Living Walls Photo Contest from Kinsman

Kinsman Company is once again having a photo contest for Living Wall and Side Planting containers and the first prize winner will receive $1000 to Kinsman! There will also be a $500 gift certificate awarded to the second place winner, and three $200 gift certificates given to third place winners. Any contest winners will also be featured on Kinsman's website, and in both fall and spring catalogs!

This is the first year Pamela Crawford's Living Wall Planters are allowed to be included as contest entries. Anyone who owns or was given a Pamela Crawford Side Planting container or a Living Wall Planter is eligible to enter a photo into the contest. 

Kinsman Company will be in charge of reviewing all photo entries and deciding on the creative use of the side planting concept in each Living Wall Planter that is entered. They will also look at the overall impact of each planter. Last year's 1st place winner titled her basket column for small plants, " Come fly away with me in my teacup garden by the sea." To see her photos and other winners from last year, go here. 

Anyone interested in entering their Living Wall Planter into the photo contest needs to either email or mail up to four photos along with your name, mailing address and a short paragraph describing the plants in the photo. You can send these entries up until August 16, 2013 and winners will be notified by September 30, 2013. 

Information to enter contest:

Email: contest@kinsmangarden.com

Mailing Address: Pamela Crawford Photo Contest

Kinsman Company, PO Box 428, Pipersville, PA 18947

For more information about the Living Walls photo contest, please visit Kinsman Company's website. Looking to purchase one of Pamela Crawford's Living Wall planters, visit the shop on Kinsman's website to find a perfect planter for your home! 

Fascinating Mason Bees Raised in Your Own Backyard!!

Spring is approaching and your thoughts may travel to the warm days of summer and the crops you anticipate emerging and thriving with the warm weather and sunny days.  

Increase the output of the plants and trees you possess by cultivating Mason bees on your property. Kinsman Garden has a product to facilitate the production of Mason bees of your own.  Small tubes are provided to allow the bees to build their nests and these tubes are specifically the size that they prefer.  The bees are friendly, passive and a joy to watch as they work, busily popping in and out of their tubes.  These bees are marvelous pollinators; they carry the pollen on their hairy bodies to blossoms on your trees and bushes.  They help to increase the crops of your apples, cherries, strawberries, plums, blueberries, raspberries and peaches. 

Gardening in Bucks County becomes more fruitful with the addition of the Mason bees to your terrain.  It is said that one Mason bee can do the work of 100 honeybees!  The tube kits available at Kinsman Garden are easy to use and set up – you can even purchase a cedar shelter to house the tubes.  Mason bees love to nest where it is dry and where they are protected from weather.  Normally this would be under the eaves of a shed, home or garage.  With the cedar shelter you can control where the bees set up their nests and provide the perfect site for their nesting.

In late March, you will comprehend the benefit of the house tubes as you see thousands of bees emerge from their nests.  An exciting time to witness the beginning of a new season and to improve the productivity of your fruit crop for the year!