Black Friday 2010 Savings | Plow & Hearth Retail Stores

Black Friday Savings

Plow & Hearth Retail Stores

Stay in the black this holiday season with big Black Friday savings at your local Plow & Hearth retail store.

Sale prices good 11/24/10 – 11/28/10.*
Get great bargains like these, just in time for the holidays!

Find a retail store near you!

Ginger Snap Cookies

Buy 2 Get 1 Free

Electric Stove – Reg. $199.95

SALE $99.99

Snowman Feeder – Reg. $19.95

SALE $12.99

 

Fleece Vest – Reg. $19.95

SALE $12.99

 

Pewter Ornaments

Buy Any 5 …

 

Ornament Tree

… Get This FREE!

*Exclusive of applicable shipping charges and taxes. Items may vary and are subject to availability, delivery rules and times. Offers cannot be combined, are not available on all products and are subject to restrictions, limitations and blackout periods. Not valid on prior purchases. Valid through 11/28/2010. Prices and charges are subject to change without notice. Void where prohibited. ©2010, Plow & Hearth. 

 

 

Proper Use and Storage of Different Woods | Plow and Hearth

Proper Use and Storage of Different Woods

From Plow & Hearth

Chopping and burning your own wood on the hearth is a great way to clean up the yard, save on the heating bill, get exercise, and bring warmth and tradition into the home. Here is some helpful information, from Plow and Hearth, as you begin to gather wood for the winter months.

The density of wood varies greatly across different species. For example, at a 15% moisture content White Oak is 47 lbs./cubic foot while Aspen wood is only 27 lbs./cubic foot. The denser the wood, the more effective it is as firewood, but handling, chopping, and splitting dense wood can become very difficult. Black Gum is extremely difficult to split. Hickory can also be challenging but Red Oak is fairly easy to split. Use lighter woods for kindling since they burn rapidly and reserve the denser woods for firewood.

As a rule, cured, dried wood burns best, therefore it is important to make sure your wood has as little moisture in it as possible before burning it. Green or wet wood can carry up to 50% of its weight in the form of water or sap. With all of this moisture, these woods cannot burn effectively until they have been properly dried out. There are several steps you can take in the wood storage process to achieve the desired level of dryness in your firewood.

To release moisture from the wood, store the wood under a cover for 6 to 12 months. Make sure that air can get through to the wood, but that the cover protects the wood from rain. A sunny, well-aired location works best. To speed up the process, split the wood, as it will allow for more air flow and sun exposure. Split wood dries faster than rounds. A good indication that the wood is becoming properly cured is checking and cracking on the ends of the wood, and loosening of the bark. These are also signs to keep in mind when purchasing wood that is advertised as dried or cured.

Following these simple guidelines will ensure that you always have a large selection of usable firewood nearby. This wood is sure to come in handy whether you are stuck in a power outage, or are just looking to have a nice family gathering around the hearth.

Find great wood storage solutions from Plow & Hearth.

Plow & Hearth Store Opens Store in Virginia Beach | Plow and Hearth Virginia

Plow & Hearth Store Opens Store in Virginia Beach

Just in Time for Holiday Shopping

Plow & Hearth, LLC is pleased to announce a new store location in Virginia Beach, VA.  The 6,000 square foot store opened last week in the Hilltop North Shopping Center on Laskin Road. With a varied merchandise assortment featuring home and garden décor, fireplace tools and screens, apparel and shoes, pet products and seasonal decorations, the store caters to customers who love to decorate their homes and entertain friends and family.

Founded in 1980 as a small country store, Plow & Hearth® has grown into a leading retailer of products for home, hearth, yard and garden. Successfully marketing these products through all three major channels – catalog, internet and now ten retail stores – Plow & Hearth has evolved over the past 30 years into a multi-million dollar retailer whose products cover indoor and outdoor rooms, gardens, pets, personal comfort and care, safety and emergencies, weather instruments, storage solutions and gifts.

