C.A.Marshall, Junk Loving Girl


Rolling up landscape fabric at the end of the season.
char012247

Landscape Fabric
Deb

Weed and sod removal
Darla

Covering with grass clippings.
Natz

Flame Weeders (Some Like it Hot)!
Nicole

Till it and kill it! (Catchy!)
Sarah

Now for what you've been waiting for - the drawing and who wins the landscape fabric along with a $100 gift card to Lowe's. By using the random number generator set to pick the number between 1 and 43 (for all the great comments) and counting down in order from the first comment we will come up with our winner.




Drumroll please!





are you drumming yet?






It's OK if you are in your office just grab two pencils and drum with the erasers...






No one in your office will mind...







They might think you're a little crazy though...but it is Friday after all....





...paradiddle ... paradiddle....roll...






and the winner is.....





Comment number 40! Which means our winner today is Ginger! Congratulations Ginger!

And thanks for everyone for commenting and visiting The Home Garden!

Win DuPont Biodegradable Weed Fabric and $100 Lowe's Gift Card!

A couple weeks ago a representative for DuPont contacted me and asked me to review one of their products. It was a weed control fabric (DuPont Garden O.N.E® Biodegradable Weed Control Fabric). I was skeptical about it at first (since weed control fabrics and myself don't usually get along) but I said go ahead and send it and I'd take a look.When I looked at the weed fabric packaging I was pleased to find a 100% biodegradable weed control fabric for vegetable gardens and annual plantings! That's what it says on the packaging.

If you read further down the roll you'll find that the weed fabric is made from wood fiber, is suggested for use in organic gardens, and can be tilled into the soil at the end of the year! Sounds like newspaper put into a convenient roll for you.

I haven't tested my weed control fabric yet but I'm planning to get it in the vegetable garden this weekend. I'll lay the fabric down and mound my melon hills over it. The fact that it can be worked back into the soil at the end of the season makes it worth trying. Most weed control fabrics take years to break down and create issues the following year when you go to replant that bed, but since this fabric breaks down into the soil next year's planting should go very smoothly. I'll update you on the weed fabric installation next week.

DuPont sent me a $100 gift card to Lowe's to get some supplies for testing the weed control fabric and is offering a roll of it (which can be found at Lowe's) and a $100 Lowe's gift card to one reader here at The Home Garden! To enter into the drawing simply enter a comment in this post explaining what your favorite weed control technique is! Next Friday (May 13, 2011) may be your lucky day because that's when I'll announce the randomly selected winner in a post with everyone's weed control tips listed. (If you have a blog include the url to it in the comments and I'll link to you in next Friday's post.)

So tell me, what is your favorite weed control technique?