Was absolutely delighted to get this awesome comment from Heuchera on my Hand Pruner Showdown post comparing the different types of pruning shears:

Recently I lost my old Felcos and needed to find a new pair. I had owned a different model, so I decided to research the web to see if the No. 2?s were still considered the standard, as those were the ones I had really wanted way back.

Then I came across your article. I was still a little apprehensive about trying a brand I never heard of so I ordered both the Felco No. 2?s and the Bahco PX-M2. I figured if I misplaced one I’d always have another to use.

They arrived and we had some heavy pruning to do. My husband tried out the Bahcos and I used the Felcos. The next day I decided to try the Bahcos as he raved about them so much. What a difference! They cut with the greatest of ease and were a pleasure to use.

They are now my choice of pruner and I’m afraid my new Felcos are sitting unused in my garden basket.

This was my experience as well, when I first tried my Bahcos. I got them as a gift from a dear landscaper friend, and reluctantly took them out for some apple tree pruning. In a couple minutes, I went from a snooty Felco evangelist to an oh-my-god-I’ve-been-fleeced-all-these-years, crazy Bahco fan.

If you’re getting ready for some heavy fall and winter pruning, it might be a good time to read about the differences in each brand and possibly pick up some Bahcos.

The “to rake or not to rake” debate rages on….

Though the word rages might be the wrong word for such a mild-mannered and respectful discussion.

Carole over at Ecosystem Gardening got me thinking about leaf litter here.

Unbeknownst to me, she and Kylee over at Our Little Acre were having a discussion on Twitter (how did I miss that? Thank you delightful head cold!) about the pros and cons of raking, and each fleshed out their side of the argument on their own blogs.

Here’s Kylee with The Problem with Leaves, and Carole with I am the Lorax, I Speak For the Leaves.

Regional guides for attracting pollinators

I usually feel like regional guides totally miss the plot – like they lump my rainy far Northern Cali climate with San Francisco’s or even LA’s warmer, drier temps.

So I was completely shocked to discover these guides to attracting pollinators. They don’t suck! They’re actually, um – good! Go, get your own regional guide (it’s free), and then let me know if yours rocked your socks the way my guide rocked mine.

See anything cool around the web this week? Let me know in the comments below.