Plow & Hearth retail stores pride themselves on providing a unique shopping experience for their customers. The products range from practical to decorative and from functional to whimsical. Store manager, Philip Darcus says, “We have a beautiful store and will offer superior service to our customers. We are very excited to be in Virginia Beach and can’t wait to show off our new store.”

View the setup of the store on our Facebook Page!

To visit:

1628 Laskin Rd

Virginia Beach, VA 23451

Mon – Sat:  10a – 9p

Sunday: 11a – 6p

757-437-0757

About Plow & Hearth, LLC

Plow & Hearth began as a small retail store in Madison, Virginia in 1980 and has grown to become a respected national catalog, retail and Internet company with more than 5 million customers. For over 30 years, the company has been a trusted source of unique, enduring products for the hearth, home, yard and garden, helping customers create an environment that is comfortable and welcoming, warm and personal. Special consideration is given to those products made with environmentally friendly materials as well as products that will encourage customers to be more environmentally responsible, such as composting products and energy savers. Every item they sell is backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

The Plow & Hearth Family of Brands also includes quality toys from HearthSong® and Magic Cabin®, weather instruments from Wind & Weather® and home and garden décor from WinterthurStore®.

New Annapolis Store Open in Time for Holiday Shopping | Plow & Hearth

Plow & Hearth Opens Store in Annapolis, Maryland

New Store Open in Time for Holiday Shopping

Plow & Hearth, LLC is pleased to announce a new store location in Annapolis, MD. The 6,750 square foot store opened last week in the Jennifer Square Shopping Center on Jennifer Road. With a varied merchandise assortment featuring home and garden décor, fireplace tools and screens, apparel and shoes, pet products and seasonal decorations, the store caters to customers who love to decorate their homes and entertain friends and family.

Founded in 1980 as a small country store, Plow & Hearth® has grown into a leading retailer of products for home, hearth, yard and garden. Successfully marketing these products through all three major channels – catalog, internet and now ten retail stores – Plow & Hearth has evolved over the past 30 years into a multi-million dollar retailer whose products cover indoor and outdoor rooms, gardens, pets, personal comfort and care, safety and emergencies, weather instruments, storage solutions and gifts.

Plow & Hearth retail stores pride themselves on providing a unique shopping experience for their customers. The products range from practical to decorative and from functional to whimsical. Store manager, Charles Hill says, “We have a beautiful store and will offer superior service to our customers. We are very excited to be in Annapolis and can’t wait to show off our new store.”

To visit:

167 Jennifer Rd

Annapolis, MD 21401

Mon – Sat:  10a – 9p

Sunday: 11a – 6p

410-266-8903

About Plow & Hearth, LLC

Plow & Hearth began as a small retail store in Madison, Virginia in 1980 and has grown to become a respected national catalog, retail and Internet company with more than 5 million customers. For over 30 years, the company has been a trusted source of unique, enduring products for the hearth, home, yard and garden, helping customers create an environment that is comfortable and welcoming, warm and personal. Special consideration is given to those products made with environmentally friendly materials as well as products that will encourage customers to be more environmentally responsible, such as composting products and energy savers. Every item they sell is backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. The Plow & Hearth Family of Brands also includes quality toys from HearthSong® and Magic Cabin®, weather instruments from Wind & Weather® and home and garden décor from WinterthurStore®.

 

What to do with all those apples? | An apple guide from Plow and Hearth

Well, fall is certainly in full swing here at Plow & Hearth‘s headquarters in Madison, Virginia.  The rolling hills are glowing with stunning shades of yellows, oranges and reds.  What this also means is summer is gone and most of our favorite fruits go along with it.  What are we left with?   Apples, apples, and more apples!

You have probably asked yourself many times, “What am I going to do with all these apples ?”  Of course you can eat them, research for the greatest apple pie or apple sauce recipes, but how do you know which apples are the best for what?  How big is a “small” apple, and how on earth do you keep them from turning brown so quickly?  Plow and Hearth has put together an Apple Reference Guide to answer all those questions.

