DeWit Potting Scoop Giveaway!

 

DeWit Potting Scoop designed by Shawna Coronado

Regular readers know that small space gardens come up a lot around here, whether I’m focusing on design, plant selection or even my recent foray into technology. Today I’m approaching this topic from a different angle – tools that are particular effective in smaller spaces.

Earlier this year, DeWit Tools sent me two of their new potting scoops – one to try and one to give away.  Designed by longtime gardener Shawna Coronado, you can tell a real gardener played a role in the tool’s creation, as the scoop possesses a host of thoughtful features only a person who regularly gets their hands dirty would think of. For one thing, the scoop is larger than a traditional trowel with more deeply angled sides to keep soil from spilling out. The bottom edge is sharpened, making it effective for cutting through compacted soil and small roots.  And Shawna added a feature I can’t believe hasn’t been thought of before – a small notch on the edge that’s perfect for slicing open bags of soil. Yes, I have a soil knife and garden scissors, and no, they are NEVER handy when I’m filling a new container or planting bed with soil or compost. Meanwhile, my trowel is always within grabbing distance.

Features like this make the DeWit potting scoop a solid tool for any size gardens, but container gardeners or others who garden in small spaces in particular should take note. Besides the features already listed, part of its uniqueness is in its larger size and durable construction of hand-forged carbon steel. All of this combined make it a perfect fit not only for scooping soil into containers, but a great choice for jobs too big for a traditional trowel, yet too small for a full-sized shovel. In my own garden, I plant a lot of one gallons and four inch pots, and I frequently find that a trowel does the job too slowly and messily, while a full-sized shovel is too awkward to maneuver in a constricted space. Say hello to your new best friend.

If Shawna’s name sounds familiar to you, that may because a photo from her garden is featured in Garden Up! Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces , and also in the presentations that I give on both vertical gardening and small space garden design. Shawna’s love of gardening and her connection to environment infuses everything she does.  It’s wonderful to see her bring her talents to a new arena.

 

Shawna Coronado displays a collection of antique insulators inherited from her grandmother. From "Garden Up!"

And now for the good part – the giveaway! To win your own DeWit potting scoop, leave a comment by midnight on March 20th. And you don’t have to be a small-space gardener; when it comes to giveaways this is an equal opportunity blog. As long as you are a resident of the United States, that is. The winner will be announced on this blog post on Thursday, March 21.

 Good lucky everyone!

____________

Updated 3-21: And the winner is Diane C.! Congrats Diane, and thank you to everyone who entered!

Comments

[Diane C]

Susan, I really enjoy reading your blog and have subscribed to Rebecca Sweet's also. You are a good team. The scoop sounds great and the notch on the side is brilliant!

Btw, my front yard continues to look great and the corsican hellebores are amazing this year!

Thanks for the kind words and good luck!

[Jo Pomeroy]

Oh boy did I need this yesterday when putting in some 4" pots of ranunculus! What a great tool. Love the blog...Oh, my corsican hellebores are amazing this year, too. a very good year for those.

Now I'm jealous. My hellebores are looking a bit bedraggled. Glad to hear everyone else's are so successful, though. :-)

[Jennie Brooks]

I have read about this scoop before and would certainly put it to good use. What I like most about it is that it's larger and won't allow all the dirt to fall over the edges. Thank you both!

I often feel like more dirt winds up on the patio than in the pots.

[Jennie Brooks]

PS I've seen those insulators. Very cool.

[Marie]

Why didn't someone think of this before? My new perfect scoop!

[Maia Mittelstaedt]

Oh, Susan, I sure could have used it on Tuesday! Ihad to go find some scissors to open the 9 bags of steer manure I spread around the vegetable garden earlier this week and then mixed it, in batches, in the wheelbarrow with coir, compost, and peat moss by hand!

[HeyToepfer]

That looks like a terrific tool! Please put my name in for a chance in the giveaway. I'm tempted not to share this info to increase my chances...

[SimplyLoveGardening]

Cool tool, would mind carrying them on our website.

[Chris Alkire]

Great tool!

[Andrea]

I always enjoy your tips and ideas. Also, the pictures
Your blog presentation is original and easy to read.
The scoop is a fantastic idea. I know I could put it to
good use. I plan to give one also to a friend in June
for her birthday.
Happy Gardening.

[Jude Parkinson-Morgan]

What wonderful synchronicity! Just this week I was trying to open some bags of special compost: I needed something to help me open the bags and scoop the stuff out. Simple (you would think). I ended up tearing the plastic with my fingers and my trowel just doesn't do it for me - too small so lots of soil falls onto the ground (yet another job to add to the list). I think I would feel like a REAL gardener if I had this tool! Please add me to the list!

[Sleepyheadedmom]

That scoop looks awesome. I'm sure anyone who's tried scooping potting soil out of a bag or has had to open a bag of potting soil would appreciate this. I love that it has that notch on the side. The less tools you need, or need to round up when you are done the bette.

[landscape companies Los Angeles]

Nice tools. It was very helpful to me for my gardening. Thanks for sharing with us.

[Laine Brickman]

Wow! Love this and would be so handy this spring. Enjoy your site Thanks

[Jennifer]

What a great tool! Thanks for the chance.

[Barb Webb]

Sometimes the simplest designs make the most sense. Looks like a very useful gardening tool!! Thanks for reviewing it.
I also downloaded Shawna's book to my Kindle. Can't wait to read it!

[Lawrence Cook]

A garden tool that is perfect for many things one needs in the garden. I think the design is outstanding and a much needed idea, especially for scooping a larger area of dirt or mulch. A trowel lets too much dirt fall over the edges.
Enjoy your blog and have learned a lot too.

[Cindy Bellwood]

What a great looking Garden scoop! I could really use this with all my plantings.

[Susy]

You can't have too many tools and this one looks good!

[Shannon Ward]

Just met you at Arbor Gate, Tomball Tx...had the kids out there...Sunday, the day after we met, my 16 year old son felt inspired (remember the boy hiding in his hoodie you commented he had no eyes?), he actually spent the day in the garden...NEVER has this happen before....he is creating his very own Gothic garden (his idea), complete with Purple Krim Tomatoes, Cukes on a trellis, Purple basil,much more.. all his idea (with my coaching) and great stuff. I am so so so excited that I have an opportunity to share this love for gardening with my son...a way we can connect and create together. He is going from a grass lawn...all the digging, everything, to creating a veggie/flower bed of his own right below his bedroom window! I am so elated...he seems to know how to operate a shovel...he has never even held a trowel. Perhaps this unique one would be just the right fit....

[garden shop nursery]

I was unaware with the fact that In North America with its vast variety of climates,having just one award is far less useful.

[Danielle T]

we are trying to buy a house and have no gardening tools! this would be a perfect addition!

[Vera K]

Looks like a real nice tool. I have small raised beds and this tool will make gardening even more fun.

[Becky]

Okay, the notch takes that scoop over the top. I'm always jamming the tip of my hand spade into bags and making a mess.

[Solducky]

That looks really nice and useful!