Gardeners can stock up now on seeds, gloves, pots and more

GREEN MARKET

THE BARREN landscape and persistent gray make it seem as though winter will never end, but in the gardening world, spring is just around the bend. If you're looking for more sustainable options for caring for your lawn, garden or house plants, here are some options that will get you thinking spring.

Many of the items described here will be featured at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show this week. Check out these and other items in person at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center.

• Walt's Organic Fertilizer Co. in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood carries year-round organic vegetable and flower starts and seeds appropriate for our Northwest climate. In the winter, expect a variety of grains, onions, leeks and chives. Herb and veggie starts go for $2 or $3 each, and seed packs are mostly under $3. Owners Walt and Shirley Jane Benecki also sell organic potting soil, compost, mulch and several blends of organic, all-natural fertilizer. Stop by the quaint red-sided store on Northwest Leary Way, or go online at www.waltsorganic.com.

• Want to manage your own compost, but frustrated with the process? If you're tired of turning the backyard compost pile with a pitchfork and not seeing results, try the Worm Factory 360 by Bellingham-based Nature's Footprint, Inc. The small compost container, costing $119, can be housed outside or in (no, it won't reek if you stay away from putting in meat and dairy products). Start by throwing food scraps into one worm-filled tray, then add trays as the scraps break down. The worms will eat everything below, then migrate up to the next tray. Worms take about six weeks to three months to compost one tray. Then remove it and use it on your plants and yard. Check it out at www.naturesfootprintinc.com.

• EcoForms in Northern California has found an alternative to plastic and terra-cotta pots — why not use rice byproducts? The company's colorful pots are made from rice hulls, the inedible part of the grain, and compressed with heat to create various shapes. The pots last up to five years outside and twice as long inside. They are less breakable than terra-cotta and almost as durable as plastic, says owner Jed Loveday-Brown. They come in a variety of delicious colors that come from plant-based pigments. Pots range in size and price from 50 cents to $13.50. Find them online at http://ecoforms.com/ or at various shops in Seattle, including The Copper Vine on Capitol Hill.

• If you're looking for funky, affordable and sustainable art for your garden and yard, think recycled steel. Experienced Materials in Portland specializes in decorative panels, mobiles, lanterns and sconces to spruce up light fixtures. Artist and owner Gina Nash started designing lanterns 10 years ago out of discarded tin cans. She's expanded her business to include recycled steel from the Portland area. She cuts ornamental designs that include birch trees, dragonflies and ginkgo leaves. Nash says she strives to make beautiful, handmade pieces at an affordable rate. Her items range in price from $30 to $300. Shop for pieces at the Portland Saturday Market, the Northwest Flower & Garden Show or online at www.experiencedmaterials.com.

• Find nonchemical nutrition for your lawn, trees and plants with compost tea, an all-natural mixture that adds beneficial micro-organisms to the soil and protects plants from disease. Redmond-based Chinook Compost Tea blends rich soil from Alaska, local fungus and worm castings in a large "brewer" to create a dark, tea-like liquid. The company says the spray enriches the soil and repels diseases that plague shrubs and flowers. Several sprays a year are usually most effective, says owner Howard Harrison. It costs about $100 to spray most Seattle-sized yards, with $30 off for the initial treatment. See www.chinookcomposttea.com/ for more information.

• Keep your fingernails clean with a pair of bamboo gloves, made from a renewable resource. The Magid line offers natural UV protection and ranges in price from $4.99 to $6.99 at City People's Garden Store in Seattle or online at www.magidglove.com. For a different variety, try hemp gloves. They will soften with wear and have small nubs made from PVC piping for gripping power. Find them at Goods for the Planet in Seattle or online at www.hemphands.com.

• When the summer heat rolls in, relax outside under the shade in a sustainably made hammock. Twin Oaks Hammocks' "Envirope" hammocks are made from recycled soft-drink bottles, but feel as soft as cotton. They range in size and price from $129.99 to $169.99 and are available at Goods for the Planet and online at www.twinoakstore.com.

Michelle Ma is a Seattle Times online news producer.