We were invited to preview a collection called HomeMint curated by Estee Stanely and
Justin Timberlake. Ms. Stanley is a well-known interior designer but this is new territory for Mr. Timberlake who is better known as an entertainer/musician. It turns out he's got an eye for this and the HomeMint collection shows a lot of promise.
Most of the products are by other brands, and they're curating a collection that makes their style and aesthetic. Some products are exclusive to HomeMint and are available as a HomeMint colorway. Also on display were pillows from fabric that Estee sourced and Justin showcased some of his photography.
Some of the brands you'll find in the HomeMint collection include: Canvas, Matteo and Brahm's Mount.
Here are some photos from the HomeMint launch event.
Cordless power tools continue to advance in performance and it finally looks like outdoor power equipment which has long been dominated by gas is finally catching up.
Black & Decker invited us out to Tempe, AZ to check out their latest yard tools that have been upgraded to the 36V platform. They introduced a 24" hedge trimmer, 13" trimmer/edger, hard sweeper/vacuum and their self-propelled cordless mower.
Besides the mower the other three tools all run on the new 36V lithium-ion platform which is compact and now includes a "fuel gauge" to measure remaining battery life. The mower runs on 36V but in a different form factor.
Black & Decker took the unique approach of demonstrating the tools at Diablo Stadium where Major League Baseball does Spring Training. The field was immaculate so we weren't able to really test the effectiveness of some of these tools but we did get our hands on all of them and we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful setting to test tools.
I knew very little about grass seed before my visit last week to NexGen Turf Research. I've recently laid sod and tried my best to keep it alive and green but unfortunately it has decided not to cooperate and has gone spotty and brown in some areas.
After receiving the invite from Pennington Seed to learn more about how grass seed is developed (a lengthy process), packaged and used, I jumped at the opportunity.
Cutting Edge Plant Seed Science
NexGen Turf Research is located in the Willamette Valley near Albany, Oregon which is called the "Grass Seed Capital of the World", and for good reason. There are very few places in the world that can boast a location as prime for growing grass seed. The combination of mild but wet winters and a flat valley location next to a mountain range separating it from the ocean, makes this part of the world the perfect place to not only grow grass seed but make some of the countries best varietals for wine. We saved the vineyards for our next visit as this trip was all about grass seed.
Pennington Seed began as a family-owned American company that was originally a seed store in Madison, Georgia. It has grown to become a world leader in grass seed manufacturing and acquired NexGen, the largest private grass research facility in the U.S.A., to further their commitment to developing drought-tolerant and superior grass seed.
Our visit started out at NexGen where we were introduced to their research team led by Kenneth Hignight. Most everyone who we met had dedicated their life's work to plant seed research and I had a few moments to chat with almost all of them. They are passionate about creating superior grass seed and we spent a lot of time discussing the environmental impact of lawns and the value of conserving water.
One of the most fascinating stories about how they acquire seeds to start their research is that they will comb cemeteries looking for the little green grass survivors. Cemeteries often times have lawns that are totally unkept and unwatered and if a seedling can survive there it has great drought-resistant genes.
By developing drought resistant grass seed they can reduce the amount of water needed to keep a lawn alive but the single most important lawn care tip I gleaned from this visit was - "Do Your Research".
Exporting Grass Seed
One of the fastest growing segments of Pennington Seed's business is erosion control. You've probably seen roadside hills and cliffs that are covered in grass and this is probably erosional control seed. Pennington has developed grass seed that has a very strong and deep root system that will strengthen the surface of topsoil which will reduce the amount of erosion due to rain.
This erosional control seed is one of Pennington's largest exports, in fact Pennington Seed exports more than 10 million dollars worth of seed with much of it going to China. They are definitely doing their part to keep a trade balance but we don't often hear stories of American made products being shipped overseas. China has overgrazed their land and during the Beijing Olympics they were concerned with dust bowls. Pennington Seed provided China with their erosion control seed which helped limit and reduce the amount of dust during the games.
What the Pro's Know
They often mentioned "the pro's do this", meaning the guys who manage golf courses, sport stadium grass and sod farms. I asked Ronnie Stapp who is the EVP of Seed Operations what separates the pros from the regular Joe's and he said "The pros know what to expect from their grass seed and how to manage it". We are always looking for a quick fix and don't take the time to research what type of grass seed will work best in our area. Some grass seed will go dormant in the winter and no matter how much you water it will always turn brown. If you know the type of soil you are dealing and the most ideal grass seed you will need for your climate, you have won half the battle. Growing grass is a patient endeavor and it can take 2-3 seasons for a lawn to really take root.
While enjoying the sojourn into Amish country, we were introduced to the completely redesigned line of Genie products, and to be completely honest, I could not be more impressed with the attention to detail paid to these new garage door openers.
According to research compiled by Genie, the three main concerns heard form consumers was they wanted their unit to be quiet, to provide ample light, and to be reliable. Genie kept these concerns at the forefront of their redesign, and the improvements made clearly reflect their dedication to not only their product, but to their customers.
