Anyways, gardening is one of those activities that I’ve always kinda wanted to do-but not really.  (want the results, not the process)  Bugs and slugs and worms and whatnot, really aren’t my idea of leisure activity companions.  However, fact is, if I really want to be an active (hands on, as it were) participant in everything that makes up the world of me, I should have a winsome yard.  The whole thing has just always seemed so overwhelmingly time consuming.  But hey – I have more control over how my time is allocated these days; I am a Hands On Woman, and this just opens up a whole new world of tools and gadgets and such. 

Now understand – I’m really serious about the need for success in something that I’m going to carve out time to do.  So, recognizing that which makes the activity unappealing to me, and divining alternatives, in spite of the whole insect issue of the thing is mandatory if I stand a chance to succeed.  This is all just a long way of saying that one of my missions in life is to find ways to make the process of successful gardening easier.  Enter the Easy Bloom.

The few times that I’ve tried my hand at growing stuff outside, the results have been beyond underwhelming.  When we found the Easy Bloom at the Hardware Show, the appeal was a no-brainer – something that tells you want to plant, when to water it and what’s wrong with it – please..I’m all over that!  Umm, let’s see…how much have I spent on dead foliage…?   Now you do have to ask yourself a) is it important enough to me that I’d spend more than $20 on it and b) is it worth bringing one more thing into the house?  You know I’m all about trying to minimize, so this is definitely one of those products that if you buy it – ya better use it. 

I followed the protocol to find out what would grow in an area at the bottom of our stairs, and another along the front of the house.  The whole process is pretty intuitive and the website is helpful, although, the information is pretty general.  It gives you an effective place to start anyway.  This is especially true when using the diagnostic feature of the Easy Bloom system.  I had two Calla Lilly filled pots, sitting next to one another.  The lilies in one pot were doing fine – the other, not so much.  The readings indicated that it should be fine, but that definitely wasn’t the case.  I’m going to try a couple more tests, before I really weigh in on that feature.  I also have yet to try the water monitoring feature – I’m baby-stepping with this whole horticultural thing, so bear with me.

I have to say, I like this product.  Being a person who loves to hang stuff on the walls, I even truly dig the little storage bracket.  I can’t tell you how pleased I am with the results of using the recommendation function of the system!  At least once a day, I take a moment to stop and look at the flowers.  Here’s one - my grandson was out front with a spray bottle, misting the flowers in that bed – some of them tower over him, and he was very serious about getting mist on every single bloom (he’s 2 and a half).  Watching that was quality time in the world of me.  Thanks Easy Bloom for providing the sample to test and helping me have that moment.  (yeah – a little corny, but seriously – it is just so cool!)

For now, the Easy Bloom has earned 5 hearty fingernails.   Tests remain on the other functionalities of the system, but regardless, the results of this feature definitely earned every nail.