Is there an easy and fast way to peel an apple?

Plow and Hearth offers this amazing tool called an Apple Master.  The Apple Master makes the old chore of slicing, coring and paring easy, fast and fun.

How can I keep cut apples from turning brown before I serve them?

Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to 2 quarts of water. Dip the cut apples in the lemon water to retard discoloration and drain on a paper towel.

What can one do with overripe or under ripe apples?

Overripe apples are great for apple sauce and cider. Under ripe apples work well chopped, sliced or grated in muffins, cakes and pies.

How many apples are needed for a 9″ pie?

9 small, 7 medium or 5 large apples

Looking for something more single serving and easy?  Try this  baked apple recipe using Plow and Hearth’s Apple Baker.

How do I compare weights, volumes and apples sizes for various recipes?

Apple Size	Diameter	Sliced or Chopped	Grated	Apple Sauce
Small	2-1/4″	3/4 cup	1/2 cup	1/3 cup
Medium	2-3/4″	1-1/3 cup	3/4 cup	1/2 cup
Large	3-3/4″	2 cups	1-1/4 cup	3/4 cup

Which apples varieties are best for which uses?

Apples – Best Uses for Common Varieties

Eating	Salads	Sauces	Baking Whole	Pies	Freezing
Baldwin*	xx	xx	xx	xx	xx	x
Cortland	xx	xxx	xx	xx	xx	x
Delicious – golden	xx	xxx	xxx	xx	xx	xx
Delicious – red	xx	xx	—	—	—	—
Empire	xxx	xx	xx	x	x	x
Gala	xxx	xxx	xx	xx	xx	xx
Idared	xx	xx	xx	xxx	xxx	xx
Jerseymac	xx	xx	xx	x	x	—
Jonagold	xxx	xxx	xx	xx	xx	xx
Jonathan*	xxx	xx	xx	xxx	xxx	xx
Lodi	x	x	x	x	x	—
McIntosh	xx	x	xx	—	x	—
Macoun*	xxx	xx	xx	—	x	—
Melrose	xx	xx	xxx	xxx	xxx	xxx
Mutsu (Crispin)*	xxx	xx	xxx	xx	xxx	xx
Newton Pippin*	xx	xx	xxx	xx	xxx	xx
Northern Spy*	xx	xx	xx	xxx	xxx	xx
Paulared	xx	xx	xx	x	x	—
Puritan	—	x	x	—	x	—
Rhode Island Greening*	—	x	xx	xx	xx	xx
Rome Beauty	—	x	xx	xx	xx	xx
Granny Smith	xx	xx	x	xx	xx	xx
Stayman	xx	xx	xx	xx	xx	xx
Twenty Ounce*	—	x	xx	xx	xx	xx
Winesap*	xxx	xxx	xxx	xx	xx	xx
Excellent xxx Good xx Fair x Poor — Heirloom (at least 50 years old) = *

I want to go apple picking. When do the different varieties ripen?

Since ripening times vary with geographic location and an individual year’s weather, a call to a local apple grower is a good idea. Average ripening times are listed below.

July	Lodi
August	Jerseymac, Paulared, Puritan, Twenty Ounce
September	Early – Cortland, Jonathan, McIntosh, Wealthy Mid – Empire, Gala, Golden Delicious, Idared, Jonagold, Red Delicious Late – Macoun, Rome Beauty
October	Early – Winesap Mid – Melrose, Mutsu, Newtown Pippin, Northern Spy, Rhone Island Greening, Russet, Stayman Late – Baldwin, Granny Smith

Hiking in Shenandoah National Park

When I was 10 years old my parents decided they wanted to move all the way from our traffic-filled Chicago suburb, to the rolling green (or blue) mountains of Virginia. To say I was furious would be, well, a total lie. I was actually ecstatic and excited at the idea of living in a new place with green trees instead of flat, endless cornfields. I even remember stepping out of the car when we pulled up to our new house and thinking that the air itself smelled prettier.

