January 2012 Picks for the Gardener

Author: Nancy Erdmann

Issue: January, 2012, Page 122

BUTTERFLY MAGNETSet your garden aflutter with the Butterfly Puddler. The etched stoneware features a shallow well of recycled glass that holds sand or rock salt and a teaspoon of water. When the water evaporates, butterflies are attracted to the minerals left behind. Once the insects know where they can find these minerals, they are known to return regularly. The fade- and crack-resistant piece can be purchased at uncommongoods.com.

CREATE A GLOWArmadilla Wax Works Candle Factory Store, based in Prescott Valley, Ariz., has been making its signature cactus candles for more than 25 years. Hand-poured from original designs, the candles offer long burn times and feature the company’s Desert Rain fragrance. The candle pictured is 100-percent wax, including the “terra-cotta” pot. To order, log on to candlefactorystore.com.

CALENDAR ARTThe Succulent Watercolors 2012 Calendar features original artwork by plant maven and garden photojournalist Debra Lee Baldwin. Each of the 12 images illustrates a type of cactus, agave or other dry-climate plant. “I use the white of the paper to illuminate my subjects to show how beautiful leaves, flower petals and spines can be when translucent and glowing,“ she says. Order the calendar online at debraleebaldwin.com.