Day Two at NLGS keeps focus on products

Day Two at the The 17th annual National Lawn & Garden Show featured hundreds more appointments between buyers and vendors representing 196 hort-related companies. The focus at this show, held in Rosemont, Ill., is products, generally new ones that will shape the shelves, floors and plant yards in independent garden centers in 2012.

Here are six more products that consistently drew interest among the buyers.

StandUp Gardens from the company of the same name: StandUp Gardening is a new way to garden. There are models for indoor and outdoor gardening, and each features a stylish hardwood frame and arbor top with trellis sides. They are designed for easy mobility via non-marring casters with brakes, and each has a built-in drainage manifold. www.standupgardens.com

The Oak Rain Barrel from Barrel Depot: This 59-gallon white oak barrel is recycled from used wine barrels. It comes with a brass spigot, basket filter, brass overflow and overflow hose. This barrel is complete and ready for immediate use. Place it on a stand 8 inches to 24 inches high to maximize your gravity feed and psi. It weighs 100 pounds. www.barreldepot.com

Blue Bell “NO/NO” Feeder from Sweet Corn Products: This feeder features all-metal construction, so it should last for years. There is no assembly required; simply hang it and fill it. It attracts 15-20 birds at once and attracts both clinging and perching birds at the same time. It holds more than 2.5 pounds of Black Oil sunflower seeds, the most popular seed for wild birds. www.sweetcornproducts.com

Grower’s Secret Grow Big 521: Grow Big 521 is naturally safe, easy-to-use, requires no mixing and promises to deliver brag-worthy results, such as faster plant growth, increased flower and fruit production; increased resistance to pests and disease; increased shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Grow Big 521 concentrate (with Grower's Secret Pro inside), is a lavender-scented, all-purpose, all-natural fish emulsion fertilizer that comes ready to use on your customer’s organic garden. The formula is refined enough to flow easily through a hose-end sprayer or irrigation system. www.growerssecret.com

Rose 4X gloves from Ethel Gloves: Now made with puncture-resistant Material4X on the palm and fingertips, the Ethel Rose Glove offers even more resilience against thorns and branches. New caramel-colored palms and fingertips accent the lightweight and breathable nylon floral print, keeping hands and arms cool, dry and sophisticated. www.ethelgloves.com

Envirocycle Mini Composter: This is a smaller version of the company’s original Envirocycle composter. It is made with a high percentage of recycled materials. Soon the company also will introduce environmentally friendly flower pots and water cans. www.envirocyclesystems.com