I’ve now lived here for 10+ years, and I’ve never gotten tired of the state’s beautiful landscape. Even on my drive to work I can look out my driver’s side window and see the Blue Ridge just a few miles away, which to be honest, sometimes tempts me to turn left and head to the mountains for the day, but alas, duty calls. But on my days off my favorite way to enjoy the Virginia scenery is to go hiking in Shenandoah National Park.

The park boasts 196,000 acres of natural landscape and has over 500 miles of hiking trails. These trails range from easy, flat, stroller-friendly paths, to strenuous, rocky paths, with everything in between. Personally, my favorite path to hike is Whiteoak Canyon Trail. It’s a moderate hike that has a stream running along the entire path allowing for great views of waterfalls. There are also a lot of nice places to sit and enjoy the water while getting a breather or enjoying a picnic.

Not only is the park great for hiking, but the drive itself is gorgeous. Don’t stare at the overlooks too long though as the road can get a little curvy. Also, don’t be surprised to have some wildlife sightings while you’re up there. So far I’ve seen a black bear, wild turkey, and countless deer.

All in all, it’s a relaxing place to go on the weekend, a fun way to enjoy the natural side of Virginia, and a great way to give back to the National Park Service. And if it’s giving back that you’re interested in, your can now purchase a new license plate sponsored by the Shenandoah National Park Trust at your local Virginia DMV. All proceeds from the sale of this license plate go to the Trust to fund projects and programs in the park.

Also, if you’re not from Virginia, then stop by a national park or monument in your home state. The National Park System has units in 49 states, so let’s just hope you’re not from Delaware!

by Katie D., marketing assistant

Conserve Water while Helping Your Plants

Summer is a time with a lot of heat and little rain. It also happens to be the time that a lot of our gardens are in full swing. For this reason, it’s important for us to keep our plants alive and healthy without unnecessarily wasting a precious resource. We’ve outlined a few tips and products which will make it easier for you to garden during the summer months:

• Water your plants in the morning. The cool temperatures of the morning will allow your plants to absorb the maximum amount of water without losing a lot due to evaporation. Also, the leaves will have time to dry before nighttime, discouraging fungus growth.

• Capture rainwater when possible. Now I’m not saying you have to be like Tom Hanks in Castaway, siphoning dew drops off of banana leaves after a thunderstorm, but rainstorms are an abundant source of water, most of which we waste. Consider purchasing a Rain Wizard Water Barrel, which captures up to 50 gallons of water for you from your gutters. It also has a convenient hose hook-up, and can be linked with other water barrels for increased capacity.

• Know what you’re watering. Different plants require different amounts of water. A few examples of plants which require a bit more watering attention are fuchsias, astilbes and impatiens. Also, clay soil absorbs water much slower than sandy soil so you should water it slower and for a longer period of time. For sandy soils, water less but more frequently.

• Keep track of how much water you use. This is fairly easy to measure if you do a lot of your watering from a watering can, but if you’re a hose user our Save a Drop Hose Nozzle can be very informative. It features a digital readout that displays exactly how many gallons of water you’ve used. It is also designed for maximum hand comfort, and features multiple spray patterns for your different plants.

I hope these tips will be helpful when watering your plants this summer. Let us know if you have any questions or tips of your own!

by Katie D., marketing assistant

Top Four Ways to Celebrate the Fourth of July in Virginia

1. MONTICELLO: Charlottesville’s annual celebration at Monticello is a patriotic reminder of what Independence Day is all about. This event includes a guest speaker, the swearing-in of new U.S. citizens, live music, and it’s all free of charge! If you’ve never been, it’s a great way to celebrate. Take a look for yourself!
2. FIREWORKS: Do fireworks ever get old? Whether you’re sitting in the park watching a professional show or jumping out of your recliner every time your neighbor lights one off down the street, the Fourth of July just isn’t complete without them. Pick up a pack from the store and have some fun at home, or find a fireworks show near you.
3. WINE-TASTING: If you’re looking for a more low-key celebration check out the great celebrations being put on by many of Virginia’s finest wineries. Stop in at your favorite local vineyard or take a road trip to another one of Virginia’s best. Either way, indulge in some reds and whites this Fourth.
4. PARADES: Parades are a great way to celebrate the nostalgia of the Fourth of July. Virginia offers many to choose from this year offering everything from live music to car shows. Find one close to you!

