Leevalley Garden Tools

s the slowest possible way to spend time and gets top marks for self-sufficiency, but these people are either really adept with power tools or don&rsquo. s slightly larger in diameter than standard boards, has a reverse checkered side, and comes with pieces and instructions for playing crokinole, checkers and chess. A tabletop version of curling, crokinole is the next best thing to time spent focused on a long swath of ice. For my money, the safest and easiest way to get a crokinole board is to buy one ready-made. At this time of year, I get to focus on a long swath of ice whenever I look at our driveway, so for me, crokinole is actually a better thing. m not one of them, so when a misguided friend suggested I join a curling league, I gave it a full five seconds of thought before heading to town to buy a crokinole board. Likely named for a crunchy French cookie (croquignole), it was once one of the most popular games in North America and is now making a resounding comeback as fast-paced people search for slower ways to spend their time. Some enterprising folks make their own crokinole boards. Crokinole has been around for well over a century and by many accounts was invented in 1876 in Sebastopol, Ont.

We know our readers get excited about tool sweepstakes and many of you registered for the Lee Valley Garden Tool Sweepstakes in May.  Lee Valley will be shipping you your prize shortly, a $25 Gift certificate and we know that while you are here you will also want to register for the Traditional Reel Mower being given away this month by Lee Valley. LIVE OAK CAMP, June 18 to 20: 22nd Annual Live Oak Music Festival,. three day music festival includes 16 main stage musical. day passes (no. camping), $35 for adults and teens, $15 for children. LOS OLIVOS, June 18: “Connections at The Wildling,” 6 to 8 p. m. ,. The Wildling Art Museum, 2928 San Marcos Ave. The Dynamites, five music workshops, two teen dances, a children’s. benefit the Santa Ynez Valley-based People Helping People. Cost: full festival camping tickets, $115. For adults, $75 for teens and $35 for children.

Plant these gifts under a gardener's tree

Even the best pruners need to be sharpened every now and again -- as do shovels, saws, mower blades, hoes, scissors and other gardening tools. This hand-held blade sharpener keeps the edges crisp and extends the life of many tools.

Online, it's always gardening and gift season

The Lee Valley Tool holiday gift catalog (800) 871-8158 www.leevalley.com, is my fave for tools and stuff I didn't know I needed. The LV Cooling Towel, priced at just $9.95 is on my wish list. The innovative weave of the machine washable

The golfer, the gardener, the sweet-treat maker

Another good spot for gardening supplies is Salisbury Greenhouse, 52337 Range Road 232, Sherwood Park. Maybe you want to pick up an assortment of gardening tools and accessories, such as padding for tender knees, thick gloves for nimble fingers and

Gifts for green thumbs

At the Garden Shop at the University of BC Botanical Garden, I lost interest in super-practical garden tools and fell in love with a few quality Canadian made garden-related products that I'm pretty sure gardeners would love - pottery (jugs,

Maine Gardener: No time like the presents for your gardener

Johnny's has one available at $12.95, and Lee Valley Tools (leevalley.com) has another version for $12.50. While you can't give people outdoor garden plants for Christmas, you can give them seeds. The Heirloom Garden of Maine in Montville

Garden design

How to Grow Practically Everything

Garden Tools by Lee Valley : 1995