by Katie D., marketing assistant

The World Traveling Tote

My Dad is the king of conservation, in the most untraditional sense. Sure he used to take part in the conventional sorting of plastics, papers, and metals from the rest of the trash and taking it down to the recycling center on the weekends. But now thanks to single-stream recycling his conservation efforts can be put towards more creative pursuits.

Take last Wednesday for example. My mom mentioned early in the day that she was planning on boiling some corn on the cob for dinner. So my dad, in his constant “green” state of mind, put a pot of water outside in the 90 degree heat for several hours to save those precious extra seconds that the stove would spend heating up cool tap water. Or the week before last when there was an indoor tornado upstairs as a result of my dad trying to capitalize on the coolness of the eastern winds crossed with the airflow of the fans on the southern side of the house, just so we wouldn’t have to turn on the air conditioning.

But his pride-and-joy conservation effort comes from something I never would have expected—one of two complimentary totes I got from Plow & Hearth after my last day of interning last summer.

My dad travels on business every week to different places around the world, but most typically South America and Europe. While he’s out of town, staying true to form, he does not go out to eat and instead goes the money-saving route of grocery shopping. His typical shopping list includes fruit, juice, a baguette, olives, and occasionally he’ll splurge on some cheese. What does he use to carry these 4-5 items from the grocery store to his hotel? The Plow & Hearth tote.

While this tote keeps those unsightly plastic bags from being strewn across the hotel room floor, it also has many other benefits. He claims the tote gets him compliments from Londoners and Brazilians alike. People come up to him and ask him what Plow & Hearth is and where they can get a tote. Cashiers love him because they don’t have to bag any of his groceries and he’s in-and-out of the store in a second.

While I don’t think this is his most creative idea yet (I’ve yet to tell him that people have been bringing their own bags to the store for years), I’m happy to see he’s expanding his conservation efforts to a global scale. So if you’ve yet to jump on the bring-your-own-bag bandwagon, or you want to be just like my dad (yea, he’s pretty cool), consider picking up a Plow & Hearth Personalized Tote of your own.

by Katie D., marketing assistant

Thanks to Our June Bloggers

For all of our customers who love to read blogs, check out customer reviews, and enter giveaways to win free Plow & Hearth gear, pay special attention! The following bloggers are good friends of Plow & Hearth and have written some very informative reviews of our products and offered great giveaways for the month of June, some of which you still have time to enter! Make sure you continue to check these sites out to stay updated on Plow & Hearth products and chances to win free gifts:

NetworkingWitches.com: This blog comes from two very different women who share a love of offering gifts and information to others all around the country. Check out their Talavera Wall Plaque giveaway which ends July 6^th!

WrestlingAddictedMommy.com: Gina is, you guessed it, a mom who is addicted to wrestling, and who also happens to write wonderful reviews of all sorts of products including our Insect Shield TravelChair. Take a look at her blog and enter to win your own chair, hurry though, this contest ends June 30^th!

HopesCafe.blogspot.com: If you haven’t bought your 4^th of July décor yet then check out Hope’s Café, where she reviews our beautiful Stars & Stripes Servingware.

Trying2StayCalm.com: Take a look at this site from a loyal blogger friend of ours, Shauna. She offers some great Plow & Hearth giveaways and though there aren’t any currently, keep checking in as there are sure to be some soon. In the meantime, see her review of our Dansko Sunny Sandals and Acorn Women’s Shaggy Spa Slippers.

We really appreciate all of our blogging friends out there who continually support Plow & Hearth and our products. Remember to keep checking in with them and with our blog for more reviews and giveaways!

by Katie D., marketing assistant